Question Period Note: Creation of the Canada Water Agency

Creation of the Canada Water Agency

• Canada has over 20% of the world’s freshwater. It is a precious resource that deserves protection and careful stewardship.
• Climate change is exacerbating longstanding concerns (e.g. drought, floods, toxic algae)
• The Government of Canada has made a commitment to create a Canada Water Agency that will keep our water safe, clean and well-managed and that work is underway
• Together with provincial and territorial governments, Indigenous peoples, and stakeholders, our government will work to establish the Canada Water Agency in 2022 to ensure the further protection and management of our freshwater resources in the face of climate change.

Commitment to Creating a Canada Water Agency
• The 2019 Mandate Letter for the Minister of Environment and Climate Change was the first time that the Government of Canada included the commitment to create the Canada Water Agency:
• “With the support of the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, create a new Canada Water Agency to work together with the provinces, territories, Indigenous communities, local authorities, scientists and others to find the best ways to keep our water safe, clean and well-managed.”

• The 2021 Supplementary Mandate Letter reiterated this commitment, and added that the Minister of Natural Resources would support the Minister of Environment and Climate Change in this effort:
• “With the support of the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, the Minister of Natural Resources and the Special Representative for the Prairies, continue work to create a new Canada Water Agency to keep our water safe, clean and well-managed.”

• The 2020 Speech from the Throne reiterated this commitment, and added there is a gap in freshwater management left by the closure of the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration:
• “When the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration was closed by a previous government, Canada lost an important tool to manage its waters. The Government will create a new Canada Water Agency to keep our water safe, clean, and well-managed. The Government will also identify opportunities to build more resilient water and irrigation infrastructure.”

Public Engagement
• In December 2020, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) released a public discussion paper titled “Toward the Creation of a Canada Water Agency” and invited the public to provide their thoughts and ideas through national and regional forums, an online survey, or written submissions. Feedback was received from individuals, provincial, territorial, and municipal government representatives, non-government organizations, industry representatives, academia, and Indigenous peoples.

• Feedback on the discussion paper was presented in a “What We Heard Report” published in June 2021. The feedback on the discussion paper highlighted the public support for a Canada Water Agency.

• The feedback included in the “What We Heard Report” is informing the Government of Canada’s work to create the Agency.

Budget 2021 - Developing the Canada Water Agency
• Budget 2021 committed $17.4M over 2 years, starting in 2021-22, to ECCC to support its work on launching a new Canada Water Agency.

• It included that ECCC will work with provinces, territories, Indigenous peoples, and key stakeholders to develop the scope of the Agency’s mandate, including identifying opportunities to build and support more resilient water and irrigation infrastructure.

• It also stipulated that Agency’s headquarters would be outside of the National Capital Region.

2021 Liberal Party of Canada platform – Forward, For Everyone
• The Liberal Party of Canada’s 2021 election platform committed establishing the Canada Water Agency in 2022:
• “Establish and fully fund a Canada Water Agency in 2022, working with partners to safeguard our freshwater resources for generations to come including by supporting provinces, territories, and Indigenous partners in developing and updating river basin and large watershed agreements.”

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