New Canada Water Agency to tackle water pollution and protect natural resources

The newly-launched Canada Water Agency will protect the country’s water from pollution and damaging effects of industrial and agricultural activities, Federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault said today.

“Fresh water has been facing challenges – challenges that are intensifying in large part due to climate change,” Guilbeault said at The Forks, where he announced the official launch of the Canada Water Agency (CWA) as a standalone federal entity.

The Canada Water Agency (CWA) will be headquartered in Winnipeg. The agency will work to advance Canada’s Freshwater Action Plan, which, according to Environment Canada’s website, was funded in the 2017 federal budget. This includes improving freshwater management through efforts to improved the water quality of Lake Winnipeg and other waterways throughout Canada.

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The agency was formed via a bill in June and is funded with $85.1 million set aside in the 2023 federal budget.

This funding included $70.5 million allocated to the Great Lakes Protection Initiative and the Lake Winnipeg Basin Program (LWBP) over five years, from fiscal years 2017–2018 and 2021–2022.

Of this amount, $25.76 million was designated for the LWBP to advance initiatives focused on three key pillars: nutrient reduction to minimize effects like toxic and nuisance algae; collaborative governance; and collaboration with Indigenous groups.

The federal government also pledged $650 million to enable the Canada Water Agency to offer grants supporting projects focused on restoring and protecting water resources.

While Guilbeault acknowledged that fixing and protecting Canada’s water systems can’t be done alone and that the federal government will need to rely on its partners, he didn’t mention agricultural organizations.

The federal government didn’t immediately respond to questions about collaboration with agriculture groups.