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.
Against the backdrop of the COP15 United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, an international conference focused on halting and reversing biodiversity loss through the protection and conservation of the natural environment, Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) is pleased to be named a lead conservation organization that will continue delivering the Government of Canada’s Natural Heritage Conservation Program (NHCP).
The federal government has announced $27 million in funding for three projects to improve public services and protect waters in St. John’s, Petty Harbour-Maddox Cove and surrounding communities in Newfoundland and Labrador. In St. John’s, new wastewater infrastructure will improve municipal services in the Goulds area and help protect Shoal Bay and the harbour. In addition, there will be ditching and erosion control measures taken along the Motion Bay Road extension in Petty Harbour-Maddox Cove. The federal government is spending $9.8 million, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador is contributing $7.4 million and the municipalities are providing a total of $9.8 million, stated a release.
