Minister Dabrusin launches public engagement on Canada’s National Water Security Strategy and announces new projects to protect the Great Lakes from environmental challenges

The launch of public engagement to develop Canada’s first National Water Security Strategy and an investment of $6.6 million in 31 partner-led projects to target the most significant environmental challenges affecting water quality and ecosystem health in the Great Lakes.

From the iconic Niagara Falls to the great northern Mackenzie River, Canada is home to some of the world’s most important freshwater systems. Water is essential to our environment, our communities, and our economy, and holds deep cultural and spiritual significance for many Indigenous peoples. 

The importance of fresh water is felt across the country. The Great Lakes basin in Ontario supports 40% of Canada's economic activity and provides drinking water to one in four Canadians. In the Prairies, 70% of Canada's cropland lies within the Lake Winnipeg basin. The Churchill River in Newfoundland and Labrador powers the largest clean energy investment in North American history, including the Churchill Falls Generating Station, that will generate enough power to light, heat, and cool all the homes in Toronto, Montréal, and Vancouver combined. Communities, farms, and industries across the country depend on reliable access to clean water.

But this resource cannot be taken for granted. Fresh water in Canada is under growing pressure from droughts, floods, pollution, aging infrastructure, and a changing climate, and its future depends on the decisions we make today.

That is why today, the Honourable Julie Dabrusin, Minister of the Environment, Climate Change and Nature and Minister responsible for the Canada Water Agency (CWA), announced the launch of public engagement to develop Canada’s first National Water Security Strategy.