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.
Water management is critical to Canadian communities from coast to coast to coast. Without the ability to safely release treated water, municipalities and industries alike would need to store all of the water that they use and all of the water from rain and snow that falls within their boundaries. This is something that no municipality or industry does — except oilsands mines.
Mayor Matthew Shoemaker said he’s voiced his disappointment with the federal government’s decision not to include Sault Ste. Marie in the new Canada Water Agency. Shoemaker was meeting with federal Transport Minister Omar Alghabra, during his recent visit to Sault Ste. Marie. Alghabra met with a number of stakeholders from area industries to discuss the federal government’s Green Energy Tax Credit program.
Artificial intelligence has expanded to the point where it can almost instantly respond to a simple prompt, like asking it to write a short news story about what could happen in Saskatchewan in 2023. "2023 could see the opening of the Global Water Futures Institute at the University of Saskatchewan … [which] will focus on researching and developing solutions to global water challenges," ChatGPT responded. "This could have significant implications for both the province and the world as water is a critical resource for many industries."
Forward Water Technologies (TSXV:FWTC)) helps in the reduction of environmental impact of lithium mining companies and other industries through innovative wastewater treatment technology that enables industrial operations to reduce liquid waste volume by up to 95 percent. Transformative wastewater technologies are critical for both businesses and the world’s population. In fact, unless sufficient progress is achieved, UNICEF and WHO estimate that 1.6 billion people will be without access to safe drinking water by 2030, and 2.8 billion will be without access to safe sanitation and hygiene. Water treatment technologies can disrupt current trends and improve global access to safe drinking water.
Market for cross flow membrane is also fast catching pace amidst rising demand for water, increasing scope for ballast water treatment, minimal liquid discharge for hydraulic fracturing, along with new contaminants of concern such as endocrine disrupters. Demand for ultrafiltration membranes and reverse osmosis is also expected to advance more rapidly in coming years due to their ability to produce high- purity streams, produce potable water from seawater and brackish water, and effectively treat and reuse wastewater.
The federal government seeks feedback on whether the objectives outlined in the Discussion Paper are the right objectives for the government to pursue and input on which objectives should be prioritized. Input is sought from provinces, territories, Indigenous peoples, local authorities, the private sector, non-government organizations, and the public. Feedback will inform the federal government's next steps in implementing the CWA. The deadline for providing feedback on the Discussion Paper is March 1, 2021. Information about where to send responses is provided in the Discussion Paper. In January 2021, the federal government will host a virtual national freshwater policy forum. A series of regional forums will be held in February 2021 to provide further opportunities for Canadians to participate in consultations on the Discussion Paper.
