September 10, 2026 – Vancouver, British Columbia

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, communities, and economy, and holds deep cultural and spiritual significance for many Indigenous peoples. It is fundamental to our individual and collective prosperity, making water security a national priority.

Today, Wade Grant, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment, Climate Change and Nature, and Minister responsible for the Canada Water Agency (CWA), announced the launch of public engagement to develop the country’s first National Water Security Strategy.

The Government of Canada is inviting Canadians to share their views to inform the development of a National Water Security Strategy via an online platform accessible through the Canada Water Agency website. 

A National Water Security Strategy will help ensure Canada’s long-term sustainability by addressing freshwater-related challenges and seizing opportunities to protect freshwater ecosystems, ensure communities are resilient, and industries are water secure, sustainable, and thriving. 

As we work to adapt to an increasingly unpredictable and extreme climate, a national approach to water security is more important than ever. To understand diverse needs, knowledge systems and priorities related to water security, the CWA is engaging provincial and territorial partners; First Nations, Inuit, and Métis partners; and stakeholders across a broad range of sectors to ensure the Strategy reflects the values and lived experiences of people from coast to coast to coast.

The online platform at the link below includes survey questions to guide feedback. The survey will be open from September 9, 2026, to October 25, 2026, and a summary of the findings will be shared later this year.

Parliamentary Secretary Grant also announced $480,000 in funding for three partner-led projects under the Fraser River Freshwater Ecosystem Initiative, as part of the strengthened Freshwater Action Plan.

The Fraser River is the fourth-largest river in Canada by volume and is home to Canada’s largest port. Over 100 First Nations across at least nine language groups have traditional territory in the Fraser River basin. Activity across the basin generates nearly 10% of Canada’s gross domestic product across a wide variety of sectors including forestry, mining, agriculture, manufacturing, communications, and transportation.

The Fraser River Freshwater Ecosystem Initiative supports projects that advance science and knowledge, collaboration and engagement, and on-the-ground actions to reduce nutrients, sediments, and other contaminants in the Fraser River basin. 

Among the recipients, Raincoast Conservation Foundation is receiving $169,000 over two years to work with Indigenous and local communities to improve water quality monitoring and support pollution reduction and restoration efforts across nearly half of the lower Fraser River basin. 

Partner-led activities like this will help deliver improved water quality, biodiversity, and long-term environmental stewardship, while also creating lasting economic and social value.

Investments like these demonstrate how governments, Indigenous partners, communities, researchers and other partners can work together to address shared water challenges—an approach that will also help inform the development of Canada’s first National Water Security Strategy.

Through the Canada Water Agency, the Government of Canada is strengthening coordination and collaboration with provinces, territories, and Indigenous Peoples to address freshwater challenges and opportunities in the Fraser River and across the country. These efforts are part of a broader commitment to building a cleaner, more secure, and prosperous future for Canadians.