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.
Drought conditions in parts of North America, Europe and Asia have left lakes, reservoirs and rivers much lower than usual. The dry conditions are causing problems for people who depend on the water for animal grazing and the shipment of goods. Some regions are being forced to ship water to those in need while others are resorting to cloud seeding in a bid to promote rainfall.