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.
Southern Alberta has seen some of the most exceptional drought in the country over the last few months — so it's no surprise that these conditions can possibly lead to dry and sensitive skin. This is especially so for newcomers to the province, like University of Calgary graduate Elisha Banerjee. "I was used to the cold, that was the part that was easy, it was the dry that I was not prepared for," she said.
Clean water is essential for a variety of reasons. For many Halton Hills residents, this means navigating the challenges of water hardness levels greater than most other Ontario municipalities. Isobel and Jim White — who’ve lived in Georgetown for nearly half a century — never drink from their tap. “The water quality has never been the best,” said Isobel, adding that the purchase of a water softener with every move was always top priority.
Anyone who has stood fully dressed in the shower, scrubbing away annoying calcium build up, knows Calgary has hard water. The high concentration of minerals in the water is also responsible for spotty dishes, stiff laundry, icky soap scum and eroded tea kettles, not to mention dry skin and limp hair. Luckily, hard water isn’t unhealthy, but it can be a drain on the pocketbook.
For well over a year, Rob and Connie Crow have struggled to keep their failing water well from quitting altogether. First the water softener stopped working. They discovered the water coming from the well carried a gritty substance that left an oily film on their hands. Rob shrugs when asked what it is. "I can guarantee you it's not good for you," he said.
