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

How to bring Black and Indigenous voices into the climate discussion

How to bring Black and Indigenous voices into the climate discussion

Q: Black and Indigenous people are often the ones most affected by climate change, and yet they're not necessarily at the table in negotiations for solutions. How do we change that? A: We live in the most multicultural country in the world, we have the entire world within our borders. So that gives us access to a plethora of knowledge. But the issue that we tend to have is, when we invite people to the table to have discussions, it's in a very Western framework. We have a one-hour meeting where we're going to discuss X, Y, Z. But a lot of cultures don't work that way. There are a lot of Indigenous cultures that need to meet and spend weeks building relationships and having meals together without talking about business, and then slowly bring up business here and there.

What are dioxins and did the Ohio train crash release them into the air?

What are dioxins and did the Ohio train crash release them into the air?

The U.S. government is ordering railway operator Norfolk Southern to clean up contaminated soil and water at the site of a hazardous train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, where officials are trying to convince wary residents their tap water is safe to drink. But the main pathway that dioxin gets into human bodies is not directly through something burning. It's through consumption of meat, dairy, fish and shellfish that have become contaminated. That contamination takes time.

Brown and Caldwell names Dave Bergdolt as western Canadian leader

Brown and Caldwell names Dave Bergdolt as western Canadian leader

There’s a new leader at Brown and Caldwell. Vice-president Dave Bergdolt has been promoted to Western Canada area leader, according to a news release. Bergdolt brings three decades of water and wastewater infrastructure and treatment expertise to the position, which will be “key in helping the region overcome environmental and water-related challenges,” reads the release. He started with Caldwell about 15 years ago and has overseen numerous projects including wastewater facility expansions, water quality improvements and sewer system rehabilitation.

'There's no accountability': Tantallon property contaminated, but no one will clean it up

'There's no accountability': Tantallon property contaminated, but no one will clean it up

Brink said at the time, her family made a few calls to find out what could be done, including to the Environment Department, but nothing much came of it. They tested their well water and the results showed it was safe. It wasn't until last year that Brink's daughter, Margret Holland, received the results of a freedom of information request and learned that the commercial property and her mother's property are contaminated with total petroleum hydrocarbons, including benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene. 

Hamilton tenants without running water for 8 weeks remain stuck in 'horrendous' situation, says councillor

Hamilton tenants without running water for 8 weeks remain stuck in 'horrendous' situation, says councillor

For 57 days David Galvin has had no running water in his Hamilton apartment. He said he hasn't been able to shower there or properly clean his home since the water was shut off Dec. 28. "I'm emotionally and physically debilitated from the stress," Galvin told CBC Hamilton. "I can't sleep. My guts are all out of order." He's lost hope the water will be turned back on anytime soon — for him or the other tenants who have lived there for years, he said.

How the science behind salmon farms and sea lice became so contentious

How the science behind salmon farms and sea lice became so contentious

A federal decision to shut down 15 open-net Atlantic salmon farms around B.C.'s Discovery Islands is being lauded as a win for protecting wild salmon, and a significant blow to the fish-farm industry — all while reigniting a decades-old debate between industry and scientists. The decision from Ottawa came just weeks after a Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) report found no "statistically significant association" between sea lice infestations among wild juvenile chum and pink salmon and the fish farms they migrate past along the B.C. coast.

N.B. caps disaster relief, expands buyout eligibility for flood-damaged homes as toll of extreme weather rises

N.B. caps disaster relief, expands buyout eligibility for flood-damaged homes as toll of extreme weather rises

New Brunswick is making changes to disaster financial assistance when it comes to payouts and buyouts. Public Safety Minister Kris Austin said that from 2014 to 2020, disaster assistance payouts in New Brunswick totalled around $335 million. The province is responsible for $76 million of that figure, the rest is covered by the federal government, he said. Speaking at a news conference this week, Austin said changes needed to be made because the government "cannot afford to continue with business as usual" as the frequency and intensity of weather events continues to increase. 

