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.
Atmospheric rivers have been making headlines over the past couple of years. At their worst, they have been the cause of major flooding in California as well as devastating flooding in B.C.’s interior in 2021 — along with even more flooding in the province this past winter. And many experts have noted that global climate change caused by burning fossil fuels is making these events worse.
The water level on Lake of the Woods continues to recede following major flooding in spring and early summer. In its latest update, the Lake of the Woods Secretariat states the lake level declined by six centimetres over the past week, and is expected to drop another eight to 10 centimetres in the coming week. Still, water levels remain high, with the lake above its 2014 peak of 323.78 metres. However, the lake remains below the record set in July 1950, when water levels reached 324.31 metres. High water levels, caused by heavy rainfall and thick snowpack leftover from the winter months, in the region led to major flooding in some areas in spring and early summer, including Sioux Lookout, Kenora, Fort Frances, Red Lake, and Marten Falls First Nation.
The province has committed to the rehabilitation and reconstruction of a critical piece of infrastructure in western Manitoba. KGS Group Ltd. has been awarded the contract for the reconstruction of the Rivers Dam on Lake Wahtopanah, Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Doyle Piwniuk announced Tuesday in Rivers, Man. The dam controls water levels on the lake, which also serves as a provincial park that is home to a number of cottages.
