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.
The Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK) is implementing mandatory Stage 2 water conservation measures in the Duhamel, South Slocan, and Woodland Heights water systems. These measures are necessary due to the high water demand and heat warnings being issued by Environment Canada, according to a July 26 RDCK news release. The same restriction was placed on the Riondel water system on July 18.
