CBC News - 'We're always stressing': Drought affecting daily life, livelihood for West Hants farmer
“As a farmer, I’ve been living very close to the cycles of nature for 15 years. And there’s never been a time that I’ve seen this kind of condition of the soil, of our forests, of our communities, the level of stress is extremely high in our communities.”
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This recent article from CBC News shares the experience of Colleen Freake, a small-scale farmer in West Hants, Nova Scotia, who has spent months adapting to exceptional drought conditions — a once-in-50-years event, according to the Canadian Drought Monitor. With her well dried up since July, Freake relies on water pickups and deliveries to meet her household and farming needs, hauling buckets of water daily just to bathe, clean, and care for her animals.
The strain of the drought has affected not only Freake’s operations but also her health and well-being. The lack of access to consistent water has caused significant stress for her and her partner, highlighting the deep personal toll of extended drought on rural residents. For her small vegetable farm, the lack of rainfall — less than 40% of normal across much of the province — has led to additional financial setbacks and uncertainty about the future of her operations.
Local officials are working to relieve pressure on residents. Todd Richard, director of public works for the Municipality of West Hants, explained that reduced hours at water pickup stations were necessary to conserve limited supplies. To address the crisis, the municipality has launched Operation Make it Rain, a short-term project that will pump water from the Avon River into Mill Lakes — the region’s main potable water source — supported by $350,000 in emergency funding.
However, forecasts offer little immediate relief. CBC meteorologist Ryan Snoddon noted that several weeks or even months of steady rainfall are needed to meaningfully reverse current conditions, and the long-range outlook remains dry.
Freake’s story highlights the increasing vulnerability of rural and agricultural communities to prolonged drought. As these events become more frequent and severe, national-scale modelling efforts like the Canada1Water (C1W) project will play a crucial role in supporting drought forecasting, water management, and long-term resilience planning. By providing detailed hydrological insights, C1W helps policymakers and communities prepare for and adapt to the realities of a changing water cycle across Canada.