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.
Another major concern is water. Hazaa Alnuaimi said he spent time in a refugee camp before coming to Canada, and the lack of usable water reminded him of those conditions. His family of six lives on the 10th floor but stood outside their building cooking over a public barbeque Thursday. "I need water. Nobody supplies us with that." Alnuaimi may have to relocate if his power and water aren't reconnected soon, he said. Many have reached a breaking point.
Jackie Kloosterboer has worked with people caught in emergencies for more than two decades, and time and again she's seen how simple planning could have helped them through the catastrophe. Kloosterboer, who is the City of Vancouver's emergency planner, spent her summer working out of Chilliwack with her staff to help people who were forced to flee due to wildfires. A few months later, she was working out of Abbotsford to help those affected by flooding.
