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.
The Town of Mattawa is moving the August water bill to September. Revenue Services Clerk Amy Leclerc noted that without the change, the current by-law could “put undue hardship on the ratepayers,” and “we feel that it’s important to change the final water billing to September.” This past February, council adopted the 2023 water rates with a new by-law, and within that law, the water and wastewater bills for both flat rate bills and metered bills, both share the same deadline – August 31.
Residents of Katrine are hopeful a public meeting with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) will shed light on why water levels at Doe Lake are higher than water levels at nearby lakes. Adam Wakefiled, the MNRF's district manager for the Parry Sound District, will be at the Katrine Community Centre answering the public's questions on Aug. 18.
Nova Scotia Power has suspended its application to charge ratepayers $18 million for cost overruns on an ill-fated hydro dam as water migration at the construction site persists. The utility said it is not clear yet what impact continued water infiltration will have on the replacement of the small dam at Tusket near Yarmouth. Unexpected water seepage has already doubled the cost to $36 million and pushed the project three years behind schedule.
A Temagami man says he's prepared to go without running water this winter to avoid a $12,000 repair bill — part of which he thinks the town should pay. That's how much it would cost to replace his water line which runs through two municipal lots before getting to his house. James Black says he had an agreement with the town to cover two-thirds of the cost, but council changed its mind.
