Fresh water is our most precious natural resource, needed for drinking, cleaning and sanitation, recreation, industry, agriculture, and ecosystem health. Water is also sacred to many Indigenous peoples and honoured as a giver of life. Yet, fresh water in Canada is under increasing pressure from climate change, pollution and other threats. Canadians recognize the importance of fresh water and have called for action.
Today, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, officially announced the establishment of the Canada Water Agency as a standalone federal entity headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Previously within Environment and Climate Change Canada for an interim period, the new independent agency will strengthen freshwater management in Canada by providing leadership and improved coordination and collaboration federally and with provinces, territories and Indigenous peoples.
“Canadians value fresh water and understand its importance for health, prosperity and cultural practices. Given pollution, land use and other stressors, we must take action now to safeguard fresh water,” Guilbeault said. “The creation of the Canada Water Agency is a key step in strengthening freshwater management, protection and stewardship in Canada.”
As a standalone entity, the Canada Water Agency will work closely with partners to deliver major elements of the Freshwater Action Plan, build a strong approach to freshwater protection, and help address transboundary freshwater challenges and opportunities.
The agency also will provide freshwater policy expertise and lead the development of a national freshwater data strategy, which will make it easier for Canadians to make informed decisions impacting their environment, economy, health and safety. It will also work closely with Environment and Climate Change Canada and other federal departments and agencies to support and leverage freshwater science.
“Tackling today’s freshwater challenges will require strong collaboration among governments, Indigenous partners, non-government organizations, academia, industry, and others,” said Terry Duguid, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and Special Advisor for Water. “The Canada Water Agency will provide the leadership to foster the partnerships that we need to protect fresh water. I think that it is fitting that Winnipeg, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers which flow into Lake Winnipeg, is home to this important federal agency.”
The Canada Water Agency will administer freshwater funding programs in eight waterbodies of national significance: the Great Lakes, Lake Winnipeg, Lake of the Woods, Lake Simcoe, the St. Lawrence River, the Mackenzie River, the Fraser River and the Wolastoq/Saint John River.
Over the coming years, the Canada Water Agency will provide grants and contributions to hundreds of projects supporting the restoration and protection of fresh water in Canada funded by the historic $650 million investment outlined in Budget 2023.
The agency will be based in Winnipeg, a historical gathering place for Indigenous peoples and home to Lake Winnipeg—one of the world’s largest freshwater lakes and a priority Canada Water Agency waterbody. The agency will also have five regional offices across Canada to ensure responsiveness to local freshwater issues.
Tracy Schmidt, Manitoba Minister of Environment and Climate Change, said Manitoba is proud to be the home of the new Canada Water Agency.
“With over 100,000 lakes, Manitobans value our fresh water and care deeply about the health of our waterways,” said Schmidt, adding that the government is proud to have recently established Manitoba’s first-ever formal Nutrient Targets Regulation for Lake Winnipeg and its tributaries to reduce nutrient loading and restore the health of this important lake.
“We look forward to the increased opportunities for collaboration that will come from having the Canada Water Agency here in Manitoba, and our government is pleased to work together with the federal government, Indigenous communities, other freshwater experts, and all stakeholders to ensure the health of our waterways for generations to come.”
It is clear that the creation of the Canada Water Agency as a standalone marks an important step for Canada in protecting and restoring freshwater resources. Through its efforts, the agency will help safeguard freshwater for generations of Canadians, which in turn improves upon the environment, economy, health and safety of Canada.
To learn more about the Canada Water Agency, visit the Government of Canada website.
