NEWS RELEASE
WELLINGTON WATER WATCHERS
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Sunshine warmed Ontario this year for Mothers’ Day as people gathered at the banks of the Speed and Eramosa Rivers in Guelph, to celebrate water and Mother Earth.
Wellington Water Watchers and co-host, Council of Canadians Guelph Chapter, collaborated to host the May Water Blessing. The event was opened by 91-year-old, Great Grandmother, Helen Prowse, giving a Territorial Acknowledgment.
Marianne’s Park, overlooking the confluence of the rivers and Guelph’s covered bridge, was the perfect setting to pay tribute to two Canadian Grandmother Water Protectors, Josephine Mandamin and Maude Barlow.
Amanda Trites, of the Anishanaabe Centre on Suffolk/Norwich S, honoured Grandmother Josephine, who with a copper pail of water in one hand and a staff in the other, at 69 years of age walked over 16,000 km around the Great Lakes to raise collective consciousness about the health of our water.
She is known as the “Water Walker”. Norah Chaloner celebrated the many accomplishments of 69-year-old Maude Barlow who among many other achievements began the environmental watchdog charity group, Council of Canadians.
All in attendance were reminded by the youth voice of Horeen Hassan, a fourth Year University of Guelph student, that as citizens, we need to add our voices to the political conversation about water issues and not be silent. She suggested, we “draw our inspiration from each other and raise the bar in terms of earth and water stewardship”
The Full Moon Water Blessings provide opportunities for community members to demonstrate their support for water as a public trust: Water for Life, Not Profit.
Wellington Water Watchers invites groups with a variety of faith and cultural traditions to co-host Full Moon Water Blessings in order to reflect on the deeper relationship we all have with water and a duty we have to protect it.
For more information about how to attend or co-host a Full Moon Water Blessing please contact Wellington Water Watchers at [email protected]
Next Water Celebration: Sunday, June 11, 2017 – WATERSTOCK
The biggest water event Ontario has ever seen.
Erin Fairgrounds -12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Rain or Shine. Dress for the weather.
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