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

pumping station

Halifax Water says supply remains safe, as wildfire burns near facility

Halifax Water says supply remains safe, as wildfire burns near facility

Halifax Water says its water supply remains safe as a wildfire burns just a few kilometres away from one of its large watersheds. The utility operates a pumping station and water treatment facility at Pockwock Lake, which supplies water to the Lower Sackville, Bedford and Halifax areas. That facility sits just northwest of where the fire is burning, and is located inside an emergency zone. "We are checking water samples, including additional water samples, to make sure the quality of the water stays consistently safe," Jeff Myrick, the utility's communications manager, told CBC Radio's Mainstreet Nova Scotia on Wednesday.

Abbotsford repairs making dikes stronger but not invincible

Abbotsford repairs making dikes stronger but not invincible

Abbotsford’s dikes are in a better position than last year when atmospheric rivers deluged the Lower Mainland-U.S. border area, flooding Abbotsford’s Sumas Prairie, said Mayor Henry Braun, but the area is still highly vulnerable. It needs both a short-term fix and long-term $800 million pumping station to be built as soon as possible. The city wants to see the proposed pumping station uncoupled from its $2.8 billion approved multi-phase flood mitigation plan that will enable more water to be pumped away from valued agricultural land that was flooded when the U.S. based Nooksack River overflowed.

Feds chip in $32.7-million for upgrades at Lou Romano Water Reclamation Plant

Feds chip in $32.7-million for upgrades at Lou Romano Water Reclamation Plant

A project expected to help protect homeowners from flooding will receive over $32.7-million from the federal government. Windsor-Tecumseh MP Irek Kusmierczyk, joined by Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion and Windsor’s Mayor, announced the funding on Wednesday morning at the Lou Romano Water Reclamation Plant in West Windsor.

Inside the underground pumping station blamed for Halifax Water warnings

Inside the underground pumping station blamed for Halifax Water warnings

Not many homes in Halifax have a secret staircase that tunnels down four storeys to a vast concrete cavern. But stepping inside the modest brown house on Duffus Street, it's clear this isn't a normal home. The building is owned by Halifax Water, and is used to conceal the entrance to a tunnel that descends into a pumping station hidden beneath Barrington Street. "It was designed to fit into the neighbourhood so it wouldn't be as intrusive or ugly," said Jake Fulton, a spokesperson for Halifax Water.

State of Emergency Declared in Fort Frances

State of Emergency Declared in Fort Frances

Heavy rain Friday night and Saturday morning resulted in a pumping station near the Memorial Sports Centre to fail. Town spokesperson Patrick Briere says crews have been working around the clock to keep water flowing. “It (got) to a point overnight last night where we had a critical infrastructure failure at one of our lift stations. We have crews on scene. They’ve been working all night, and they continue to work to alleviate the problems and the back-ups. We are pushing at 100% capacity for water right now,” says Briere. Briere says residents should ensure their sump pumps are flowing outside.

Salmon Arm looks to borrow $2.3 million for ‘essential’ water infrastructure project

Salmon Arm looks to borrow $2.3 million for ‘essential’ water infrastructure project

The City of Salmon Arm will be looking for voter approval to borrow more than $2 million for one of two water infrastructure projects deemed essential by city council. At its Monday, Feb. 12 meeting, council voted to support a loan authorization bylaw enabling the city to proceed towards an alternate approval process, through which voter assent will be sought to borrow $2,298,000 for the construction of a replacement to the Zone 5 booster (water pumping) station.

Federal government invests to upgrade water infrastructure in New Brunswick

Federal government invests to upgrade water infrastructure in New Brunswick

SAINT-HILAIRE N.B.—Through the Green Infrastructure Stream (GIS), the Government of Canada is investing over $2.2 million to upgrade the water supply infrastructure in two rural communities in New Brunswick. The Village of Saint-Hilaire will benefit from increased access to potable water by drilling three to four exploratory wells, constructing one to three new wells and excavating the land in order to connect the new wells to an existing pumping station, indicates a release, adding once completed, the project will allow the community to meet water consumption demands and help remove a boil water advisory.

Water level at Gull Lake acceptable

Water level at Gull Lake acceptable

Town of Kirkland Lake officials say while the water level of Gull Lake is at an extremely low level, they feel there is nothing to be concerned about. Responding to a question from Councillor Casey Owens, a staff report states “the water level in Gull Lake does fluctuate up to half a meter in a typical year. It is acknowledged that the current level is noticeably lower than usual, however it remains within the operating range established when the Kirkland Lake Water Treatment Plant was first constructed.

No impact to drinking water after wastewater leak at Kitchener pump station

No impact to drinking water after wastewater leak at Kitchener pump station

Drinking water has not been impacted by a leak at a wastewater pump station in Kitchener, the region says. City staff in Kitchener closed Lancaster St. West and Bridge Street in the area around the Bridgeport sewage pumping station Tuesday evening. In a statement, the region said the "spill has been minimized." "Drinking water had not been impacted and residents are asked to avoid the area while repairs are underway," the statement said. "A risk to public health has not been identified as a result of the leak."

City of Iqaluit declares 2nd water emergency in 2 years

City of Iqaluit declares 2nd water emergency in 2 years

The city of Iqaluit has declared a water emergency, for the second time in two years. Lake Geraldine— the reservoir for the city's potable water— is at a "historic low." There is less water in Lake Geraldine now than there was when the city declared a water emergency in 2018.

6 west Saint John neighbourhoods to switch to east side water system

6 west Saint John neighbourhoods to switch to east side water system

Less than two years after switching Saint John's west side to a new drinking water system, the city is now diverting many of those same neighbourhoods to a new water source. The areas affected include Saint John's lower west side, Milford, Randolph, Fundy Heights, Duck Cove and Sand Cove. They are to begin receiving surface water from the Loch Lomond Treatment plant on the city's east side by the end of the year. At the same time the city has cancelled its contract with the engineering firm that was instrumental in the creation of the west side well field water system and hired a law firm to pursue the company, BGC Engineering, for costs.

Sewage flows into river after pipe breaks in Kingston

Sewage flows into river after pipe breaks in Kingston

Some people in Kingston, Ont., were asked to conserve water after a pipe broke Thursday at the River Street Pumping Station, flooding it with sewage. It's expected to be back to normal Friday morning. Utilities Kingston said residents should also take steps to protect their basements from flooding. "We are appealing to the public to conserve water and reduce sewer use to help reduce overflows and protect the environment," said president and CEO of Utilities Kingston president and CEO Jim Keech. Keech said Thursday afternoon they still didn't know what caused the pipe to break. 

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