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.
Two years ago, what would soon become a historic atmospheric river made landfall in B.C. as nearly a month's worth of rain pounded down on the province in less than 48 hours. Over a terrifying few days, mass evacuations were ordered, thousands of animals were lost, and homes were flooded to their upper levels. Every highway connecting the Lower Mainland to the rest of the province was badly damaged or destroyed.
Engineers must design with the risk of flooding in mind. But my research shows that if we also design with the concept of rain as a precious resource and plan to soak it up, floods will do less damage. These design ideas bring many co-benefits including cooling spaces in hot summers, cleaner air and healthier bodies, resilient food and flower gardens and access to more green space, which is accepted as beneficial for our mental health.
At the bottom of a slope in a dense Montreal neighbourhood, there's a new park with benches, an open field and a playground — along with two small pedestrian bridges. When there's heavy rain, water rushes down the streets and sidewalks into the green space, forming a small lake beneath the overpasses, in a carved-out area filled with grasses, shrubs and rocks. In the days that follow, the water slowly seeps into the soil and stormwater system. It's all been engineered to prevent flash flooding in nearby streets and homes, while nourishing the vegetation in the park.
Climate geoscientist Joseph Shea didn't have to go far to find evidence of what he calls "exceptional'' hot and dry weather in British Columbia this year. He says he was still gathering raspberries in his garden in Prince George, B.C., last week as temperatures neared 20 C, at a time when the historical average maximum is about 9 C.
My fascination with water began as a child, when I saw rain for the first time. I spent the first 10 years of my life in the United Arab Emirates—one of the driest countries on Earth. My sister and I had eagerly anticipated the first rainfall of our lives, excited to put our new rain jackets to the test. When the first drops spattered on the windows of our house, I felt the excitement and joy bubble up inside me as we ran outside. The cool, calming sprinkle was unlike anything I had ever experienced.
Water levels in rivers and lakes of the central and southern Northwest Territories are at — or near — record lows this year after an extremely hot and dry stretch lasting months. "It's been steadily decreasing all summer and, as a result, the Mackenzie River downstream is also extremely low and record low at different locations," said Ryan Connon, a hydrologist with the Government of the Northwest Territories.
Experts say the extent to which wildfires have burned across the province this year will have serious implications for the quality of B.C.’s watersheds and the ecosystems that rely on them. John Richardson, a Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences professor at the University of British Columbia, says with so many hillsides scorched by wildfires this year, there’s nothing to prevent incoming rain from creating a “debris torrent” — something which spells bad news for the province’s drinking water.
When Ottawa was hit by more than 75 millimetres of rain last week it filled a $232 million sewage tunnel, sending nearly 316 million litres of raw sewage into the Ottawa River. Unfortunately, it's not unexpected or unusual. "It was always known that if there were very large storms the city would be faced with a choice of either flooding sewage into people's basements or into the river," explained Dianne Saxe, a former environmental commissioner and the last person to hold that provincial post.
About 77 millimetres of rain fell on Ottawa in a matter of hours, according to Environment Canada. That's more than any other Aug. 10 on record, but surrounding regions saw even more, receiving between 80 and 110 millimetres. At the storm's peak, Hydro Ottawa reported 24,000 customers without power. Mycah Katz was practicing a drag performance in the basement lounge of his condo building when the power cut out.
It can be said that British Columbia is Canada’s two-season province, with West Coast living consisting of a cycle between rain and fire. Fire season has arrived and experts say it’s time to put your rainy day habits behind you. “All we can really do is adapt to more extreme drought,” said John Richardson, a professor in the department of forest and conservation sciences at the University of British Columbia. “We have to remember that same water is used for drinking, bathing, flushing, for fighting fire,” he said.
The Province is declaring a state of emergency for the unincorporated Stikine region in response to the ongoing wildfire situation and is expanding campfire bans throughout the province. An evacuation order is in place for specific areas in the region affected by the Little Blue River wildfire. The Stikine region is B.C.’s only unincorporated region. The Province is responsible for implementing evacuation orders for the region, which requires the Province to issue a state of emergency for the region.
Flooded streets, destroyed basements and a GO Train stuck in so much water that passengers had to be ferried to dry ground in inflatable boats — 10 years after Toronto was pounded by a record-breaking storm, many can still remember where they were when it happened. The storm on July 8, 2013 saw at least 300,000 Toronto residents hit with power outages and about 1,400 passengers stranded for hours on a train filled with water. It also highlighted the need for more investment to help prevent flooding.
Wildfires can alter landscapes in a few ways; they remove vegetation that would otherwise provide stabilization and absorption to the ground, and they can alter the soil composition itself. If a fire burns hot enough, or is persistent enough, it can change some compounds in the soil to make the soil hydrophobic. Meaning any heavy rainfall that occurs in the affected area will simply pool on the ground surface, as the soil will repel the water.
A second rural municipality in Alberta has declared an agricultural disaster because of drought this spring as beef producers head into summer, a period typically of less rain. “We haven’t seen the total effects of the drought,” said Stan Schulmeister, reeve of the County of Paintearth east of Red Deer. “But the agricultural producer that’s strictly dealing with livestock is going to find it very difficult to find feed this year because it’s almost province-wide, the damage to the hay crop and so on.”
The bulletin says it's not known exactly where the heaviest rainfall will happen, but that Wrigley and the South Nahanni River Basin "could see very significant rainfall." The South Nahanni River may also see a quick rise and possibly affect residents in Nahanni Butte. "It is always important for individuals to be ready for emergencies. That means having an emergency plan for you and your household, having an emergency kit ready to go, staying up-to-date with the latest information from your community, and following instructions from local officials should the time come," reads the bulletin.
The increased flows overnight are the result of water management dam adjustments to address the higher-than-normal water levels caused by the recent precipitation. Over the past three days, the watersheds have received over 60 millimetres of rain, which represents 75 percent over the normal precipitation values for the month of June.
Heavy rainfall and isolated thunderstorms are expected to hit pockets throughout the GTA Saturday, which can bring about flash floods, water pools on roads and localized flooding in low-lying areas, Environment Canada warns. The federal weather agency says 50 to 75 millimetres of rain is possible in areas as far west as Guelph to east beyond Kingston. Heavy showers have already begun and are expected to continue on and off throughout the day, with a forecasted end this evening.
Lorne Fitch, a longtime fisheries biologist and former adjunct professor at the University of Calgary, is often checking out the headwaters of the Oldman River. "It's been an interesting view of a year that doesn't seem to follow anything that resembles a normal pattern," Fitch said. In Alberta, June typically brings high levels of rain, which hasn't been the case this year. Snowpacks also disappeared, on average, about a month earlier than they would have in a normal year, according to Paul Christensen, a senior fisheries biologist with Alberta Environment and Protected Areas.
Flood watches remain in place for the McLeod River and Athabasca River at Whitecourt. Water levels on the two rivers are expected to peak Tuesday evening, putting low-lying areas of Whitecourt at risk. Jasper National Park has also been hit hard by recent rain and snow, resulting in road and trail closures and treacherous conditions. In a statement Monday officials said 100 mm of rain and 55 centimetres of snow had fallen in some locations and Maligne and Miette roads have been closed.
Weeks after the Lehigh Valley turned sepia toned from Canadian wildfire smoke, the skies have cleared and there’s even been some rain, even though it hasn’t been enough to push much of the state out of moderate drought status. While environmentalists and researchers said impacts on the region’s crops and water may be few due to the short duration of smoky days, it’s a largely understudied topic. However, as climate change worsens and the chance for more wildfires increases, experts said the impacts could similarly escalate.
