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.
New research being spearheaded out of P.E.I. is helping Island farmers make better decisions around when to irrigate their crops — and some say it could not come at a better time. Researchers at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada have been working on a formula to calculate when to irrigate and how much water to use. The result is a new, online irrigation calculator that's accessible to farmers.
Aging infrastructure, climate change and population growth are putting significant pressure on Montreal’s water resources. Faced with the magnitude of the issues and planned investments, the city is launching a public consultation on the future of water in its territory. Montreal is wasting too much drinking water, it is dumping too many pollutants into the St. Lawrence River, its aging infrastructure is unable to swallow the ever-increasing quantity of water spilled during torrential rains, and the city does not have enough money to update and adapt its infrastructure related to water management.
Most canola crops are grown without requiring irrigation in the Prairies, the nation's agricultural heartland spanning nearly 1.8 million square kilometers (695,000 square miles). But the region is sensitive to droughts, whose frequency and severity have been steadily increasing. In this region, explains Phillip Harder, a hydrology researcher at the University of Saskatchewan, in Saskatoon, "crop production relies on water that accumulates throughout the year." In other words, snow that accumulates over winter and soaks into the ground during the spring thaw. But howling winds over fields that stretch as far as the eye can see have been blowing away much of that snow of late.
Water management is becoming a hot topic as Spain gears up for regional and municipal elections this month and a national vote later in the year, as farmers and other industries vie for an increasingly scarce resource. Spain has one swimming pool for every 37 residents, and these, too, are now in the spotlight. In Vacarisses, a scattered town of more than a dozen subdivisions with views of the Montserrat mountain range, residents are bracing for another difficult summer after enduring 16-hour water cuts last year when aquifers ran dry.
Our most valuable resource is water, which we frequently take for granted. World Water Day is observed on March 22, and this year’s message is about change; it encourages us to change how we use, consume and manage water in our daily lives. There are several steps that homeowners can take to ensure their water is safe for their homes and consumption. I always recommend homeowners get their water tested, no matter where they live, but particularly outside urban centres or if they rely on a well source.
Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) applauds the Manitoba Government's decision in designating Moswa Meadows and Fish Lake Fen as Provincially Significant Peatlands—the first of their kind in the province. Manitoba is home to 17 per cent of Canadian peatlands, with these ecologically valuable areas covering over one third of the province's landmass. Peatlands offer valuable environmental and social benefits, including water management and filtration, remarkable carbon storage capacity, and habitat for wildlife.
"Medium and larger municipalities are starting to realize how important cybersecurity is to protecting the data of citizens, critical infrastructure, political systems, and so on," said Kush Sharma, MISA's director of municipal modernization and partnerships. He says a cyber attack can compromise everything from water and waste distribution systems to transportation technology.
Priority road and bridge improvements in Gros Morne National Park and L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site to ensure safe travelling experiences. The network of protected areas administered by Parks Canada is a gateway to nature, history, and 450 000 km² of memories from coast to coast to coast. Investing in these locations helps support the protection of natural and built heritage, increases climate resiliency and creates jobs in local communities, while providing visitors with high-quality, safe and meaningful experiences across the country.
Thousands of the world's large dams are so clogged with sediment that they risk losing more than a quarter of their storage capacity by 2050, UN researchers said Wednesday, warning of the threat to water security. A new study from the UN University's Institute for Water, Environment and Health found that, by mid-century, dams and reservoirs will lose about 1.65 trillion cubic metres of water storage capacity to sediment.
Tribe Property Technologies Inc. ( TSXV: TRBE) (OTCQB: TRPTF) ("Tribe" or the "Company") has partnered with Hytec Water Management Ltd ("Hytec"), to better equip residential communities against pin hole leaks and water corrosion of a building's overall plumbing system. "Building health can be impacted by leaks due to water corrosion," explains Tribe CEO Joseph Nakhla. "What we want to do, is help our communities better prepare or deal with challenges that can impact their building and their home. Our partnership with Hytec can not only help maintain the building's plumbing but can also assist management in the overall operation of the property."
