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 Ontario government is investing $6 million to support 30 multi-year projects to help protect, conserve and restore the Great Lakes. These investments will help reduce plastic litter, excess nutrients and road salt entering lakes, rivers and streams, advance climate resiliency, and make significant progress on restoring environmentally degraded areas of the Great Lakes.
An initiative aiming to advance water quality protection and healthy sustainable communities around Lake Huron has awarded funding to a handful of local projects. Lake Huron Forever, which was developed in 2019 by shoreline community foundations and conservation partners from the United States and Canada, has awarded $5,000 grants to four projects in Ontario with ties to the local area, including Bruce County and Manitoulin Island. Grants were also handed out to four projects in Michigan. Those receiving funding in Ontario are a schoolyard stormwater bioswale project at Peninsula Shores District School in Wiarton, a coastal stewardship and education program by the Goderich-based Lake Huron Coastal Centre, the cover crop initiative of the Grey Sauble Conservation Authority, and the Kagawong River Stream Restoration on Manitoulin Island.
