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.
Around 670 workers who operate Metro Vancouver's five wastewater treatment plants, monitor air quality and build infrastructure stopped work Monday and are picketing as they seek a new collective agreement from their employer. "Our members are dedicated to their jobs, and deserve a collective agreement that reflects the service they provide to Metro Vancouver," said the Greater Vancouver Regional District Employees' Union (GVRDEU) in a release.
People who live in rural parts of Nova Scotia that have wells on their property are in a bind these days. Water-softener salt, which is used to treat hard water, is in hot demand because there is little of it at stores in the province. "I've been looking for it for about three or four weeks," said Carol Morrison, who lives in Oakfield, a community about 30 kilometres north of Halifax. Morrison said she is keeping a close eye on how much water she is using until she can secure more water softener. "I take short showers, reduce the number of washes I do and really make sure the dishwasher is loaded right up before I run it through." The reason for the shortage is a strike by employees at Windsor Salt in Ontario. It's one of Canada's biggest producers of water-softening salt and there is now a huge hole in the market. Other companies' shipments have been making it to some stores like Costco, but they are quickly snapped up.
