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

rules

Canada's new cruise ship rules don't fix major pollution sources, critics say

Canada's new cruise ship rules don't fix major pollution sources, critics say

The federal government says some new cruise ship pollution measures are now mandatory, but environmental groups say the move still doesn't plug gaps that permit the ongoing contamination of some of Canada's most sensitive coastlines. Minister of Transport Omar Alghabra announced Friday that voluntary measures established last April on the discharge and treatment guidelines for sewage (black water) and grey water - which includes kitchen water, laundry detergent, cleaning products, food waste, cooking oils and grease as well as hazardous carcinogens and other pollutants - will be mandatory immediately under an interim order.

EU targets deadly air pollution, pushes for cleaner water

EU targets deadly air pollution, pushes for cleaner water

The European Commission proposed on Wednesday tougher legal limits on health-damaging dirty air and rules to make pharmaceutical and cosmetic companies pay to clean up wastewater polluted by their products. The European Union's executive proposed three laws targeting air and water pollution. Among them is a requirement that, by 2030, EU countries must meet new legally-binding air pollution limits that will be closer to the stricter World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations.

Rock wall raises questions about rules for shoreline development on P.E.I.

Rock wall raises questions about rules for shoreline development on P.E.I.

A rock wall under construction on the beach at Point Deroche, P.E.I., is raising discussion about what is acceptable to protect the shoreline from erosion. Bryson Guptill, an avid hiker of trails and beaches, first noticed the rock wall and beach house development months ago. "It's a problem because people used to walk down that beach and walk all the way along. Now there's so much armour stone that you can't get around. Even at low tide you can't get around."

Town of Antigonish orders residents to stop watering lawns, gardens

Town of Antigonish orders residents to stop watering lawns, gardens

The Town of Antigonish, N.S., is ordering all town and area water utility customers to begin conserving water. The order came into effect Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. and will remain until water levels at the James River Dam return to normal. The town's chief administrative officer Jeff Lawrence told CBC's Maritime Noon the water behind the dam is one metre below spilling.

The EPA must follow Canada's lead and issue new rules for ballast water to protect the Great Lakes

The EPA must follow Canada's lead and issue new rules for ballast water to protect the Great Lakes

Last week Canada issued new rules requiring all vessels stopping at Canadian ports to have ballast water treatment systems in place by 2030. While this may seem like a niche issue, reports have shown us that ships contribute to the introduction and spread of destructive aquatic invasive species through the discharge of ballast water. Once species such as zebra and quagga mussels set up camp, they devastate the natural food chain and can lead to dangerous algae growth, which causes substantial environmental and economic harm to the Great Lakes and waters all across the country.

P.E.I.'s new Water Act won't protect rivers if province still allows pumping during droughts, group says

P.E.I.'s new Water Act won't protect rivers if province still allows pumping during droughts, group says

The Coalition for the Protection of P.E.I. Water is concerned the Water Act might not improve things if the province goes against its own rules, as it did approving farmers' use of surface water for irrigation from the Dunk River during a drought last August. "What worries us is when there are demands for water, is the government going to bend and break their own rules?" said coalition chair Catherine O'Brien.

Province's plans to change gravel pit rules could harm local water, natural areas: report

Province's plans to change gravel pit rules could harm local water, natural areas: report

Regional staff are urging the province to reconsider proposed policy changes that could loosen rules around gravel mining and other aggregate extraction. Aggregate is the technical term for raw materials like sand, gravel and stone. The proposed changes are outlined in a draft update to the Provincial Policy Statement, a document that provides direction on land use planning across the province.

Unsafe to drink

Unsafe to drink

Serpent River’s woes resemble those of the 90 other Canadian reserves under drinking-water advisories. But there is a cruel twist: This water treatment plant is barely a year old. It is a small yet impressive modern facility, a bewildering but orderly arrangement of pumps, piping and gauges.

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