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.
A light rain has fallen and the pavement around Dickie Moore Park on Beaumont Avenue in Montreal is still wet Friday morning, but three small groups of toddlers wearing bright orange bibs have ambled down the road into the park and onto its wooden play structures. "When it rains, we usually come here with the kids because the wood chips absorb the water," says Valbona Shkambi, a daycare educator.
Imagine a world without access to safe drinking water. You go to the sink, but it’s not working. The fridge, and the water cooler aren’t an option either. Where would you go if the stores can’t sell you water? How would your community respond? Every person, big or small, needs water every day to stay healthy, yet over 2 billion people worldwide don’t have access to safe drinking water. The water crisis impacts health and sanitation, our environment, climate, and our economies. Texas Water Mission works with communities to provide potable water and hygiene solutions. In this blog post we explain the global water crisis, why it’s happening, and what we can do about it.
Sunshine Coast brothers Gord and Geoff Sloan wrestle a 9,000-litre water tank — the size of a small car — into position behind a rural home in Sechelt, B.C., until the empty metal cavern tips into place with a resounding boom. The new owner of this massive metal tank hopes rain will fill it with enough to supply months of water for plants. The brothers' year-old business, RainCatchers, is booming as more hot, dry weather arrives after a parched spring in a region dogged by drought for the past few years.
With both feet sinking into damp dirt, urban planner Pascale Rouillé surveys a narrow strip of land that will soon be used to not only retain runoff, but also be bursting with greenery that the community can enjoy. Tucked in next to a warehouse known as Bâtiment 7 in the Montreal neighbourhood of Pointe-Saint-Charles, near the intersection of Le Ber and Sainte-Madeleine streets, the terrain will become what has been dubbed a "blue-green alley."
Researchers out of Europe say global levels of man-made "forever chemicals" have made rainwater unsafe to drink around the world — even in the most remote areas. The study, published in peer-review journal Environmental Science and Technology on Tuesday from researchers at Stockholm University and ETH Zurich, argues that guideline values – amounts considered acceptable – for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water, surface water and soil have fallen "dramatically" over the last 20 years "due to new insights into their toxicity."
Rain barrels are becoming a common site in gardens. But how do they work? How do you prevent them from becoming a breeding ground for mosquitoes? And are they worth it? The original purpose of the Mount Denson Garden Club of Hants County was social — just to enjoy gardening. Meeting at the Hants Wildlife Association building in Mount Denson on the second Wednesday of the month, it has since turned into more of a learning and sharing club with the hope of growing the love of gardening and nature in the community.
The owner of a long-standing marina in Port Stanley, Ont. estimates he faces $150,000 in damages due to flooding caused by an ice jam in the harbour. Warming temperatures and snow melts led to rising water levels beginning late last week. The water carried the ice jam through Kettle Creek in nearby St. Thomas to Port Stanley, leading to the closure of the King George VI Lift Bridge. David McNiece, who owns Stan's Marina, said two metres of water built up around the marina.
