Nicole Hancock
Indigenous community hosts full moon ceremony ...

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.

Indigenous community hosts full moon ceremony to heal Chedoke Creek

risks

Bursting ice dam in Alaska highlights risks of glacial flooding around the globe

Bursting ice dam in Alaska highlights risks of glacial flooding around the globe

The gray, two-story home with white trim toppled and slid, crashing into the river below as rushing waters carried off a bobbing chunk of its roof. Next door, a condo building teetered on the edge of the bank, its foundation already having fallen away as erosion undercut it. The destruction came over the weekend as a glacial dam burst in Alaska's capital, swelling the levels of the Mendenhall River to an unprecedented degree. The bursting of such snow-and-ice dams is a phenomenon called a jökuhlaup, and while it's relatively little-known in the U.S., researchers say such glacial floods could threaten about 15 million people around the world.

Property owner learns a hard lesson on insurance against water damage

Property owner learns a hard lesson on insurance against water damage

In early December, while the property was unoccupied, Morgan’s real estate agent phoned him to advise that the house had been damaged as a result of a burst water connection to a second-floor toilet. Co-operators investigated the claim and denied coverage. The company’s position was that there was no insurance coverage for water damage after the property was vacant for more than five days, and there was no insurance at all for any loss if the dwelling was vacant for more than 30 consecutive days.

Spring flood risks highlight lack of insurance for Canadian homeowners: experts

Spring flood risks highlight lack of insurance for Canadian homeowners: experts

As the spring season brings higher flood risk to Canadians, as seen in British Columbia recently, experts say many homeowners remain without adequate insurance to cover extreme weather's damage to their homes. "I would say that Canadians in general are not truly aware of the risks that their homes are exposed to, and the exposure they have to extreme weather events and the potential losses they could experience," said Michelle Laidlaw, associate vice-president of The Co-operators Group Ltd.'s national product portfolio.

Why some people are taking a wintry dip from the banks of the Bow River

Why some people are taking a wintry dip from the banks of the Bow River

It's an uncommon sight to see in January. A group of nearly 20 people, in their bathing suits, gather along the banks of the Bow River to plunge into the icy waters. While a midwinter dip might not be at the top of everyone's to-do list, it's become a ritual for those participating. "I was fascinated by it. I thought it to be a crazy activity," said Lucas Ramage. "I started this not thinking that it would be part of a regular health routine, but immediately I can see it has a bit of an addictive nature."

Health Canada downplayed scientific concerns about risks of toxic pesticide that causes birth defects

Health Canada downplayed scientific concerns about risks of toxic pesticide that causes birth defects

Canada's pesticide regulator repeatedly ignored red flags raised by its own scientists about the health risks posed by the pesticide chlorpyrifos, stalling a review of the pesticide for close to 20 years, documents obtained by the environmental group Ecojustice reveal. All the while, health concerns raised here at home and worldwide about the pesticide were never publicly shared. Commonly used on crops like wheat, in greenhouses and to kill mosquitoes, chlorpyrifos harms the nervous system and can cause brain defects in children. People are typically exposed by consuming contaminated food residue or water. Canadian farmers used on average 360,000 kilograms of the pesticide each year between 2008 and 2016, and a 2017 federal Canadian health survey found traces of chlorpyrifos on 99 per cent of foods sampled.

Manitoba Hydro says it needs 3.5% rate hikes in next 2 years to manage risks from debt, water levels

Manitoba Hydro says it needs 3.5% rate hikes in next 2 years to manage risks from debt, water levels

Manitoba Hydro is asking the provincial regulator, the Public Utilities Board, to approve electricity rate increases of 3.5 per cent in each of the next two years. It also warns that it will likely need rate hikes above the rate of inflation in the future if it is to meet government debt-reduction targets. "These proposed increases will help ensure Manitoba Hydro has the financial resources available to handle the risks created by our $24-billion debt load and factors that are out of our control like fluctuating interest rates, export market prices and water levels," Jay Grewal, president and CEO of the Crown-owned utility, said in a press release Wednesday.

Climate change raises risks for mining industry

Climate change raises risks for mining industry

In the North, some mines risk leaking acid if the permafrost melts, while across Canada heavier rainfall will add strain to tailings dams and a lack of it could throw operations. While no strangers to extreme weather, the growing risks from climate change are forcing the mining industry to take a hard look at their methods, and how to prepare for the worst. Many of the most prudent actions to minimize risk are, however, also more costly, meaning that while some have taken them on, not everyone has followed suit.

Opinion: High gains but very low risks for reintroducing fluoride in Calgary's water

Opinion: High gains but very low risks for reintroducing fluoride in Calgary's water

You don’t have to be in the health field to appreciate the overwhelming evidence that supports the benefits of adding fluoride into public drinking water. In 2011, Calgary’s city council decided to discontinue fluoridating Calgary’s drinking water. This act came in direct opposition to all prominent health bodies’ recommendations. There are over 70 years of research on fluoridating drinking water, and yet in Calgary, we still have an ongoing debate that is doing nothing but increasing the number of (very preventable) dental cavities in our population.

Cyberattack on Florida water treatment plant raises alarms in Canada

Cyberattack on Florida water treatment plant raises alarms in Canada

Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri told a news conference Monday that someone remotely accessed a computer for the City of Oldsmar water treatment system on Friday and briefly increased the amount of sodium hydroxide, also known as lye, by a factor of more than 100. The Tampa Bay Times said the chemical is used in small amounts to control the acidity of water, but it’s also a corrosive compound commonly found in household cleaning supplies such as liquid drain cleaners.

Oneida Nation of the Thames tap water different than neighbouring non-Indigenous communities

Oneida Nation of the Thames tap water different than neighbouring non-Indigenous communities

ONEIDA NATION OF THE THAMES — Jennifer George’s home sits on a gravel road that separates this Indigenous community near London, Ont., from the neighbouring township of Southwold. On George’s side of the road, virtually no one trusts the drinking water that flows from the Thames River to their homes. Many have the same 18-litre blue jugs that line the floor of George’s kitchen, ubiquitous sources of water for drinking and cooking.

Protesters take to the water against Chalk River nuclear disposal site

Protesters take to the water against Chalk River nuclear disposal site

People from both sides of the Ottawa River took to the water to protest the construction of a nuclear waste disposal site at the Chalk River power plant. More than a dozen boats took part in the demonstration to say the federal government should heed their warnings about the potential dangers the dump presents for the health of the water.

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