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.
Several communities on Vancouver Island have started water restrictions as warmer temperatures and sunny weather arrive. Low-level water restrictions, such as when and how much people can water their lawns, are in effect in Nanaimo, Tofino, Parksville, Campbell River and the Comox and Cowichan valleys. "This is about kind of looking forward towards a warm, dry summer season," said Erica Forssman, Nanaimo drinking water and protection program coordinator.
Residents near Boisé and Leo lanes in Ottawa's east end are busy filling sandbags and operating sump pumps for the third time in seven years as the Ottawa River once again floods the area. One of the snowiest winters on record in Ottawa contributed to flooding along that river that started last month. Water levels are surging again during a very rainy week. In Cumberland, located about 30 kilometres east of downtown Ottawa, longtime resident Glen Roberts is no stranger to flooding.
Flooding in B.C.'s Interior has destroyed one home and forced several others to be evacuated, according to the local fire chief. Evacuation orders are now in place for five properties — including the local firehall — in the Village of Cache Creek, B.C., where a local state of emergency was declared on May 1 as the nearby creek and river threatened homes in the area and posed an "imminent threat to people and property."
The City of Kimberley has issued their first Water Quality Advisory of the season on Wednesday, May 3, 2023. As is usual as the freshet builds up each spring, turbidity in local rivers and streams can cause water quality issues. Turbidity is a measurement of water clarity and can be an indicator of a potential health risk.
A water quality advisory has been issued for Nelson during spring run-off conditions. The City of Nelson said in a statement Wednesday that increased levels of turbidity or suspended matter have been found in the drinking water supply. The water can still be consumed, but Interior Health recommends residents with compromised immune systems take precautions when drinking it, washing fruits and vegetables or brushing their teeth.
Watering your lawn is a big no-no in Grindrod right now. A temporary outdoor watering ban has been issued by the Regional District of North Okanagan. Spring runoff is causing a slow down at the Grindrod water treatment plant, resulting in restrictions on non-essential water use. Melting snow has caused water entering the plant to contain increased clay and silt particles.
Prescott is one step closer to getting a new water tower. Town council voted on Monday night to proceed with a request for proposals (RFP) involving the $7-million replacement project slated for the north side of Churchill Road West just west of the town’s new multi-use recreational facility that is nearing completion. The existing water tower located on the south side of Wood Street West between Mayfield Retirement Residence dates back to the 1970s, is nearing the end of its natural life and does not meet the current needs of the town, according to Prescott Director of Operations Nathan Richard.
The Lethbridge Northern Irrigation District (LNID), is facing hurdles at getting water to its users across the district for the second year in a row. The LNID, which serves approximately 200,000 acres of irrigated cropland and provides water for much of Alberta’s “feedlot alley,” the largest concentration of cattle in Canada, has been shut off due to a break at the main canal.
While flood water from Whiteman’s Creek on Okanagan Indian Band land, near Vernon, B.C., have receded, the waterway is still running very high and the evacuation order for adjacent homes was expanded overnight. Megan Turcato has more on the damage already done and why the area isn’t out of danger yet.
The conviction against SGS Canada Inc. is for permitting the discharge of a petroleum product into a watercourse which may impair the quality of the water. The conviction against Imperial Oil Limited is for failing to forthwith notify the ministry of the discharge that may impair the quality of the water of any waters.
“Three interdependent projects that are in close physical proximity will increase the capacity to treat and manage wastewater and storm water and increase access to potable water. The Vancouver Street intersection will be improved, including the water lines supplying the Yarmouth Regional Hospital," reads the project description. "In the neighbouring combined sewer overflow, a tidal check valve will be installed to prevent tidal water from entering the combined sewer system. The Gardner Street Lift Station will be disconnected from the storm water connection to receive a new exterior dedicated line and outfall."
The prohibition of single-use plastic products is crucial to Canada's plan of achieving zero plastic waste by 2030, but with the ban, environmentalists are growing increasingly concerned about the amount of paper packaging being used in its place. "We absolutely need to shift away from using plastics as much as we do, but trading in plastic pollution for deforestation and forest degradation is not the answer," Canopy founder and executive director Nicole Rycroft told CTV News. "We really need to make sure we do not create another environmental disaster."
The province’s Water Security Agency is continuing flood mitigation efforts in Saskatchewan, with renewed funding for ongoing flood mapping efforts in south and central Saskatchewan. More than $2 million has been earmarked in the 2023-24 budget as an investment into the agency’s Flood Hazard Identification Mapping Program. Through the program, the WSA conducts mapping and technical work to evaluate risk for communities identified to be in potential flooding zones. The purpose is to understand where protection or mitigation work is needed, to prevent significant harm from possible flood damage, according to the province.
The defence for a man charged with criminal negligence said their client had no knowledge that one of his workers would be going back into the hole where he ultimately died at a Fredericton waste-treatment plant. However, the Crown in Jason King's criminal negligence trial said King failed to take any reasonable steps to ensure Michael Henderson, 18, wouldn't go into the hole where he drowned on Aug. 16, 2018.
In Saskatchewan, people can also opt for aquamation. It's been touted as a greener, more environmentally-friendly way to deal with a corpse. Aquamation, also known as alkaline hydrolysis, uses water flow, temperature and alkalinity to speed up the decomposition of the body while it is in an airtight, stainless steel container. "All it does is accelerate nature's process," said Jan Porten, managing director for Eirene Funeral Services in Saskatchewan.
Charlottetown is one of many towns, districts and municipalities in Canada where drinking water is still flowing through asbestos cement pipes, an investigative report by a national broadcaster has found. W5 said it checked with more than 100 towns, districts and municipalities in the country and 90 per cent of them do have asbestos pipes. The pipes were installed decades ago, and all are nearing end-of-life but are still delivering tap water.
Minor flooding in the Town of Mattawa, combined with steadily rising water levels, prompted Mayor Raymond Belanger to declare a state of emergency Tuesday. In a statement, the town said that water levels are expected to continue rising until they reach a peak of about 154.6 metres. “The Town of Mattawa put a plan in place,” the statement said.
Residents of several properties in B.C.'s North Okanagan were ordered to evacuate their homes as a nearby creek overflowed Tuesday. Officials say they're concerned about the flood risk associated with Whiteman's Creek, close to where it empties into Okanagan Lake about 70 kilometres north of Kelowna, B.C. According to the Okanagan Indian Band, which issued the evacuation order, residents on the south side of Falcon Avenue, adjacent to Whiteman's Creek, must leave their properties immediately. This includes people living at addresses 161 to 195 Falcon Avenue, as well as Nos. 54 and 55.
Township of Leeds and the Thousand Islands will consider proceeding with an amendment to increase the Permit to Take Water (PTTW) for the Lansdowne water system with the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks. And they’ll consider proceeding with a hydrogeological study to determine that suitable groundwater exists to accommodate future growth. The Committee of the Whole has recommended that council allocate a budget of up to $180,000 from the Water Reserve Fund to fund the hydrogeological study.
Watering restrictions begin for the Metro Vancouver region on May 1. The restrictions, which are set to be in place until Oct. 15, come into force after the area got its first blast of summer-like weather over the weekend. According to Metro Vancouver, water use increases 50 per cent during the summer months, likely due to lawn watering. Starting this week, people whose addresses are even numbers are permitted to water their lawns on Saturday mornings, while residents at odd-numbered addresses can water on Sunday mornings.
