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

snowpacks

Water flow in Alberta is 'exceptionally low' this year and could pose challenges for fish

Water flow in Alberta is 'exceptionally low' this year and could pose challenges for fish

Lorne Fitch, a longtime fisheries biologist and former adjunct professor at the University of Calgary, is often checking out the headwaters of the Oldman River. "It's been an interesting view of a year that doesn't seem to follow anything that resembles a normal pattern," Fitch said. In Alberta, June typically brings high levels of rain, which hasn't been the case this year. Snowpacks also disappeared, on average, about a month earlier than they would have in a normal year, according to Paul Christensen, a senior fisheries biologist with Alberta Environment and Protected Areas.

British Columbians encouraged to prepare for possible spring flooding

British Columbians encouraged to prepare for possible spring flooding

With warming temperatures increasing the likelihood of rising water levels, British Columbians are encouraged to prepare for potential spring floods, while the Province, local governments and First Nations work together to keep people and communities safe. High-elevation snowpacks have not yet developed to the point that increased heat will cause significant runoff. At this time, forecasters are not anticipating a flood hazard over this current warming period for rivers lying in higher elevations, including larger rivers such as the Fraser River.

What a dry winter in the Rockies could mean for the spring

What a dry winter in the Rockies could mean for the spring

Snow-wise, it hasn't been a great year in the Rocky Mountains, says Canmore-based water expert John Pomeroy. "[The snowpack] is in the lowest quarter to lowest 10 per cent of all years measured over the last half century in the Kananaskis-Banff region," said Pomeroy, who is Canada Research Chair in Water Resources and Climate Change at the University of Saskatchewan. "It's definitely a low snow year."

As spring temperatures rise, so do flood risks. Here’s how to prepare

As spring temperatures rise, so do flood risks. Here’s how to prepare

Flooding is becoming a greater hazard across Canada, according to experts, and poses a threat to more and more homeowners. Now, with temperatures rising and snowpacks melting, the risk of flooding can be high in certain areas. Most of southern B.C. is currently under high stream flow advisories amid wet weather that Global News chief meteorologist Anthony Farnell said could last the next couple of weeks, posing a potential flood risk.

What the decline of mountain snow cover means for Canada

What the decline of mountain snow cover means for Canada

This winter brought a healthy snowpack to many mountain peaks in North America. California experienced record snow, at times burying communities and ski hills and in Canada, skiers and snowboarders enjoyed the powder this season, with British Columbia experiencing a flush of late-season snow putting snowpacks right around normal. But despite this snowy winter in the mountains, climate change is taking its toll on our slopes.

Pumping Mississippi River water west: solution or pipe dream?

Pumping Mississippi River water west: solution or pipe dream?

Waves of torrential rainfall drenched California into the new year. Snowpacks in the Sierra Nevada Mountains have swelled to more than 200% their normal size, and snowfall across the rest of the Colorado River Basin is trending above average, too. While the much-needed water has improved conditions in the parched West, experts warn against claiming victory. About 60% of the region remains in some form of drought, continuing a decades-long spiral into water scarcity.

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