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

sewage samples

Saskatoon wastewater study shows huge jump in COVID-19 viral load

Saskatoon wastewater study shows huge jump in COVID-19 viral load

The latest wastewater study from the University of Saskatchewan shows a massive spike in Saskatoon's COVID-19 viral load, signalling the start of a new wave of infections. On Monday, researchers released their latest report, showing a 742 per cent increase in viral load taken from sewage samples in the city. Toxicology professor John Giesy said these latest numbers come after COVID surges in Ontario and Quebec, as well as the UK and China, all driven by the more-infectious BA-2 subvariant of Omicron.

Resurgence of COVID-19 in Saskatoon, Regina worries wastewater researchers

Resurgence of COVID-19 in Saskatoon, Regina worries wastewater researchers

A group of researchers at the University of Saskatchewan is worried about the numbers coming from the latest wastewater study. Every week, researchers test sewage samples taken from water treatment plants across the province to see whether evidence of COVID-19 is increasing or decreasing. That number is used to predict whether cases of COVID-19 will rise or fall in the future. During the latest sampling period ending March 16, researchers found that numbers were back on the rise.

'It was stunning': Wastewater data shows high levels of Omicron variant in Waterloo Region

'It was stunning': Wastewater data shows high levels of Omicron variant in Waterloo Region

Researchers studying the presence of the virus causing COVID-19 in local wastewater say the amount of Omicron variant detected in the water has increased rapidly over the past few weeks. Mark Servos, the Canada Research Chair in Water Quality Protection, said Omicron spread appeared in wastewater far faster than any other variant to date. "It just went up so dramatically, so quickly," he said at Waterloo Region's weekly COVID-19 update on Friday. "It was stunning."

Latest Sask. wastewater studies show COVID-19 spike across province over Thanksgiving weekend

Latest Sask. wastewater studies show COVID-19 spike across province over Thanksgiving weekend

The latest COVID-19 study from the University of Saskatchewan shows a dramatic jump in COVID-19 virus in sewage samples taken from three cities in the province. On Monday, the Global Institute for Water Security's report showed an increase of 109 per cent in viral RNA in Saskatoon's wastewater sample compared to the week before. Similarly, North Battleford showed an increase of 124 per cent and an increase of 61 per cent in Prince Albert.

Follow us