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.
The need to limit flood risk in Canada is urgent, with approximately 1.5 million homes, representing 10 per cent of the Canadian residential housing market, in high-risk zones where they are ineligible for flood insurance. A new CSA Group report, authored by the University of Waterloo Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation, provides practical guidance for federal, provincial, local, and Indigenous governments to tackle river flooding.
The Okanagan can expect more spring floods, but also longer and drier summers in the future. That’s thanks to climate change, says James Littley, deputy administrator with the Okanagan Basin Water Board. “According to the 2020 report, climate projections for the Okanagan region, we will see warmer temperatures here,” Littley told delegates to the Southern Interior Local Government Association convention in Vernon on Tuesday.
Here are five things we suggest residents living in flood zones should keep in mind while we all wait and see what happens next on the Ottawa River, 1. If flood waters have reached the level of your well head, or covered it, do not drink water from that well until the well water has been tested and you can’t test the water until the river has receded a significant amount more. 2. Ottawa Public Health has outlined clear steps that need to be taken before well water is safe again for drinking.
Today, the Honourable Dan Vandal, Minister of Northern Affairs, Minister responsible for PrairiesCan and Minister responsible for CanNor, and Don Wiebe, Reeve for the Municipality of Rhineland, announced a federal investment of $798,000 to support the energy-efficient renovation of Rhineland's Gretna arena. The replacement of old, outdated fixtures with new low-flow fixtures will also improve water conservation.
Some Yellowknife, Ndilǫ and Dettah residents are skeptical about the Giant Mine site being successfully remediated. That's according to a recent survey from the Giant Mine Oversight Board (GMOB). About one-third of respondents said they were either "not very confident" or "not at all confident" that the site would be successfully remediated.
The Town of Hay River is reminding residents to get ready for a flood — just in case — as breakup season arrives in the southern N.W.T. Water levels on the Hay River have started rising slightly. Ice is starting to build up a bit near Mile 5 and between Smith Trail and Delancey Estates. On Wednesday afternoon, the town issued a precautionary evacuation notice to residents. It said that an evacuation alert and/or order would come if conditions worsened.
An Australian coal company is withdrawing its plan for a mine in the Crowsnest Pass region of the eastern slopes of Alberta's Rocky Mountains. "The coal mine, in our minds, is a no-go," said Peter Doyle, CEO of Montem Resources, which had proposed to redevelop the Tent Mountain site to produce steelmaking coal. In a letter filed Tuesday, Montem Resources asked the Alberta Energy Regulator to end the environmental impact assessment for the proposal.
Volunteers help restore the banks of the creek using live staking, a process of cutting new growth from mature trees and planting those pieces into the ground. The cuttings, called live stakes, eventually will grow into new trees and create a root network to prevent soil loss. Think of it like a house plant, Samuels said. “If you take a cutting from the plant and stick it in water, eventually it will grow roots. That’s kind of what we’re doing with live stakes but it is actually happening all along the watercourse,” he said.
The Province is investing a total of $3.9 million in infrastructure upgrades in Mahone Bay, Yarmouth, Digby and Clare that will help prepare the municipalities for future growth. “Our municipalities depend on modern infrastructure to be competitive and attract new residents to their communities,” said Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister John Lohr. “By making these investments, we will improve the efficiency of the water and wastewater systems, ensuring residents and businesses have the services they expect and depend on every day and laying the foundation for continued growth for years to come.”
As the warmer spring weather arrives in Atlantic Canada, rain coupled with snowmelt in parts of the region presents an increased risk of flooding. Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) is informing consumers about how they can prepare for the 2023 flood season by protecting themselves and their property from water damage. "As we've seen many times across the Atlantic Canada, flooding can cause extensive damage to your home and property," said Amanda Dean, Vice-President, Atlantic, IBC. "Being prepared for any severe weather event is important for your personal safety and financial security. Part of that includes mitigating any damage to your property when it is safe to do so."
Hydrogen uses water as a feedstock, so production requires a dependable supply. Water, obviously, is vital for life, from drinking, to crops, to creating and sustaining ecosystems. Given how important it is to the one million-plus people who live in the capital region, we can’t allow industrial use to trump municipal use, or the critical agricultural sector that feeds our communities.
