British Columbia has ordered the oil and gas industry to temporarily stop diverting water to operations in one northeast district, and is now considering banning water use by other industries in other parts of the province, as it tries to conserve resources for its fight against the twin crises of drought and wildfires. At a news conference in Vancouver on Thursday, government officials explained that B.C.’s government is also working with municipalities, regional districts and First Nations to escalate restrictions on personal water usage.
'The ground can’t handle any more water': UTRCA
Rivers, creeks, and streams are beginning to turn amidst the pressure of flood waters. While the City of London escaped heavy rain Wednesday evening through Thursday morning, some areas north and west of the city were not as fortunate. The Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) issued a flood alert. It follows several days of storms that have left the earth saturated.
Edmonton removed two water fountains because of complaints by police and library staff
City officials ordered two Downtown public water fountains be disconnected ahead of a heat wave last weekend because of complaints from the police and library staff, shedding light on how Edmonton navigates conflicts around impoverished people’s basic needs and demands by others to tackle social disorder and safety concerns. Epcor cut off the water supply from the fire hydrants at the city’s request last Thursday. The weekend after the bottle filling stations at 96 Street near Bissell Centre West and 100 Street outside Stanley A. Milner Library were removed, temperatures were so hot Environment Canada warned the public to take precautions because of the heat.
Waterfalls now 'trickling': Low water brings changes to Hay River, N.W.T. Social Sharing
Water levels have been significantly dropping in Hay River, N.W.T., resulting in waterfalls turning into trickles. One man has lived in Hay River for 40 years, and says he's never seen water levels so low this time of year. "You can see people walking across the river that's only a few feet deep in some areas," said Glenn Smith, the senior administrative officer for the town of Hay River.
Premier says emergency order to keep Lake Pisiquid filled will continue indefinitely
Lake Pisiquid near Windsor, N.S., which refilled with water following a provincial emergency order last month, won't be drained again anytime soon, according to Premier Tim Houston. "The lake will remain full because that's in the interest of public safety and that's just the way it is," Houston told reporters following a cabinet meeting in Halifax on Thursday. "We will not allow that lake to drain."
Vet hospital says dog died from blue-green algae exposure after 5 minutes in Halifax-area lake
A veterinary hospital in Halifax says a dog's recent death was connected to exposure to blue-green algae at Long Lake in Hammonds Plains. Halifax Veterinary Hospital said in a statement Wednesday that a dog suddenly died after spending about five minutes in the water at the lake on June 16. The vet hospital said the dog quickly lost the ability to stand, was non-responsive and showed "seizure-like" activity.
South Korea Asks Japan for Role in Fukushima Water Monitoring
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol wants experts from his own country to help monitor Japan’s release of treated water from the Fukushima nuclear disaster site. Yoon requested participation in a discussion with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Lithuania on Wednesday, according to a statement from South Korea’s presidential office.
Receding water levels a concern for Gull Lake, Alta.
Residents of Gull Lake, Alta., are concerned about drastically receding water levels and are trying to come up with creative solutions to refill the popular lake. Keith Nesbitt has lived in Gull Lake since 2007 but has been coming to the lake recreationally since the ’80s. As a director with the lake’s watershed society, he’s concerned about how much the water levels have dropped this year. “You can look at the beach here and you can see what’s happened to it. The boats are out even further. It’s getting critical, we have to do something with the lake,” he said.
Recovery of military helicopter involved in crash underway, 'small amount of fluids' in water
According to a public service announcement, small amounts of fluid “released from the helicopter have been noted in the water within the containment area and have been removed.” A contractor has been monitoring contamination through water sampling of the crash site. As of Tuesday afternoon, Lavallee said sampling hasn’t found any contamination along the riverbank or beach. “We have some specialized equipment on site, on the river, to contain any fluids like lubricants, or fuel, or any contaminant that may leave the aircraft into the water to prevent that contamination from getting into the wider environment. There has been some evidence of some small amount of fluids that have come out of the helicopter, but it’s all been contained by this specialized equipment.”
