Nicole Hancock
Indigenous community hosts full moon ceremony ...

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.

Indigenous community hosts full moon ceremony to heal Chedoke Creek

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Fire destroys abandoned rink in Liberty, Sask., but firefighters save nearby water treatment plant

Fire destroys abandoned rink in Liberty, Sask., but firefighters save nearby water treatment plant

Jennifer Langlois, Liberty's mayor, said the village was lucky the water plant was saved. She said the rink was closed in 2019 because of structural issues and the cost of putting in ice. The village council had been discussing demolishing the building, but hadn't made a final decision. "Just one more thing that went by the wayside in the town." Kyle Mooney, Liberty's fire chief, said firefighters arrived within a couple of minutes of Shields calling, but it was clear the rink was beyond saving. He said crews focused on saving the water treatment plant. "It's a very vital part of our town. If we were to lose that we would have been in big trouble," he said, adding that investigators are trying to determine what caused the fire. Langlois the town's water treatment plant was operational by Sunday.

'We are ecstatic': Scugog Island First Nation lifts 13-year drinking water advisory

'We are ecstatic': Scugog Island First Nation lifts 13-year drinking water advisory

A 13-year drinking water advisory has come to an end for those who reside on the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation (MSIFN). With a new communal water system now operational, the Scugog Island First Nation announced Dec. 16 that it was lifting four boil-water advisories and that community members will finally be able to fill their glasses from a tap. The MSIFN experienced periodic boil-water advisories since the early 1990s, which eventually led to a permanent drinking water advisory in 2008. Since 2014, the Scugog Island First Nation has been steadily investing in the improvement of the community’s infrastructure needs to ensure all homes and businesses on Scugog Island have a reliable source of clean drinking water.

‘They’re really struggling’: Inside the Neskantaga First Nation water crisis

‘They’re really struggling’: Inside the Neskantaga First Nation water crisis

When Chris Moonias woke up thirsty at 4 a.m. in his room at the Victoria Inn on a recent fall day, the first thing he did was look for a bottle of water. Though tap water was available in the bathroom, the Neskantaga First Nation chief grabbed his key, left his room, and walked to a nearby boardroom to find a bottle. He couldn’t bring himself to use the tap. His community has been under a 25-year boil-water advisory, Canada’s longest, and a distrust of running water, he says, has become pervasive among its members: “That’s the continued trauma. I'm not the only one that goes through this. If you go room to room here at the hotel, I guarantee you 100 per cent of those rooms have cases of bottled water.”

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