Retention pond raises stink in Winnipeg neighbourhood
Residents of Winnipeg's Riverbend area are raising concerns over a retention pond creating a pungent smell.
Usually a scenic place to walk, the retention pond on Red River Boulevard West is causing quite the stink.
"I've lived here 32 years, and I've never ever experienced it. It really smells like a cesspool," said Janice Boettcher, who lives across the street.
Boettcher said the smell from the pond is stopping her from enjoying the weather.
"I like to sleep with my windows open until it gets cold, and I have not had windows [and] doors open because of the smell. You just can't sleep at all," she said.
Down the block, Dustin Leclerc said the smell is embarrassing when having company over.
"Particularly when people come to visit, you have to make excuses, 'oh, it must be the water.'"
In a statement to CTV News, the City of Winnipeg said the smell is due to the hundreds of geese calling it home this summer.
"A bacterial bloom occurs as a result of heavy nutrient loading — an abundance of bacterial colonies form in the water to try and break down those nutrients. The bacteria colonies are what cause the milky appearance, and the odour results from the bacteria releasing gas as it breaks down the nutrients," read the statement.
The City of Winnipeg said the smell will likely go away in a few weeks, and in the meantime, they're sealing manholes in the area to help mitigate the problem.
As for residents near the pond, they'd like to see a more long-term solution to ensure it doesn't happen again.
"Some kind of treatment or whether they maintain the pond or whatnot," said Leclerc. "I wouldn't want to see the wildlife disappear."
"I hope somehow as residents in the area, we can get some results and something will be achieved that will satisfy us," added Boettcher
In a post online, area councillor Jeff Browaty said he is aware of the issue and went to check out the pond.
Browaty said he is working with waste and water to see if pond maintenance has changed.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
Fluid in eye cells can 'boil' if you watch the eclipse without protection: expert
Millions of people in parts of Eastern and Atlantic Canada will be able to see the rare solar eclipse happening on April 8. But they should only look up if they have proper eye protection, experts say.
NEW More unauthorized products for skin, sexual enhancement, recalled: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled various items this week, including torches, beef biltong and unauthorized products related to skin care and sexual enhancement.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks
Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Angst and calls for resting places as Surrey, B.C., pet cemetery development continues
A single headstone is all that remains of dozens of markers for long-buried pets in a subdivision in Surrey’s Newton neighbourhood, where a half-acre parcel bears a large sign announcing the proposed construction of new homes.
Polar ice is melting and changing Earth's rotation. It's messing with time itself
One day in the next couple of years, everyone in the world will lose a second of their time. Exactly when that will happen is being influenced by humans, according to a new study, as melting polar ice alters the Earth’s rotation and changes time itself.