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.
The data from wastewater is considered a better indicator of how a city is doing at this point in the pandemic, particularly at a time when the province is rationing tests to high-risk groups and many people who have contracted COVID-19 are not showing up on provincial case totals. Wastewater testing measures COVID-19 levels across an entire city and officials can get a big picture perspective sooner than relying on just nasal testing.
