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

toxic blue-green algae

Blue-green algae in 16 lakes across Nova Scotia already

Blue-green algae in 16 lakes across Nova Scotia already

The province’s Environment and Climate Change Department says 16 lakes have been identified as having toxic blue-green algae so far this year, with all reports coming in June. At the same point last year only eight lakes had been identified as having a bloom of the algae. Elizabeth Kennedy, the director of the water branch for the department, said that while there may be more instances this year because of hot and dry weather in May and June, the department has also been pushing its awareness campaign so more people could be reporting sightings.

Letter: Time to address water quality in Quamichan Lake

Letter: Time to address water quality in Quamichan Lake

Rowing Canada’s continued use of Quamichan Lake for training winning Olympians is a golden opportunity to address the obscene multi-source pollution that is killing our lake. North Cowichan councillors could win gold medals among environmentalists if they act now to save our over-studied lake. Councillors must urgently work with Victoria and Ottawa to declare Quamichan Lake an eco-zone.

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