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.
Cochrane has declared a state of local emergency after water line breaks drained the town’s water supply — alongside sewage — into the Bow River, and town officials are pleading with residents to cut back on water use. At a news conference Tuesday, town officials said the effects of the break in water and wastewater lines Saturday have depleted water reservoirs to “critical levels.”
A main sewer line break occurred yesterday in the town of Cochrane, causing an overland sewage discharge that flowed into the Bow River at the Highway 22 bridge. Cochrane drinking water is not affected by the sewage and remains safe to drink. Stacy Loe is the executive director of protective and community services for Cochrane. She said the town found out about the problem at 6 p.m. on Saturday.
