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

household income

City widens eligibility for tax and water credit program

City widens eligibility for tax and water credit program

Thunder Bay’s city council has voted to loosen eligibility rules for the city’s property tax and water credit program, removing a rule that barred people whose accounts were in arrears from applying. The program is open to seniors and people with disabilities living on low incomes. In a report, city staff said the restriction on those in arrears “has been identified as a barrier” that could prevent those most in need from accessing support. Over 500 people take advantage of the program, receiving tax credits of $400 and water credits of $200.

Rural Alaskans struggle to access and afford water

Rural Alaskans struggle to access and afford water

Water scarcity in rural Alaska is not a new problem, but the situation is getting worse with climate change. Lasting solutions must encourage the use of alternative water supplies like rainwater catchment and grey water recycling. They must also address the affordability of water related to household income, say researchers from McGill University. Washing hands with clean water is something most people take for granted, yet for Alaska's rural residents, this is often not the case. When people pay for water by the gallon, serious thought is given to how much is used – even during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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