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

water quantity

What wildfires might mean for your NWT water supply

What wildfires might mean for your NWT water supply

Experts say the NWT’s wildfire season could affect water sources by altering water quantity and quality, potentially straining treatment systems. The territory’s extreme 2023 wildfire season has already taken a heavy toll on residents and fouled air quality for months. But fires can affect water too – sometimes in substantial ways.Experts say the NWT’s wildfire season could affect water sources by altering water quantity and quality, potentially straining treatment systems. The territory’s extreme 2023 wildfire season has already taken a heavy toll on residents and fouled air quality for months. But fires can affect water too – sometimes in substantial ways.

Disrupting the myth of water abundance in Ontario

Disrupting the myth of water abundance in Ontario

Ontario may seem to be a water secure region, but new research out of the University of Waterloo challenges the myth of water abundance in the Great Lakes watershed. Using a first-of-its-kind risk analysis, researchers connected water quality, quantity, regulations and public concern to obtain a more comprehensive picture of water security at the local level. The novel approach revealed that at least half of the studied watersheds had a moderate to high potential for risk.

Alberta’s ‘back door’ plan to free up billions of litres of water for coal mines raises alarm

Alberta’s ‘back door’ plan to free up billions of litres of water for coal mines raises alarm

In Alberta, water users are granted the right to withdraw water from rivers and streams through a licensing system. In some watersheds, including the Oldman, that system is closed. There’s a finite amount of water available, and all of the licences are spoken for. The issue is not new. A water policy directive created by the Alberta government in 2006 found “limits for water allocations had been reached or exceeded on the Bow, Oldman and South Saskatchewan River sub-basins, putting at risk Alberta’s obligation to provide water to neighbouring provinces and conserve the aquatic ecosystem.”

Data gaps prevent assessment of most Canadian watersheds: WWF report

Data gaps prevent assessment of most Canadian watersheds: WWF report

Spotty research and inconsistent monitoring have made it impossible to evaluate the health of most Canadian watersheds, a study has found. “It’s still largely unknown,” said Elizabeth Hendricks of the World Wildlife Fund, which has just released its second evaluation of the condition of Canada’s freshwater environments. Hendricks said the report points to the need for standardized, national water monitoring done by local communities.

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