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 effort to replace the nearly century-old Hensall water tower is moving ahead, though the project is coming with a higher price tag than originally anticipated. Councillors with the Municipality of Bluewater in Huron County this week awarded the project contract to Landmark Municipal Services and increased the budget to more than $6.4 million – roughly $1 million more than initially expected to replace the 88-year-old tower.
As Canadians living in most cities around the country enter summer with nary a thought about using clean, potable water to wash their cars, fill their pools, clean their decks and water their lawns, the Public Service Alliance of Canada is turning up the pressure on Ottawa to make good on its long-standing promise to ensure access to safe, clean water for all.
