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

unsafe for swimming

Amid weekend heat, some beaches not recommended as a way to cool down

Amid weekend heat, some beaches not recommended as a way to cool down

Environment Canada forecasts sunny and warm weather this Labour Day long weekend. While the temperatures may be hot, finding a way to cool off may be a little more difficult. The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) released the findings of the latest E. coli testing at our local beaches. Six beaches are considered unsafe for swimming: Belle River Beach - 992 E. coli count, Cedar Beach - 222 E. coli count, Colchester Beach - 649 E. coli count, Mettawa Beach - 592 E. coli count, Sandpoint Beach - 216 E. coli count, Seacliff Beach - 639 E. coli count.

No-swimming advisories issued for 4 N.B. beaches

No-swimming advisories issued for 4 N.B. beaches

If you're heading to a beach for a cool-down swim, make sure you check if there are any water-quality advisories in your area. A few beaches in New Brunswick have registered high levels of E. coli and enterococci as most of the province is under a heat warning, with temperatures in the low 30s but feeling like up to 40 C. Oak Bay Provincial Park near St. Stephen has had a no-swimming advisory in place for more than a week. Parlee Beach and Murray Beach near Moncton are both also not suitable for swimming.

E. coli a growing concern for some Vancouver residents

E. coli a growing concern for some Vancouver residents

Rodrigo Silva de Paula calls himself a "water man": he spends about 330 days a year in the ocean teaching paddle boarding. But high E. coli levels in some of Vancouver's beaches are testing his patience. "It is frustrating because it is not the first time it has happened," said the 44-year-old who lives in Vancouver. Silva de Paula is one of many residents calling on the city to do more to keep beaches safe from the bacteria.

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