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.
At the most basic level, rain gardens function like sponges. They are typically made by digging five or so feet into the ground, adding layers of rock and soil mixes designed to absorb and filter water, and topping the layers with flowers, trees, and shrubs. A finished rain garden should dip like a bowl about half a foot below ground level so that when it rains, the garden can temporarily fill up, allowing water to percolate into the ground rather than run into the street.
Lethbridge could become a ‘living city.’ Environment Lethbridge has partnered with Green Communities Canada to become one of its five Living Cities Canada pilot projects. Kathleen Sheppard, Executive Director of Environment Lethbridge, explains that a living city is one that has large amounts of green spaces and green resources. “That can be things like trees, green roofs, rain gardens, community gardens, all of those pieces that really bring some green into the city,” says Sheppard.
Due to climate change, rising sea levels combined with high tidal cycles and storm surges have led to an increased risk of flooding. To combat this, Moncton partnered with the Petitcodiac Watershed Alliance to implement rain gardens throughout the city. Rain gardens not only help remove pollutants from stormwater but also help increase stormwater capacity and reduce the overall flood risk. These kinds of solutions are extremely beneficial for Atlantic Canada where the risk of flooding is higher than the rest of the country.
Ottawa, Canada is offering to pay to improve some homeowners' properties. The aim is to do a better job of managing rain water, reported Ottawa Citizen. The city will provide grants for some homeowners to help cover a portion of the costs related to adding redirection devices for downspouts or installing rain gardens, soakaway pits and permeable paving, according to Ottawa Citizen. Certified landscape design is also be eligible for a grant. Ottawa is capping the maximum grant at $5,000 per household.
