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.
Rivers are the veins of Earth through which nourishment flows—to both the natural and human worlds. They cradle vibrant ecosystems and sculpt our landscapes. They are the living henges we build so much culture, recreation, and commerce around. And their clarity, or lack thereof, points to their health, or lack thereof. And in many ways, our rivers’ health mirrors that of our own. In the expansive lands of Canada, many flow hale and lucid.