About The Canada Water Agency

The Government of Canada will be setting up a new, federal agency focused on freshwater conservation and management – The Canada Water Agency.

This project was received from the Prime Minister in a mandate letter that directs the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change to work with the support of the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, “to 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 specific role of the Canada Water Agency has not yet been defined. The Government of Canada has been conducting consultations with Indigenous communities, provincial and territorial governments, stakeholders, the public, and others. In early June, the Government of Canada released a “What We Heard” document from their initial consultation. The Government of Canada’s indigenous consultation is still underway and the overall consultation is on-going. While the process for selecting a location for the new Canada Water Agency has not been determined, the City of Sault Ste. Marie is working to develop a competitive bid to host the Agency. Centrally located within the largest group of freshwater lakes in the world, the City of Sault Ste. Marie’s plentiful natural assets, cultural diversity, and local expertise that reaches beyond borders, make it an ideal location for such an Agency.