The Honourable Julie Dabrusin, Minister of Environment, Climate Change and Nature and the Minister responsible for the Canada Water Agency, issued the following statement to mark World Water Day on March 22:
"Canada's nature and water have always been at the heart of what makes Canada strong. Canada has over 2 million lakes-more than any country in the world. Mighty rivers, from the Wolastoq/Saint John and St. Lawrence rivers in the east to the Fraser and Mackenzie rivers in the west and north, flow through its landscape. It is home to vast underground water reserves foundational to Canadians' access to drinking water.
These freshwater systems, together with the country's wetlands, Rocky Mountain glaciers and northern permafrost shaped Canada's geography, as well as our identity and our way of life.
World Water Day provides a moment to reflect on our shared responsibility to protect one of our most essential resources. Across Canada, fresh water connects us-linking communities, regions, and generations-and holds deep cultural and spiritual significance for many First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples. It sustains life, underpins the health of our environment, and supports the well-being of Canadians. It is also fundamental to our economy, powering industries, agriculture, and the growth of communities. Protecting water is not just an environmental imperative-it is a national one.
But fresh water in Canada is under growing pressure. Droughts and floods are becoming more frequent, thawing permafrost is reshaping northern hydrology and development, and aging infrastructure is straining the reliability of drinking water and wastewater systems.
Today the Government of Canada is launching efforts to develop the country's first National Water Security Strategy. The Canada Water Agency will lead this effort and seek to collaborate with those who hold water management responsibilities-including federal, provincial, territorial, and Indigenous partners. In the coming months, the Agency will engage with partners, stakeholders, and Canadians on water security challenges, opportunities, and priorities. We are also committed to moving forward with the review of the Canada Water Act to ensure the Act is able to address evolving challenges.
This builds on the ongoing work of the Canada Water Agency and the Government of Canada's $650 million investment in the Freshwater Action Plan to strengthen freshwater stewardship and protection, as well as the recent release of the National Freshwater Science Agenda, which was led by Environment and Climate Change Canada and was informed by more than 800 science experts, knowledge holders, and science users across the country. This Agenda sets out a series of freshwater science priorities to guide collaborative research over the coming decade, aimed at providing crucial information for understanding freshwater ecosystems and how best to manage and protect them for future generations.
Fresh water is precious and finite. Together we are protecting fresh water in Canada, supporting healthy ecosystems, and building the strongest economy in the G7. Canada has the resources and the talent it needs to succeed to build a strong Canada that is water secure now and in the future."
