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.
As the prospect of having a green lawn becomes increasingly unattainable during bone-dry summers with water restrictions in place, a growing number of people are ditching their grass altogether. Kristen Miskelly, owner and operator of Satinflower Nurseries in Vancouver Island's Capital Regional District, says she's seen increased interest and general awareness for her "meadow-making" workshops over the years.
Prior to beginning her PhD, the major focus of her work was to find solutions to problems related to unclean water and water shortages within communities in India, specifically in regards to how these issues affect women. From 2016 to 2019, she held the role of thematic lead for water for the national sectoral steering committee for the habitat sector, Technology Information, Forecasting, and Assessment Council at the Department of Science and Technology within the Government of India. During this role she has led the preparation of status report on India’s climate change and habitat initiatives for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. She has brought international attention to concerns surrounding water issues by collaborating with workshops at the University College of London, in addition to organizing a workshop alongside the San Diego State University where delegates from all over the world came to discuss how they address these concerns in their countries in hopes of aiding India.
High-achieving high schoolers from across the nation are diving into Canada’s fresh water woes this week, hoping to find solutions allowing residents to be “more respectful” of the essential resource. This month, 1,100 Grade 10 and 11 students will gather at universities across Canada – including 60 working virtually at Western University – for SHAD2021. The prestigious enrichment program will see them tackle the “big wicked problem” of water issues, ranging from First Nations boil-water advisories to Lake Erie bacteria blooms.