Hamilton tenants without water sold ‘down the proverbial river’

Hamilton tenants without water sold ‘down the proverbial river’

Residents living without water at a derelict Hamilton apartment building for nearly two months were hoping for relief. Instead, the city has sold them “down the proverbial river,” argues a longtime tenant of 1083 Main St. E. “I’m surprised. I’m appalled. I’m disbelieving. I’m in shock,” David Galvin said Tuesday.

Global Water Dispenser Market Outlook & Forecast Report 2023-2028: Preference for Eco-Friendly PoU Systems & Emergence of Co-Working Spaces to Bolster Growth - ResearchAndMarkets.com

Global Water Dispenser Market Outlook & Forecast Report 2023-2028: Preference for Eco-Friendly PoU Systems & Emergence of Co-Working Spaces to Bolster Growth - ResearchAndMarkets.com

The global water dispenser market is expected to reach a value of $1,461.87 million by 2028 from $900.16 million in 2022, growing at a CAGR of 8.42%. Investing in advanced filtration technologies can enable vendors to gain a competitive edge in the market, especially in the case of efficient reverse osmosis and UV technologies. The momentum for bottle-less or POU water dispensers is witnessing traction owing to their environmental and economic advantages over bottled dispensers. Corporate offices are implementing green policies in their day-to-day operations, where installing a POU system can be an ideal option to avoid plastic water jugs.

The Government of Canada partners with the Government of New Brunswick and the City of Moncton to upgrade municipal infrastructure in Moncton's downtown core

The Government of Canada partners with the Government of New Brunswick and the City of Moncton to upgrade municipal infrastructure in Moncton's downtown core

Today, the Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Official Languages and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), the Honourable Daniel Allain, Minister of Local Government and Local Governance Reform and Her Worship Dawn Arnold, Mayor of the City of Moncton, announced a joint investment of more than $36.3 million to upgrade Moncton's municipal infrastructure and improve its climate resiliency.

Drinking water owner and operator fined $21,000 for Safe Drinking Water violations

Drinking water owner and operator fined $21,000 for Safe Drinking Water violations

The convictions are for failing to: Comply with a ministry order by failing to measure the rate of flow through the chlorine residual analyzer daily and to record this information in the water treatment plant logbook, operate the system’s chlorine analyzer in accordance with prescribed standards, by failing to ensure a qualified person took appropriate action when there was good reason to believe that the equipment was malfunctioning, keep records of drinking water tests for at least two years, specifically continuous monitoring data for free chlorine residual at the system

France eyes 'unprecedented' water curbs after driest winter since 1959

France eyes 'unprecedented' water curbs after driest winter since 1959

France is preparing to introduce restrictions on water use in parts of the country from March, in an unprecedented move for the time of year following the driest winter in 64 years, environment minister Christophe Bechu said on Wednesday. France has recorded 32 days without rain, weather forecaster Meteo-France said. Watering and irrigation is already restricted in 87 municipalities in the south, which usually happens in summer, not winter, and meetings with officials on Friday and Monday will look at extending this, Bechu said.

B.C. diver finds horseshoe crab: ‘I knew immediately it wasn’t supposed to be here’

B.C. diver finds horseshoe crab: ‘I knew immediately it wasn’t supposed to be here’

A scuba diver cleaning part of the sea floor in a Vancouver inlet came across an animal that an expert says is a long way from home. The unusual find has been identified as a horseshoe crab, native to the Atlantic Ocean along the North American coastline. “This is not a species that’s indigenous to our water here, but as soon as I saw it, I knew what it was,” diver Henry Wang said in an interview.

Canadian government to invest more than $12 million in combatting invasive species

Canadian government to invest more than $12 million in combatting invasive species

Transport Minister Omar Alghabra committed $12.5 million in funding Wednesday to launch the Ballast Water Innovation Program aimed at keeping invasive species out of the Great Lakes. “This is done under the Oceans Protection Plan which has been the largest investment that Canada has ever made in protecting our oceans and waterways,” Alghabra said.

