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

stewardship

Great Bear Lake agreement gives 'us the ability to actually sit at the table, says Délįnę chief

Great Bear Lake agreement gives 'us the ability to actually sit at the table, says Délįnę chief

The Délįnę Got'įnę government and its federal and territorial counterparts have agreed on further protection for Great Bear Lake or TsáTué, a UNESCO-recognized biosphere reserve. The new agreement will enhance conservation of the area and will lead to long-term funding. It also formally recognizes the Sahtugot'ine's millennia-long stewardship in the Northwest Territories region. "It's a step in the right direction," said Danny Gaudet, the Délįnę Got'įnę government's Ɂek'wahtı̨dǝ́ or chief. "It's finally given us the ability to actually sit at the table to talk about the preservation of water, the lake, and the water bed and the land in and around Great Bear Lake."

Opinion: Time to address Saskatchewan’s water quality woes

Opinion: Time to address Saskatchewan’s water quality woes

With everyone back to work and school, the water quality in Saskatchewan lakes and rivers may not be front of mind for many right now. But World Water Monitoring Day (WWMD) makes this the perfect time to think about, and take action for, all those freshwater places that are near and dear to us. WWMD is an international outreach program held annually between Sept. 18 and Oct. 18. By engaging communities in monitoring the condition of local water bodies, it helps increase awareness of the importance of good water quality to life, livelihoods and personal enjoyment.

Alberta’s ‘back door’ plan to free up billions of litres of water for coal mines raises alarm

Alberta’s ‘back door’ plan to free up billions of litres of water for coal mines raises alarm

In Alberta, water users are granted the right to withdraw water from rivers and streams through a licensing system. In some watersheds, including the Oldman, that system is closed. There’s a finite amount of water available, and all of the licences are spoken for. The issue is not new. A water policy directive created by the Alberta government in 2006 found “limits for water allocations had been reached or exceeded on the Bow, Oldman and South Saskatchewan River sub-basins, putting at risk Alberta’s obligation to provide water to neighbouring provinces and conserve the aquatic ecosystem.”

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