An industrial effluent spill won’t impact Whitecourt’s water supply, according to the town. Alberta Environment confirmed with the Whitecourt Star that it is investigating a wastewater treatment system overflow at Alberta Newsprint Company’s plant. “The safety and well-being of communities in the area is our top priority,” Alberta Environment Press Secretary Miguel Racin told the Star.
Death is a destination we are all headed towards but what happens after you die is limited in Canada, depending on where you live. The cremation rate in Canada has risen by roughly 25 percent over the past 20 years to reach approximately 75 per cent in 2021. But now, interest is growing in alkaline hydrolysis, also known as water cremation, or “aquamation.”
Saskatchewan is known for its many beautiful lakes and abundance of fresh water and wetlands. Helping to protect the province’s natural resource of water is the Saskatchewan Association of Watersheds. The association’s executive director, Bridget Andrews, explains the work they do and how the public can help protect Saskatchewan’s waterways.
The swamps of the Minesing Wetlands, a 15,000-acre area about 15 kilometres west of Barrie, Ont., are not the most immediately welcoming of places. Convincing someone to spend a day exploring the thick, forested marshes—with clouds of mosquitoes in the air and bloodsucking leeches in the water—isn’t easy. I should know. I’ve been trying to convince friends to join me on a trip there for years. Again and again, my attempts are met with two questions: why would I visit, and why should I care?
There are no detectable levels of asbestos in Medicine Hat’s drinking water according to test results from ALS Laboratory Group in Cincinnati, Ohio. A recent episode of CTV network’s W5 program focused on the use of asbestos-cement (A-C) pipe in water distribution systems across Canada. Contributors claimed a potential public health issue if asbestos fibres from A-C pipe enter the water stream and were ingested. Information related to Medicine Hat’s water distribution system was included in the episode.
CIPP Corp. (A Vortex Company), one of North America's leading Cured-In-Place Pipe installation networks, and its Canadian licensee, Foraction, announced today they are co-hosting an education and awareness water summit focused on the need for a coordinated effort to tackle the issue of aging water services throughout the Americas. Known as an innovator in the industry, CIPP Corp. developed CIPP H20, an NSF-certified water relining technology, as a trenchless alternative to traditional water main replacement. "We've tried to stay ahead of the curve, because we knew the day would come when our drinking water infrastructure needed attention. With the passing of the infrastructure bill, the funding is there to finally tackle the issue," said Mike Vellano, CEO of the Vortex Companies. "CIPP H2O is a proven solution, and Foraction has had great success with it in Montreal, a city that has been extremely proactive in rehabilitating its old water mains and lead services."
This summer, letters from Service Line Warranties of Canada (SLWC) will be mailed to residents’ homes giving them the chance to buy into a warranty program that would help with the costs of repairs to underground water and sewer service lines, if the need arises. City of Ottawa staff say the relaunch of an insurance-like pipe protection program will incorporate lessons learned from 2021, when many residents were left confused and angry about the offer of voluntary coverage from a private company with the city’s endorsement.
This summer, letters from Service Line Warranties of Canada (SLWC) will be mailed to residents’ homes giving them the chance to buy into a warranty program that would help with the costs of repairs to underground water and sewer service lines, if the need arises. Homeowners are responsible for a portion of the pipes under their private properties that connect their homes to city-owned water and sewer lines — something many residents aren’t aware of, according to city staff. Drawing attention to this potential drain on homeowners’ wallets is a key argument at the city for its team-up with SLWC.
Ontario’s Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks confirmed that perfluorooctane sulfonate is still leaching from the Hamilton International Airport above the threshold numbers. Gary Wheeler, spokesperson for the ministry, stated in a series of email responses to questions that PFOS, a synthetic chemical part of a class called PFAS (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances) that the “contamination continues to migrate” from the airport “at levels above the agreed upon threshold.”
The City of Rossland received a healthy grant from the Canada Community Building Fund to help support its infrastructure. Rossland received $284,445 to complete a Utility Master Plan. The Plan will provide detailed condition assessments of the existing storm drainage, sanity sewer and water distribution networks, which will allow for a much anticipated infrastructure replacement and renewal efforts.