The IISD Experimental Lake Area has received $11.7 million, over the next five years, from the Government of Canada through the Canada Foundation for Innovation’s (CFI) Major Science Initiatives Fund. “This funding is essential to driving forward our research on threats to Canada’s precious fresh water—from microplastics to drugs in our water and much more,” said Richard Florizone, IISD’s President and CEO in a prepared release.
Nova Scotia's minister of Environment and Climate Change has approved the Goldboro gold project in Guysborough County, but with conditions. "I am satisfied that any adverse effects or significant environmental effects of the undertaking can be adequately mitigated through compliance with the attached terms and conditions as well as through compliance to the other licences, certificates, permits and approvals that will be required for operation," Tim Halman wrote in his decision to Signal Gold president Kevin Bullock. Signal Gold wants to develop the mine. The project includes two open pits, a processing facility, a tailings management facility, waste rock storage areas, as well as water management infrastructure such as collection ditches, culverts, settling ponds and water treatment systems.
An expert who studies landslides says last Saturday's incident in Whitehorse wasn't the first and likely won't be the last. John Clague is a retired professor of earth sciences at Simon Fraser University who specializes in geological hazards such as earthquakes, tsunamis, landslides and floods. He saw pictures of the landslide and said he was surprised at the amount of water that was in the sliding material. He was also surprised by how far it went, crossing Robert Service Way, the Millennium Trail and spilling into the Yukon River.
Forward Water Technologies (TSX-V:FWTC) Inc has announced a strategic partnership for the North American market with water technology company Aquaporin. Under the agreement, Forward Water will sell Aquaporin's unique biomimetic forward osmosis membranes for applications associated with lithium mining and extraction and water management within the oil and gas industry.
Water competition and conflict was the topic the Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs dove into during its online session Thursday. Heading up the discussion was Dr. Dena McMartin, an environmental and agricultural engineer, faculty member and vice-president (research) at the University of Lethbridge, discussing the challenges, constraints and competing interests that are making water management increasingly difficult and important for southern Alberta.
The federal government’s plan to plant up to 320 million trees a year to meet the prime minister’s target to put an extra two billion trees in the ground by 2030 has been met with sharp criticism from opposition members including the New Democrat’s natural resources critic, Charlie Angus (NDP — Timmins-James Bay). Marie-Claude Bibeau, minister of agriculture and agri-food, said the national tree planting program “will engage farms groups across the country and help farmers manage soil erosion, improve water management, provide habitat for pollinators and other wildlife, and shelter for livestock.”
Southern Alberta farmers say consistently hot weather combined with little rain in the last few months has been devastating for their crops this year. In July 2020, Kim Owen took a photo of his father Richard Owen standing in one of their fields in Wrentham, Alta., with a crop growing above his waist. On Saturday, Kim snapped another photo of his father in the exact same spot but this time the earth was yellow and dried crops barely grazed Richard's ankles.
City Council this week approved creation of a task force aimed at spearheading the Sault's bid to become the home of the Canada Water Agency. The new federal agency is expected to work with provinces, territories, Indigenous communities, local authorities, scientists and others in finding ways to keep Canada's water safe and competently managed. A number of communities are known to be interested in landing the clean-water prize, but around the Ronald A. Irwin Civic Centre, most of the talk is about the City of Regina.
In Sept. 2020, Ward 5 Coun. Corey Gardi was watching Governor-General Julie Payette read the Speech from the Throne. The former astronaut announced the Government’s plans to establish a Canada-wide agency to manage the country’s water bodies and keep them clean and safe. Upon hearing this, Gardi immediately thought Sault Ste. Marie would be a good fit for this agency. The Canada Water Agency will be a hub for water research and management. It will create a central place to deal with climate change effects on oceans, water scarcity, and shared waters with the United States.
Dr. Jamieson’s research involves examining how ecologically engineered systems can be used for water management in cold climates. He is aiming is to integrate naturally-occurring biochemical processes in the design of sustainable environmental management systems and assess their potential environmental risks. For example, engineered wetlands for wastewater treatment do not require energy and chemical inputs. These are relatively cheap and easy to maintain, making them an attractive option for small, isolated communities with limited resources.
