The date: Dec. 30. The place: Langford, British Columbia, Canada. The problem: The river's gone green. Not just kinda green but really, really green. Slimer-from-"Ghostbusters" green.

Officials still aren't sure who committed the act, but they're presuming pranksters. Whoever it was, they used "fluorescein," a synthetic organic compound used as a "fluorescent tracer" or dye to test water systems.

Langford Fire Chief Bob Beckett points the finger of blame at mischievous ne'er-do-wells.

"In all likelihood it's a hoax," Beckett told CTVBC. "It may be a nontoxic substance, but it's unfortunate that we had to utilize all sorts of resources to investigate this. "

Some people can suffer from allergic reactions to fluorescein on rare occasions, but fortunately the river turned back to its normal color in about an hour; plus, the fish didn't seem to be much bothered.

Our only real problem with it is the pranksters' sense of timing -= what we'd have done is waited for St. Patrick's Day and had a party on the banks of the river. Check out the unbelievably green luminescent stream below.



And a news report on the event ...