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 lack of water in the Bear Creek Reservoir is eye-catching, but the city says there is no immediate risk associated with the lower than usual levels. City of Grande Prairie Development Engineer Michael Harvard says the city keeps the gates of the Muskoseepi Dam during the summer months open to ensure there is enough of a downstream flow. He says one potential issue stemming from the lack of upstream movement deals with the wildlife that calls the waterway home.
