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 city is considering putting in drinking fountains for humans and pooches in parks, according to a report that went to the planning and environment committee Monday. Thirty-six parks could be potentially suitable for the water servicing, the report states. Right now, 24 city parks have water fountains, but none of the five off-leash dog parks do.
You will not be able to buy bottled water from vending machines in city of Ottawa facilities by the end of June, as the city aims to eliminate the sale of plastic water bottles in facilities. In a report for the Community and Protective Services Committee, staff say the city has worked with Coca Cola to eliminate water bottles from vending machines by the end of the second quarter.
In the summer, the Sylvia Grinnell River near Iqaluit is a popular spot to fish for Arctic char where ice-cold water cascades over rocky ledges. Now, with thick layers of ice and snow covering the flowing water below, it has become one of the city's main water sources for drinking and cooking. The other comes in thousands of plastic water bottles that arrive by plane.
The days of using plastic water bottles in municipal-related facilities in the Village of Sundridge will soon end. Town council is supporting a resolution banning the use of disposable one-time use bottles and is encouraging the use of reusable bottles. Coun. Fraser Williamson introduced the motion at council’s Oct. 13 meeting. Williamson was appointed to council over the summer to fill a vacancy, and it so happened his first meeting in July lasted nearly six hours and wrapped up at 11:52 p.m.
A week-long water crisis that has left residents of Nunavut's capital city Iqaluit without drinking water is also exposing a chronic problem for many northern communities: It's almost impossible to safely get rid of garbage. Close to 750,000 plastic water bottles have flooded the city in recent days after city staff last week found fuel in Iqaluit's water supply. While a coalition of businesses has since teamed up to ship the empty bottles back, most of the city's trash never returns south.
A group of companies in Nunavut has teamed up to help recycle thousands of plastic water bottles that have been shipped to Iqaluit during the capital city’s water crisis. Iqaluit’s tap water hasn’t been drinkable for a week after it was found to contain fuel. As a result, shipments of bottled water were sent to the city of about 8,000 people and distributed to residents for free. But with no recycling facility, piles of plastic bottles are bound to end up in Iqaluit’s landfill.
It’s called the elixir of life. No, it’s not scotch, it’s water. Without it, we all die. If it’s contaminated, water carries diseases too arcane for a modern world, yet cholera, typhoid and dysentery still exist, causing millions of deaths each year. It’s understandable that clean, potable water is a global concern. But here? A couple of hours drive from Bow Glacier, the source of our drinking water? We talk about climate change, about environmental concerns and about reducing our carbon footprint. And we do this while swigging water from plastic bottles.
