Winnipeg chosen as site of federal water agency Ottawa says multimillion-dollar investment comes with hundreds of jobs
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Winnipeg stands to gain hundreds of jobs and tens of millions in federal investments after being chosen as the site of the new Canada Water Agency.
Plans for the federal agency, one of the few not based in Ottawa, were unveiled in the Liberal government’s budget Tuesday.
“This is an incredibly important initiative,” said Winnipeg Liberal MP Dan Vandal, a member of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s cabinet.
The budget says $85.1 million will be spent over the next five years to create the agency, followed by $21 million in operational funding annually. The government will introduce legislation before the end of the year to fully establish the agency as a stand-alone entity.
“There is a lot of expertise in Winnipeg… its goal is to bring together and work with the provinces and territories, Indigenous communities and scientists to keep our water safe and clean,” said Vandal, who is minister of northern affairs.
“This is an incredibly positive initiative for Winnipeg.”
Ottawa also announced $650 million over 10 years for several lakes and rivers, including Lake Winnipeg, Lake of the Woods, the Great Lakes, the St. Lawrence River and the Mackenzie River.
JOHN WOODS / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES Winnipeg stands to gain hundreds of jobs and tens of millions in federal investments after being chosen as the site of the new Canada Water Agency.
Winnipeg Liberal MP Terry Duguid, who has worked on environmental issues for decades and is currently parliamentary secretary to the environment and climate change minister, is thrilled by the announcement.
“This will put us on the map with water protection management,” Duguid said. “This is a significant agency.
“I don’t know how many staff it will have, but there will be hundreds. There will be nodes across the country because fresh water is elsewhere.”
Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham called the announcement “great news” for the city.
“The Canada Water Agency will bring new investment, create new jobs, and will build on the innovative work being done in this field by organizations like the Lake Winnipeg Foundation, International Institute for Sustainable Development, and the Freshwater Institute.
“It also complements the city’s own efforts to improve the health of our rivers and Lake Winnipeg.”
In 2019, the federal government said it would establish a water agency; online public discussions were held from late 2020 to March 1, 2021. The government said the agency was needed because the country is up against several challenges, including floods, droughts, and deteriorating water quality, which it blamed, in large part, to climate change.
“This will put us on the map with water protection management… This is a significant agency. I don’t know how many staff it will have, but there will be hundreds.”–Winnipeg Liberal MP Terry Duguid
Matthew McCandless, associate vice-president water, with the International Institute for Sustainable Development, said the agency will be ground-breaking.
“There has never been an agency like this in Canada, bringing together municipalities, provinces, Indigenous governments and groups, and scientists in a co-ordinated way,” he said.
“We’re expecting to see more research on things like floods and droughts. “
McCandless said it makes sense to locate it here for two main reasons: the institute has an abundance of water expertise through its scientific work at the Experimental Lakes Areas, and Manitobans are well-versed on water issues, whether it is spring flooding, blue-green algae on beaches, or ice jams on the Red River.
“How many other places do people know what an Amphibex (machine) is?” he said. “We’re all very excited for this.”
JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES “This will put us on the map with water protection management,” said Winnipeg Liberal MP Terry Duguid.
Duguid said many of the details, including where the headquarters will be located in the city, still have to be determined.
“It’s not a regulatory agency, but a collaborative agency,” he said. “Its major responsibility will be to connect the different levels of government and work at the watershed level.
“It will be an independent, stand-alone agency like Parks Canada. It will report directly to the (environment and climate change) minister.”
Duguid also said Winnipeg is the ideal location for a water agency. He credited Premier Heather Stefanson for her support to bring it here and for talking to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about it on a regular basis.
“Water is just so important to our province, but also to all of Canada,” he said.
“It will be an independent, stand-alone agency like Parks Canada. It will report directly to the (environment and climate change) minister.”–Winnipeg Liberal MP Terry Duguid
Duguid said the agency will help figure out where to funnel the $650 million over 10 years to support monitoring, assessment and restoration work on the specific lakes and rivers in the Freshwater Action Plan. Last week, during U.S. President Joe Biden’s visit to Ottawa, the federal government announced $420 million of that funding is earmarked to help protect and restore the Great Lakes. The rest will go to three other lakes, including Lake Winnipeg, and four major rivers.
“It will be the Canada Water Agency which helps distribute these funds and creates the partnerships that will be supported by these funds,” Duiguid said.
“This is a very big deal for Winnipeg and for Manitoba, but also a big deal for the country. This will be a Canada Water Agency for the 21st century.”
kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca
Kevin Rollason
Reporter
Kevin Rollason is one of the more versatile reporters at the Winnipeg Free Press. Whether it is covering city hall, the law courts, or general reporting, Rollason can be counted on to not only answer the 5 Ws — Who, What, When, Where and Why — but to do it in an interesting and accessible way for readers.
