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

waste

Ontario bans 'floating homes' from overnight stays on lakes

Ontario bans 'floating homes' from overnight stays on lakes

The province's ban will prohibit the floating homes from staying overnight on public waterways. The restrictions will take effect on July 1, according to a regulation posted by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry. The ban will only apply to what the province calls "floating accommodations," defined in the regulation as floating structures designed primarily for residential purposes and not primarily for navigation. Sailboats, houseboats, cabin cruisers or other traditional watercraft are not prohibited from overnight stays.

WTTW News Explains: What Happens After You Flush?

WTTW News Explains: What Happens After You Flush?

Every time you flush, the waste disappears in a swirly whirl, never to be seen again. It’s magic! Actually, it’s science and engineering. And the flush is just the start. Let’s follow that flush! First stop: The sewer pipe. This is where your business mingles with all the other household wastewater. You know, the scummy stuff that gets rinsed off your dishes and clothes and body. In older cities like Chicago, stormwater and runoff joins the party, too. That’s because Chicago has what’s called a combined sewer system.

Paper can't be a solution to plastic waste': Canadian environmentalists warn about the rise in single-use paper products

Paper can't be a solution to plastic waste': Canadian environmentalists warn about the rise in single-use paper products

The prohibition of single-use plastic products is crucial to Canada's plan of achieving zero plastic waste by 2030, but with the ban, environmentalists are growing increasingly concerned about the amount of paper packaging being used in its place. "We absolutely need to shift away from using plastics as much as we do, but trading in plastic pollution for deforestation and forest degradation is not the answer," Canopy founder and executive director Nicole Rycroft told CTV News. "We really need to make sure we do not create another environmental disaster."

Bidets are making a splash with Canadians worried about waste

Bidets are making a splash with Canadians worried about waste

In the spirit of maintaining a sense of control and purpose in a time of ever-increasing climate anxiety, you might be embracing subtle lifestyle changes to reduce your carbon footprint. Perhaps you've incorporated flexitarian eating, cut down on single-use plastics and are relying less on cars for transportation. Some people, however, are making more of a splash. Bidets — specialized bathroom fixtures that rinse your rear — are making a comeback, and new affordable attachments mean they're more accessible than ever. Beyond the thorough cleaning perks, bidets are often marketed as being more environmentally friendly than using toilet paper, with manufacturing companies claiming bidets can save trees, water and reduce your carbon footprint.

‘In our culture, water is so much more. It’s sacred.’ New wave of Indigenous operators look to tackle drinking-water woes

‘In our culture, water is so much more. It’s sacred.’ New wave of Indigenous operators look to tackle drinking-water woes

Jamie Lee Parenteau knows that water is where life originates. She knows that it must be protected in every way possible from pollution or waste. The Ojibway woman’s ancestors were able to live off the water as a resource, and to sustain all living things in their care. Yet in some First Nation communities today, water has become a curse. “In our culture, water is so much more. It’s sacred,” says Parenteau, who is from the Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation. “Our people could just go to the lake for everything. That was before all these things like the (pulp) mills and mercury poisoning. Our people drink that water and got poisoned by it.” The young mother is a water protector — and she now has a licence that says so.

Leaky city plumbing raises Ontario water bills by up to a third on average, new study shows

Leaky city plumbing raises Ontario water bills by up to a third on average, new study shows

Aging, leaky and crumbling pipes cost the average household in Ontario up to a third more on its monthly water utility bills, according to a new report by a think-tank created by a consortium of provincial construction unions and contractors. "It's a huge amount of waste, not only in the amount of water being spilled, but also in the energy being used to pressurize these pipes," said Tamer El-Diraby, a professor of civil engineering at the University of Toronto and the study's lead author.

Activist honoured at first meeting of Great Lakes Guardians' Council

Activist honoured at first meeting of Great Lakes Guardians' Council

Ontario's government is working to protect what matters most by identifying priorities for action to help protect the water quality and ecosystems of the Great Lakes and other waterways as part of its commitment in the Made-in-Ontario Environment Plan. Today, Rod Phillips, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks and Grand Council Chief Glen Hare co-chaired the Great Lakes Guardian Council, which includes leaders from across Ontario including municipalities, First Nations and Métis communities, environmental organizations, and the science community, to discuss challenges and opportunities around the Great Lakes.

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