For decades, governments at all levels have neglected Canada’s water heritage. However, that is changing. In 2017, the federal government adopted the Freshwater Action Plan, allocating $650 million for the protection and restoration of major lakes and rivers in Canada.
It has also established the Canada Water Agency to improve and coordinate water management among all levels of government in Canada, while recognizing the sacred nature of water to Indigenous governance models.
The Council of Canadians has urged the Canada Water Agency to put human rights at the centre of its mandate, so it will be important to monitor the Agency as it starts its work.
