When Kristen Villebrun heard the City of Hamilton recently discovered sewage has been flowing into the harbour for the past 26 years, she was upset. Villebrun said she and other Indigenous water walkers have complained about sewage in the water there for years. "I'm sick of talking and it falling on deaf ears,"said Villebrun, an Anishinaabe woman who is also known as Wassode nibi kwe (Shining Water Woman).
City of Hamilton resumes dredging of Chedoke Creek — without Haudenosaunee consent
The city of Hamilton has resumed cleaning Chedoke Creek and, despite a request, won't consult the local Haudenosaunee community, on whose traditional lands the creek sits, before the dredging begins again. The dredging of the creek after a spill of 24 billion litres of sewage and stormwater into the water was planned to begin Aug. 22. It was paused to allow for consultation with the Haudenosaunee Development Institute (HDI) on how it may impact treaty rights and the environment.