So-called ‘safe’ pesticides have surprising ill effects

So-called ‘safe’ pesticides have surprising ill effects

Health Canada is currently reviewing regulations for pesticides in Canada, and three UBC researchers say regulators might want to consider what happened in Japan. A lake in Shimane Prefecture has seen its commercial fishery collapse by more than 90 per cent since 1993, when insecticides known as neonicotinoids were first introduced to the area. It just so happens that zooplankton—the tiny creatures in the water that fish feed on—declined by 83 per cent during the same period.

OSWCA asks province to operate wastewater systems on full cost recovery model

OSWCA asks province to operate wastewater systems on full cost recovery model

The Ontario Sewer and Watermain Construction Association (OSWCA) recently made a pre-budget submission to Ontario Minister of Finance Peter Bethlenfalvy asking the provincial government to pass legislation that would require municipal and regional governments to operate their water and wastewater systems on a full cost recovery funding model.

Water Ways' Chinese Subsidiary Finalizing Installation of a Blueberries Smart Irrigation System in China

Water Ways' Chinese Subsidiary Finalizing Installation of a Blueberries Smart Irrigation System in China

Water Ways Technologies Inc. (TSXV: WWT) (FRA: WWT) (“Water Ways” or the “Company“), a global provider of Israeli-based agriculture technology, providing water irrigation solutions to agricultural producers, announces (further to its press release of March 29, 2022) that the Company’s Chinese subsidiary (in which the Company holds a 73% interest), IRRI-AL TAL (Shanghai) Agriculture Technology Company Ltd. (“IAT Shanghai“), is in the final stages of installing a 30 hectares turnkey blueberries irrigation project in the province of Yunnan, China. The project, a repeat order from an existing client, utilizes precise irrigation and fertigation technology allowing for accurate and efficient distribution of water and nutrients to the blueberry plants.

Fracking Wastewater Causes Lasting Harm to Key Freshwater Species

Fracking Wastewater Causes Lasting Harm to Key Freshwater Species

Extracting fossil fuels from underground reservoirs requires so much water a Chevron scientist once referred to its operations in California’s Kern River Oilfield “as a water company that skims oil.” Fracking operations use roughly 1.5 million to 16 million gallons per well to release oil and gas from shale, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. All that water returns to the surface as wastewater called flowback and produced water, or FPW, contaminated by a complex jumble of hazardous substances in fluids injected to enhance production, salts, metals and other harmful elements once sequestered deep underground, along with their toxic breakdown products.

Miners Find 2 Billion-Year-Old Water Reserve and There Is Something Living in It

Miners Find 2 Billion-Year-Old Water Reserve and There Is Something Living in It

Water is regarded as the second most important source of life, behind air, which most organic life requires constantly. The oldest water in the world is found in Canada, specifically the Kidd Creek mine in northern Ontario. In 2016, researchers discovered what is thought to be the oldest water, estimated to be at least 2 billion years old, but more likely 2.7 billion. The circumstances at the mine's bottom have been ideal for preserving the water. This ancient water was discovered at a depth of 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles) because the Kidd Creek mine is the world's deepest basal metal mine, holding numerous metal minerals such as copper, zinc, and silver.

Current Water Technologies Receives $645,300 in Sales of Automated Pumping Systems

Current Water Technologies Receives $645,300 in Sales of Automated Pumping Systems

Current Water Technologies Inc. (TSX-V: WATR) (“CWTI” or “the Company” or “the Corporation“), an emerging technology leader in the management of industrial and municipal wastewaters and drinking water resources, provides a corporate update. Since the start of January 2023, the Company has received purchase orders totalling $645,300 for custom designed and built, state-of-the-art automated storm water pumping stations to be installed in Western Canada.

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