Britain’s embattled Thames Water far from insolvency, no nationalization talks held, co-CEO says
Executives of embattled British utility Thames Water, which is partly owned by two of Canada’s biggest pension funds, have insisted that calls for its nationalization are premature and have been highly exaggerated. In an appearance before a committee of British parliamentarians Wednesday, company co-CEO Cathryn Ross said the utility wasn’t close to meeting the conditions required for the government to take over the business under a process known as special administration.
Governments Strengthening Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability
In addition, the On-Farm Applied Research and Monitoring (ONFARM) program will be expanded and enhanced by an additional $7 million over five years. This program is a continuation from the Canadian Agricultural Partnership and will help farmers understand and communicate best on-farm practices to address and improve their soil health and water quality.
Opinion: Allowing oilsands mines to treat and release water key to reclamation Author of the article:
Water management is critical to Canadian communities from coast to coast to coast. Without the ability to safely release treated water, municipalities and industries alike would need to store all of the water that they use and all of the water from rain and snow that falls within their boundaries. This is something that no municipality or industry does — except oilsands mines.
Northern Ont. residents concerned about new plastic plant
Area residents said they worry that the lakes in the area and municipal water will be affected by the plant. "There is no discharge from the factory whatsoever. As a matter of fact, they’re not even hooked up to sewage," said Chirico. "So there’s no effluent that will be discharged. They have their separate bed, which is inspected, which must be tested, all of these types of things." No one from IPC was made available for an interview with CTV News, but the company president issued a statement. "The North Bay IPC facility boasts state-of-the-art processes that are entirely enclosed and fully recyclable, resulting in zero environmental impact," the statement reads in part. "No water from our manufacturing process is discharged into any lakes, streams or other bodies of water. Additionally, no material waste is produced during the process."
Answers on what's causing smelly Puslinch water expected in coming days
After dealing with putrid-smelling water for around three weeks, a group of residents in Puslinch, Ont. may soon get some answers on what’s causing it. In an email to CTV News, the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks said ministry staff inspected the area on July 11 and took samples from private wells at three different locations.
Here's what could happen if the Canadian government classifies 'forever chemicals' together
"These chemicals don't get bound up by soils and in the bottom of lakes and oceans. They stay in the water. That means they circulate around, and it also means that these chemicals get into our drinking water," Diamond told CTVNews.ca in an interview earlier this year. The federal government is looking into how to regulate the chemicals, considering an approach of putting PFAS into new classes, different from the individual classification now.
Family waiting months for water after neighbour's oil spill contaminates well
A family of five in Howie Centre, N.S., has gone for months without clean water in their Cape Breton home after their well was contaminated by heating oil. They say officials from Nova Scotia's Environment Department confirmed a spill occurred on a neighbour's property earlier this year, but so far, little is being done about it and there are fears the oil has now spread to the nearby Sydney River.
Farmers in Sunshine Coast say they want to be exempt from water restrictions during drought
As summer droughts become increasingly common and more severe in B.C., farmers on the Sunshine Coast are asking to be exempt from emergency water usage restrictions. The district is currently under Stage 2 restrictions — where lawn watering is not permitted, and other types of water usage are permitted with restrictions — but provincial forecasters warn the province could face a long, unusually severe drought this year.
Take shorter showers, run only full washing loads ahead of water restrictions, B.C. minister advises
British Columbians need to start taking water-saving measures now and shouldn't wait for official restrictions to be implemented, the minister of emergency management and climate readiness says. Bowinn Ma's advice comes amid a persistent dry spell across the province, with half of B.C.'s water basins currently at Level 4 drought, where Level 5 is the worst. With the lack of rain and record-breaking temperatures in some areas, B.C. is also facing a record-breaking wildfire season.
State of emergency declared in Quebec town due to flood risk, more towns evacuating
A town near Quebec City declared a state of local emergency and other communities ordered preventive evacuations on Tuesday as torrential rain caused rivers across southern Quebec to burst free of their banks. By Tuesday, between 500 and 600 people were forced from their homes in Ste-Brigitte-de-Laval, where the mayor declared a state of emergency for the next 48 hours.
Canada's Agriculture Minister first woman ever to chair the FAO
Federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau chaired the biennial Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations Conference last week in Italy. This year's theme was water resource management. Bibeau was the first woman to ever chair the FAO conference and the first Canadian to do it since 1997.