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

Residents concerned after landowner builds large seawall at popular South Shore beach

Residents concerned after landowner builds large seawall at popular South Shore beach

Landowners in Lunenburg County are raising concerns about a seawall built along the shoreline of Little Crescent Beach near West Dublin, N.S. The small beach is popular among locals. It sits at the end of Crescent Beach, a long stretch where people have been able to pull their vehicles up and enjoy their day next to the ocean for decades. But some of the landscape has changed. "It seems there has been some reconstruction of the natural habitat with the removal of grasslands and trees," said Lucy Hendrixson, who grew up in the area. 

From trash to treasure: Sustainable solutions for wastewater treatment

From trash to treasure: Sustainable solutions for wastewater treatment

The Bioenergy and Bioproducts Research Lab on the Agricultural Campus focuses on converting abundantly available and low-valued biomass waste into high-value materials for environmental remediation applications, primarily on wastewater treatment. “We are working with organic waste and turning it into something useful,” says Sophie He, Department of Engineering. For example, Dr. He and her team are converting spent coffee grounds, flax shives, barley straw and sawdust to biofuels or biocarbon materials.

Oneida Nation of the Thames gets $43M from Ottawa for clean drinking water

Oneida Nation of the Thames gets $43M from Ottawa for clean drinking water

Oneida Nation of the Thames, a First Nation just south of London, Ont., that has been on a boil-water advisory since 2019, has secured $43 million in federal funding to bring treated drinking water to the community. The connection to the Lake Huron Primary Water System will supply potable water to more than 500 homes and public buildings to the community, which is home to nearly 2,200 residents.

Alberta Energy Regulator issues environmental protection order after earthquake study finds industry link

Alberta Energy Regulator issues environmental protection order after earthquake study finds industry link

The Alberta Energy Regulator announced on Thursday it issued an environmental protection order for a Calgary-based oil and gas company. The order comes after a joint study from the University of Alberta and Stanford University found an industry link between in situ bitumen recovery and the earthquakes that shook the Peace River region last November.

City tackles more than 1,000 service requests as water pools near storm drains

City tackles more than 1,000 service requests as water pools near storm drains

Jamie Ruff says he received an upsetting call from his wife last week. In a bid to avoid a large pool of water covering a sidewalk in Marda Loop, near 35th Avenue and 20th Street S.W., she'd climbed into a snowbank and mistakenly fallen in, drenching her clothes in the process. Ruff immediately called the city. The buildup was coming from a blocked storm drain, and as temperatures warm and the snow blanketing the city continues to melt, the run-off had nowhere to go.

Photo: Lake levels on the rise

Photo: Lake levels on the rise

A small gander of Canada geese swims across the water near the glory hole at Lake Berryessa Wednesday in rural Napa County. According to lake levels measured by the Solano County Water Agency, the current water level is just above 426 feet or 14 feet below the top of the spillway. The Lake Berryessa News reports that the lake has risen 32.1 feet rise since December 1 when it was at 394 feet.

Academics call for crackdown on Ontario steel mill pollution

Academics call for crackdown on Ontario steel mill pollution

More than three dozen professors at an Ontario university are calling on the federal and provincial governments to act in response to reporting published by Canada’s National Observer. The open letter from Algoma University faculty, addressed to MP Terry Sheehan and MPP Ross Romano and published on SooToday.com, urges the representatives for Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., to regulate emissions of cancer-causing pollution from the Algoma Steel mill. Recent reporting has revealed that those emissions, which well exceed provincial standards, are even higher than previously thought. Instead of requiring Algoma Steel to take immediate steps to reduce carcinogenic emissions, Ontario has allowed the company to apply for even greater exemptions, so long as some effort is being made to reduce emissions. The plant has been releasing benzo(a)pyrene at 400 times the provincial standard, and is applying for exemptions of 530 times the standard. It’s also been releasing benzene at almost five times the provincial standard, and is now applying for an exemption that’s almost nine times the standard.

Water line break on Canada Hill damages roadway

Water line break on Canada Hill damages roadway

An eight inch water line break on Canada Hill (the top of Johnson Avenue) caused minor flooding and damage to the roadway on Friday, March 17. The street was closed near the top of Canada Hill, Holzhey to 4th, while Orofino City crews responded to the area where water was running down Johnson Avenue and across to Main Street. Storm drains were overwhelmed until City crews were able to shut the water off, with some minor flooding being reported.

New UBC water treatment zaps ‘forever chemicals’ for good

New UBC water treatment zaps ‘forever chemicals’ for good

Engineers at the University of British Columbia have developed a new water treatment that removes “forever chemicals” from drinking water safely, efficiently – and for good. “Think Brita filter, but a thousand times better,” says UBC chemical and biological engineering professor Dr. Madjid Mohseni, who developed the technology. Forever chemicals, formally known as PFAS (per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are a large group of substances that make certain products non-stick or stain-resistant. There are more than 4,700 PFAS in use, mostly in raingear, non-stick cookware, stain repellents and firefighting foam. Research links these chemicals to a wide range of health problems including hormonal disruption, cardiovascular disease, developmental delays and cancer.

