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.
Smoke is a major health concern during a wildfire - but the fires can also have an impact on drinking water. Now, University of Waterloo researchers have helped discover a way to clean up drinking water quickly and inexpensively - which could be a game-changer in remote communities that find themselves without drinkable water.