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.
Brandon City Council will introduce a bylaw to borrow $15 million for the final phase of upgrades to the municipal water treatment plant at its next meeting. In January, Premier Heather Stefanson announced that Brandon would be receiving a further $15 million from the province toward the project on top of the $38 million it had already provided.
The COVID-19 pandemic has made it even harder for some residents in Harrietsfield, N.S., to get clean drinking water. The Halifax-area community's well water has been contaminated for years, forcing dozens of households to get potable water from nearby St. Paul's United Church or bring it home from work. With many businesses shut down and people working from home, that's no longer an option, said resident Marlene Brown.
