441-02058 (Environment)

A clean and safe freshwater supply is essential to the well-being of Canadians, the health and sustainability of the environment, and the economy. Hence, the Government of Canada has committed to:

• establishing a federal Canada Water Agency to work with the provinces, territories, Indigenous communities, and other stakeholders to find the best ways to keep Canada’s water safe, clean, and well-managed;
• implementing a strengthened Freshwater Action Plan, including a historic investment to provide funding to support monitoring, assessment, and restoration work in the Great Lakes, Lake Winnipeg, Lake of the Woods, St. Lawrence River, Fraser River, Saint John River, Mackenzie River, and Lake Simcoe;
• investing in the Experimental Lakes Area in northern Ontario to support international freshwater science and research; and
• following the establishment of a Canada Water Agency, advancing the modernization of the Canada Water Act to reflect Canada’s freshwater reality including climate change and Indigenous rights.

To advance these commitments, Budget 2023 allocated:

• $650 million over ten years, starting in 2023-24, to support monitoring, assessment, and restoration work in the Great Lakes, Lake Winnipeg, Lake of the Woods, St. Lawrence River, Fraser River, Saint John River, Mackenzie River, and Lake Simcoe.
• Opportunities are currently open for eligible applicants to apply for funding under five Freshwater Ecosystem Initiatives, including Great Lakes, Lake of the Woods, and Lake Winnipeg Basin (this call for applications closes on February 15, 2024) and Lake Simcoe and the Wolastoq/Saint John River (this call for applications closes on March 22, 2024).
• The EcoAction Community Funding Program, which supports freshwater projects across Canada, is also now accepting applications until March 22, 2024.
• Budget 2023 also allocated:
  • $22.6 million over three years, starting in 2023-24, to support better coordination of efforts to protect freshwater across Canada.
  • $85.1 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, with $0.4 million in remaining amortization and $21 million ongoing thereafter to support the creation of the Canada Water Agency, which will be headquartered in Winnipeg.

Budget 2022 provided:

• $25.0 million over five years, starting in 2022-2023, for the Experimental Lakes Area in northern Ontario to support international freshwater science and research.

On June 12, 2023, the government created the Canada Water Agency as a branch within Environment and Climate Change Canada. The Agency is the federal focal point for fresh water working in partnership with Indigenous Peoples, provinces, territories, and stakeholders to strengthen collaboration on fresh water.

On November 30, 2023, the government introduced legislation that will fully establish the Canada Water Agency as a standalone entity. To learn more about the Canada Water Agency, please consult the Agency website at https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/water-overview/canada-water-agency.html.

Another way that the Government of Canada protects and conserves Canada’s water resources is by administering laws that control pollution such as the Fisheries Act.

Environment and Climate Change Canada is the lead department responsible for the administration and enforcement of the Fisheries Act pollution prevention provisions (except for their application to aquaculture and the control and eradication of aquatic invasive species and aquatic pests, which are under the responsibility of the Department of Fisheries and Ocean). Subsection 36(3) prohibits the deposit of any deleterious substances in water frequented by fish or to any place where it may enter water frequented by fish, unless authorized by federal regulations. Deleterious substances include any substance that, if added to water, would degrade, alter or form part of a process of degradation or alteration of the quality of water so that it is rendered deleterious to fish or fish habitat or to the use of fish by humans. 

Any regulations developed under section 36 set strict requirements on deposits to water. These regulations can impose conditions such as limits on the maximum quantities of deleterious substances released into water, and can include environmental effects monitoring and other reporting requirements for facilities. Modern Fisheries Act regulations include the Metal and Diamond Mining Effluent Regulations, the Pulp and Paper Effluent Regulations, and the Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations.

Environment and Climate Change Canada is developing proposed regulations to address deposits to water from coal mining and is investigating risk management approaches for tailings ponds from oil sands operations.

To learn more about these proposed regulations, as well as upcoming improvements to existing regulations, please consult the Fisheries Act Forward Regulatory Plan 2023-2025 available at: https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/corporate/transparency/acts-regulations/forward-regulatory-plan/2023-2025/fisheries-act.html.

Environment and Climate Change Canada enforces the subsection 36(3) prohibition, as well as regulations under the Fisheries Act according to the Compliance and Enforcement Policy for Habitat Protection and Pollution Prevention Provisions of the Fisheries Act: www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/environmental-enforcement/publications/compliance-enforcement-policy-fisheries-act.html