News Water Issues
Federal budget includes investment into proactive work of Canada Water Agency

Winnipeg – The federal government has invested in keeping its freshwater clean and healthy in its 2023 budget with the establishment of a new Canada Water Agency.

In making the announcement yesterday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said as climate change and pollution increasingly threaten Canada’s waters, Canadians must work together to keep it clean and healthy, now and into the future.

Located in Winnipeg, the Canada Water Agency will work with provinces, territories, Indigenous Peoples, local authorities, scientists, and other partners to find the best ways to keep Canada’s water safe, clean, and well-managed for everyone. As Trudeau noted, one of the first priorities of the agency will be to begin the work of modernizing the Canada Water Act to reflect the changing reality of freshwater in Canada, including the impacts of climate change and the importance of Indigenous rights. As stewards of these lands and waters for millennia, consultation and cooperation with Indigenous Peoples is critical.

“From supplying our drinking water to being the places we love to spend time in nature, Canadians rely on safe, clean fresh water every day,” Trudeau said. “By establishing the Canada Water Agency, we will work together across levels of government and with Indigenous Peoples, while bringing new, good jobs to Winnipeg. Together, we can keep our water clean now and into the future.”

Budget 2023 also renews and expands the Freshwater Action Plan, which will support regionally specific measures to further protect Canada’s freshwater reserves across the country – from Lake Winnipeg, to the St. Lawrence River and the Great Lakes, to the Mackenzie River. The plan will continue to improve water quality and respond to the impacts of climate change, including through monitoring, assessment, and restoration work. The Canada Water Agency will lead the delivery of major elements of the Freshwater Action Plan.