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.
It’s sheer coincidence last summer’s severe Prairie drought and climate change-related disasters in B.C. immediately preceded a major review of Calgary’s water management policies, says the person leading it. But those realities only make the assessment of the city’s drought management practices more urgent and will colour its conduct, said Harpreet Sandhu, the city’s watershed strategy leader.