Hamilton man stunned by $475 'catch up' water bill from Alectra

Hamilton man stunned by $475 'catch up' water bill from Alectra

Karim said the company charged him "egregiously incorrectly" as if he used all 124,000 litres — enough to fill a mid-sized in-ground pool — in one month. As a result, he said Alectra was applying a higher "Block 2" rate for most of it and overcharging him by almost $200, "which for me is the difference between food and water," he said. When Karim explained the discrepancy to Alectra, he said they agreed they'd incorrectly billed him.

Surface water quality, tree cover get bad grades from conservation authority

Surface water quality, tree cover get bad grades from conservation authority

The Essex Region Conservation Authority (ERCA) released its report cards for the watersheds in the region, and while some results are positive, ERCA concluded some areas need improvement. The report cards, which are given based on five years of data collection, are given out by conservation authorities across Ontario using standardized methodologies to grade surface water and groundwater quality and forest cover, according to Katie Stammler, a water quality scientist with ERCA.

Red River expected to spill its banks in Manitoba this spring as flood outlook worsens

Red River expected to spill its banks in Manitoba this spring as flood outlook worsens

The Red River is now expected to spill its banks in several places in Manitoba this spring, but is not projected to rise high enough to threaten any communities protected by ring dikes. Provincial flood forecasters raised the flood risk for the Red River from moderate to major on Wednesday, thanks to major snowstorms in recent weeks south of the border.

World Water Day marked with funding announcement for research and protection of our most precious natural resource: fresh water

World Water Day marked with funding announcement for research and protection of our most precious natural resource: fresh water

We are taking advantage of World Water Day to support our ambitious climate change actions that keep our air and our fresh water clean. Already, the Government of Canada has committed to create a Canadian Water Agency to protect this natural resource, which provides us with clean drinking water, transportation, energy, and economic opportunities, as well as recreation. Parliamentary Secretary Terry Duguid is also attending the United Nations Water 2023 Conference in New York this week as Canada's representative to discuss the mid-term review of the goals of the International Decade for Action on Water for Sustainable Development, 2018–2028.  

Statement by the Prime Minister on World Water Day

Statement by the Prime Minister on World Water Day

Today, as we join the international community to mark World Water Day, we are reminded of our shared responsibility to protect access to clean, safe water here at home and around the world. There is no resource more essential to Canadians and the Canadian economy than clean water. Water ecosystems, when managed properly, help alleviate hunger, poverty, and illness, fight climate change, and support biodiversity. This year’s World Water Day theme, ‘Accelerating Change’, asks us to speed up our action to keep our water safe, clean, and sustainably managed.

Kelowna has some of the best tap water in the world

Kelowna has some of the best tap water in the world

Of course Kelowna residents take their water for granted. It's plentiful, clean and cheap. And, as such, we tend to let it flow freely from the tap with hardly a second thought. "Yes, Canadians use a lot of water per capita," said City of Kelowna utility services manager Kevin Van Vliet. "And, in the Okanagan, we're some of the biggest per capita users in Canada because of the irrigation used for agriculture in our hot, dry climate."

'A human rights issue that has been overlooked': Winnipeggers mark World Water Day

'A human rights issue that has been overlooked': Winnipeggers mark World Water Day

Water issues continue to disproportionately impact Indigenous communities, according to advocates speaking at a World Water Day event at the Odena Circle Wednesday night. "World Water Day is really important to reflect on our impact on water and water systems here in Canada, on Turtle Island and globally in the world," said Sadie Lavoie, one of the speakers.  About 30 people attended the event held at the Forks in Winnipeg to mark the annual UN observance day to raise awareness about the importance of fresh water. It's estimated that about 2 billion people live without access to fresh water.

St. Stephen's boil-water advisory to remain until end of week at least

St. Stephen's boil-water advisory to remain until end of week at least

The boil-water advisory in St. Stephen will remain until at least the end of the week after the town administration underestimated the amount of time it would take to get test results on its water supply, according to a statement the town released Wednesday. "It is with our apologies that we now say that the earliest we may receive the results from the bacterial growth tests will be the end of the week," said Wednesday's statement. 

Reliance Home Comfort Pledges $15,000 in Support of Water First to Mark World Water Day

Reliance Home Comfort Pledges $15,000 in Support of Water First to Mark World Water Day

Reliance Home Comfort® (Reliance) is a leader in home services and energy efficient solutions in Canada, with over 2 million customer relationships. In celebration of World Water Day, marked annually on March 22, Reliance has pledged a $15,000 matching gift campaign to Water First. Water First is Canada's leading charitable organization dedicated to working with Indigenous communities to address local water challenges through education, training, and meaningful collaboration.

‘We have to fix it faster’: 28 First Nations communities still under boil water advisories

‘We have to fix it faster’: 28 First Nations communities still under boil water advisories

Wednesday marks World Water Day, a day raising awareness of the more than 2 billion people around the world living without access to safe water, including many First Nations communities in Canada. The federal government says 138 long-term drinking water advisories have been lifted since November 2015, although some short-term boil water advisories have also slipped into the long-term category during that timeframe.

Government of Canada invests $74 million in the Trent-Severn Waterway National Historic Site

Government of Canada invests $74 million in the Trent-Severn Waterway National Historic Site

The network of protected areas administered by Parks Canada is a gateway to nature, history, and 450 000 km² of stories from coast to coast to coast. Investing in these locations helps support the protection of natural heritage and our rich history, increases climate resiliency and creates jobs in local communities, while providing visitors with high-quality, safe and meaningful experiences across the country.

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