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.
Childhood exposure to fluoride through public tap water isn’t associated with any emotional or behavioural issues, nor any negative executive functioning in adolescent years, according to a new study from Australia. Researchers looked at more than 2,600 children in a longitudinal study that compared children who had spent their lives drinking fluoridated tap water with those who hadn’t, in order to see if exposure to fluoride in drinking water had any negative impacts.
Canada is globally admired for its breathtaking landscape, naturally architected by its rich water supply. In fact, according to Canada's Changing Climate Report, 20% of the world's freshwater flows in Canada, coming from over 8,500 rivers and more than 2 million lakes. But with these resources comes responsibility, and regrettably, Canada's climate is said to be warming twice as fast as the global average which negatively impacts the country's water systems and supply.
At the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland last week, world leaders announced that water stewardship and climate action must be coordinated to stop the deterioration of the natural environment, which means caring for our local water sources is essential. Columbia Basin lakes could arguably be considered the heart of many communities. Lakes provide clean drinking water, endless recreational options for tourism, and economic value through lake foreshore property values. Lakes and their surrounding foreshore are also highly sensitive to climate and respond rapidly to change.
