Nicole Hancock
Indigenous community hosts full moon ceremony ...

Kristen Villebrun and Wendy Bush hoped they wouldn't have to pray for Chedoke Creek, but four years after they first raised alarm about the water's condition, they were part of an Indigenous full moon ceremony to do just that. About 50 people showed up near Princess Point on the dark and frigid Monday evening for the monthly ceremony, which was particularly special as it focused on Chedoke Creek. The body of water that runs into Cootes Paradise had about 24 billion litres of sewage and storm water runoff leak into it due to a gate being left open.

Indigenous community hosts full moon ceremony to heal Chedoke Creek

health department

Health Department’s 3rd-party review of water crisis uncertain

Health Department’s 3rd-party review of water crisis uncertain

The CGS review pegs the start of the emergency at Oct. 12, 2021. It does not concern itself with the City of Iqaluit’s response to the initial reports of fuel-tainted water. DPRA reached out to 35 people to take part in the review. Nineteen responded. Of 13 current and former city officials who were asked to participate, five took part. The report does not identify who did or did not participate. It describes broken equipment and disagreements between the city and GN leading to delays in handling the crisis.

Independent investigation into Iqaluit water crisis has not yet begun

Independent investigation into Iqaluit water crisis has not yet begun

Nunavut's health department says it has not yet begun its third party review into last year's water crisis in Iqaluit. In October 2021, the city went nearly two months without clean tap water after hydrocarbons were detected in the city's water supply and ultimately traced to the water treatment plant. A "do not consume" order from territorial health officials was lifted in December, after a bypass had been set up at the plant.

Iqaluit residents can drink tap water again, Nunavut's health department says

Iqaluit residents can drink tap water again, Nunavut's health department says

Nunavut's Department of Health lifted the do-not-consume order in Iqaluit, meaning residents there can once again drink from the city's water supply. Iqaluit's 8,000 residents have spent the last two months unable to drink the city's water from their taps due to concerns about fuel contamination. Officials originally told residents not to drink the tap water on Oct. 12, after complaints started flooding in about a smell of fuel in the water. In a news release Friday afternoon, Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Michael Patterson stated that all tests done after Oct. 19 have shown the drinking water is safe to consume.

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