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 non-profit organization in Salt Spring Island, B.C., dedicated to fighting climate change is encouraging residents to take advantage of the rain this fall by installing a rainwater collection system. Transition Salt Spring (TSS), with the help of the Capital Regional District, piloted the Rainwater Harvesting Rebate program on Oct. 1, which offers homeowners $250 to $500 for installing cisterns to catch and store rainwater on their property.
Iqaluit's city council voted unanimously Tuesday to provide a water rebate for residents. Nearly 8,000 residents were ordered not to drink the tap water when fuel was discovered in one of the city's two water tanks at its water treatment plant earlier this month. The 100 per cent rebate was proposed by Mayor Kenny Bell. It will cost the city over $965,000 in revenue for the month of October.
Iqaluit residents could get a break on their water bills as they continue to deal with fuel contamination that's prevented them from being able to drink their tap water. Mayor Kenny Bell says in a social media post that he asked city staff for a "request for decision" on a water rebate ahead of this coming Tuesday's council meeting. Bell posted the resulting document on Saturday, which calls for a full rebate for the month of October for customers who receive their water via the city's pipes, as well as those who receive water from trucks.
