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

piped water

The Global Water Crisis is Everywhere and is Not Going Away: How Will We Cope?

The Global Water Crisis is Everywhere and is Not Going Away: How Will We Cope?

Imagine a world without access to safe drinking water. You go to the sink, but it’s not working. The fridge, and the water cooler aren’t an option either. Where would you go if the stores can’t sell you water? How would your community respond? Every person, big or small, needs water every day to stay healthy, yet over 2 billion people worldwide don’t have access to safe drinking water. The water crisis impacts health and sanitation, our environment, climate, and our economies. Texas Water Mission works with communities to provide potable water and hygiene solutions. In this blog post we explain the global water crisis, why it’s happening, and what we can do about it.

N.W.T. health officials issue boil-water advisory for Behchokǫ

N.W.T. health officials issue boil-water advisory for Behchokǫ

Public health officials are urging residents in Behchokǫ̀, N.W.T., to boil drinking water for at least one minute. The advisory comes following mechanical problems at the community's water treatment plant. In a news release the Department of Health and Social Services said the problems led to turbid — cloudy — water being distributed. The advisory applies to both piped and trucked water.

Lack of funding for piped water on First Nations in Sask. means some on reserves can’t drink from their taps

Lack of funding for piped water on First Nations in Sask. means some on reserves can’t drink from their taps

Rebecca Zagozewski, executive director with the Saskatchewan First Nations Water Association, says cisterns can pose health risks to those who rely on them. She says the structures can have cracked lids, which allows all sorts of debris to get into them — including rats, mice, drowned puppies and garbage — and they’re often not cleaned properly. On top of that, she says the Saskatchewan First Nations Water Association is concerned that there is no certification program for water truck drivers. The group wants to create such a program where drivers would have to be trained in how to keep the water safe and be held accountable if things go wrong. “Because right now there’s no accountability,” she says.

Measures to stop spread of COVID-19 in First Nations limited by lack of infrastructure: report

Measures to stop spread of COVID-19 in First Nations limited by lack of infrastructure: report

Suggested measures to limit the spread of COVID-19 won't be effective in remote Manitoba First Nations unless housing conditions and access to clean water are improved, says a new report. "Asking people to wash their hands and isolate in overcrowded homes without running water is like asking people unable to afford bread to eat cake," reads the report, released Wednesday by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA).

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