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.
A state of local emergency has lifted in the Village of Harrison Hot Springs, east of Vancouver, just days after it was issued when problems at the local water treatment facility put water availability at risk. A statement from Mayor Ed Wood says two pumps are now in full working order at the plant and an external backup pump is also available, if needed.
A state of local emergency has been declared in a village in central British Columbia as drought increases in severity across the province. As of midnight Wednesday, residents of McBride, a Robson Valley community about 180 kilometres southeast of Prince George, are prohibited from washing vehicles or the exteriors of buildings, filling up swimming pools, or watering lawns and gardens.
A town near Quebec City declared a state of local emergency and other communities ordered preventive evacuations on Tuesday as torrential rain caused rivers across southern Quebec to burst free of their banks. By Tuesday, between 500 and 600 people were forced from their homes in Ste-Brigitte-de-Laval, where the mayor declared a state of emergency for the next 48 hours.
A recent state of local emergency brought home the global implications of port growth and international trade from Prince Rupert and the severity was outlined in a Dec. 22 letter to the federal government by Jennifer Rice, North Coast MLA. “The city has demonstrated that immediate investment in the water distribution infrastructure is required as a failure would likely require the community to evacuate and completely shut down port operations,” the letter stated. “A failure of this magnitude would jeopardize all of the federal investment, the federal reputation for the Canadian port industry and national revenues.”
Officials on British Columbia's Sunshine Coast have approved another extension of the state of local emergency declared last month as an intense summer drought and little rain have nearly exhausted a key watershed. The Sunshine Coast Regional District says the state of local emergency, declared jointly with the District of Sechelt and shíshálh Nation, will now remain in effect until at least Nov. 21.
British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast Regional District says continued “uncertainty” about its water supply means it will seek an extension of the state of local emergency declared last month. A statement from the regional district says it is working to secure the water supply for users of its main Chapman reservoir, but uncertainty of that supply in the coming months prevents removal of stringent water use restrictions. Environment Canada data shows the region just north of Vancouver received 56 millimetres of precipitation this month and 68 mm in the last 10 days of October, but saw only a trace of rain between July and mid-October, when it usually records 200 mm or more.
Some businesses and amenities on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast will soon be able to start using treated drinking water again after a severe drought in the area prompted a two-week ban. The Sunshine Coast Regional District, the District of Sechelt and the shíshálh Nation say an order banning non-essential businesses, including breweries and concrete, asphalt and gravel companies, from using water will be lifted Tuesday at 11:59 p.m.
Though this week's storm has already led to widespread power outages, fallen trees and water pooling on city streets, city officials say they believe they're well-equipped to handle whatever the next few days bring. The city remains under a state of local emergency called on Monday. While the Environment Canada rainfall warning for Calgary ended on Wednesday, the weather alerts remain in place for a swath of southern and central Alberta north, east and south of Calgary.
A state of local emergency has been declared in the southern Manitoba city of Morden as rising water levels forced dozens of people from their homes, the city's mayor says. Brandon Burley said so far, about 50 residences have been affected, but that number is expected to rise amid a rainfall warning in place for much of the southern half of the province. Flood crews are keeping a close eye on the area's watershed, which was already high after significant rainfall last weekend. That rain melted accumulations of snow from a storm last month.
During an emergency city council meeting on Tuesday, Iqaluit city council extended the local state of emergency in a unanimous vote. A state of emergency was declared on Oct. 12 after city staff found evidence of fuel contamination in the city's treated water supply. Residents were the water as it is unsafe to drink, even if filtered or boiled. During Tuesday's meeting, Coun. Kyle Sheppard told residents there is enough safe drinking water for all.
