Fresh water in Canada is under increasing pressure from climate change, pollution, and other threats. On October 16, 2024, 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. 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 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.

Based in Winnipeg, the Agency is 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.

“Manitoba is so proud to be the home of the new Canada Water Agency. With more than 100,000 lakes, Manitobans value our fresh water and care deeply about the health of our waterways. Our 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,” said the Honourable Tracy Schmidt, Manitoba Minister of Environment and Climate Change

In Budget 2023, the Government of Canada provided $650 million over 10 years for the Freshwater Ecosystem Initiatives, as well as $85.1 million over five years (and $21 million ongoing thereafter), for the creation of the Canada Water Agency. It also committed to introducing legislation to fully establish the Agency as a standalone entity. 

Source:  Canada Water Agency October 16, 2024 news release