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

homeless

More than 700,000 water bottles being distributed to GTA homeless

More than 700,000 water bottles being distributed to GTA homeless

There’s no time like the present for Project Water, a program by the charity Engage and Change. With temperatures expected to feel close to 43 C with humidity on Thursday in the GTA, Project Water founder Jody Steinhauer was busy helping distribute about 700,000 water bottles from the parking lot of her 34-year-old discount wholesale business, Bargains Group, with the precious cargo going to the homeless in more than 200 locations. “How sad is that, that the agencies that were serving don’t have access to drinking water, drinking fountains,” said Steinhauer. “Homelessness is not a downtown Toronto problem — it’s spread everywhere.”

CLEAN DRINKING WATER BEYOND SCOPE FOR HOMELESS

CLEAN DRINKING WATER BEYOND SCOPE FOR HOMELESS

Clean drinking water is a readily accessible resource for most Canadians yet beyond the reach of those in our community living on the streets, leaving them vulnerable to dehydration and ultimately death. On average, a person living in a temperate climate requires 3 liters (13 cups) of fluid intake a day to maintain adequate hydration for proper bodily function. Access to life-saving water remains a challenge for relief agencies and outreach programs that provide aid to those living in shelters and on our city streets. The problem is growing – the aftershock of COVID, the lack of affordable housing, the opioid crisis, poor hygiene, and a steady increase in refugees mean that the mortality rate among this high-risk group could surpass critical numbers.

Labatt supplying canned water for Toronto's homeless

Labatt supplying canned water for Toronto's homeless

Toronto’s homeless are getting some Labatt Breweries of Canada products. But it’s not beer — it’s canned drinking water. Make that 223,000 cans of drinking water in six truckloads to help the city in its COVID-19 relief efforts. The canned water will go to the Toronto Drop-In Network and its Streets to Home Program. Labatt says most daytime drop-in providers are now offering takeout meals so there is a high demand for single-use, portable drinks.

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