43e législature223Réponse du gouvernement déposée5 mai 2021432-00692432-00692 (Environnement)PaulManlyNanaimo—LadysmithParti vertBC22 mars 20215 mai 20211 février 2021Pétition à la Chambre des communes réunie en Parlement Nous, soussignés, résidents du Canada, attirons l’attention de la Chambre sur ce qui suit : Que la quasi-totalité des bassins versants d’eau douce de la côte est de l’île de Vancouver appartiennent à des intérêts privés, selon un accord conclu lorsque la Colombie-Britannique a rejoint la Confédération. L’octroi des terres à E & N, qui comprend les terres de Campbell River à Jordan River, était un paiement partiel pour la construction du chemin de fer E & N dans le cadre de l’accord pour la Confédération.Que tous les bassins versants d’eau douce de l’octroi de terres à E & N qui sont sous propriété privée ont connu des problèmes de qualité et de contamination de l’eau liés à l’activité humaine, y compris l’exploitation forestière, minière, les décharges et autres activités industrielles et récréatives. Les bassins versants de Nanaimo, Ladysmith, Port Alberni, Parksville, Courtenay, Shawnigan Lake et d’autres communautés ont été touchés. Que l’octroi de terres à E & N a violé les droits des traités et le titre autochtone.Que la propriété publique des bassins versants d’eau douce, comme dans le cas du district régional de la capitale, a permis aux districts de l’eau de contrôler toute activité dans le bassin versant et de permettre à la forêt naturelle d’aider à filtrer et à stocker l’eau et de réduire les coûts de traitement de l’eau potable.Que l’eau potable propre et sûre est essentielle à la vie, est un droit fondamental et est indispensable au bien-être économique des communautés et de la région et que la protection des sources d’eau douce de la communauté doit primer sur tout autre intérêt.Par conséquent, vos pétitionnaires demandent au Parlement de collaborer avec la province de la Colombie-Britannique, les Premières Nations, les municipalités, les districts régionaux et les propriétaires fonciers afin d’entamer un processus visant à placer les bassins versants d’eau douce de l’île de Vancouver sous la propriété et le contrôle publics et de veiller à ce qu’ils soient correctement protégés aux fins de l’approvisionnement en eau potable de la collectivité, maintenant et pour les générations futures, en éliminant toute activité industrielle et autre qui n’est pas essentielle au maintien d’une source d’eau douce pure et sûre.
Response by the Minister of Environment and Climate ChangeSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable JONATHAN WILKINSONWater quality management is a shared responsibility among different jurisdictions.  At the federal level, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) plays a role in the management of pollution.  ECCC takes water pollution very seriously and continues to work hard to protect and conserve Canada’s water resources. Much of this effort is to apply and enforce Canadian laws that control pollution such as the Fisheries Act.ECCC is the lead department responsible for the administration and enforcement of the pollution prevention provisions of the Fisheries Acthttps://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/F-14/index.html. These provisions serve to protect fish as a public resource by prohibiting pollution that could be deleterious to fish.  Subsection 36(3) is the key pollution prevention provision and prohibits the deposit of all deleterious substances into water frequented by fish, or to any place, under any conditions, where it may enter water frequented by fish.A deposit of a deleterious substance is only authorized under regulations that set strict requirements concerning the deposits.  There are Fisheries Act regulations related to a number of the sectors and deposits mentioned in the petition including the pulp and paper, metal and diamond mining, and wastewater sectors.  Deposits that are not subject to a regulation are subject to subsection 36(3) of the Fisheries Act.The management of drinking water is shared among federal, provincial and municipal governments. The federal responsibility lies with Health Canada, but its role is in protecting the health of all Canadians by developing the Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality in partnership with the provinces and territories. These guidelines are used by every jurisdiction in Canada and are the basis for establishing drinking water quality requirements for all Canadians. Provinces and municipalities are typically responsible for the provision of safe drinking water.
Bassins hydrographiquesColombie-BritanniqueContamination de l'environnementRelations fédérales-provinciales-territoriales
43e législature223Réponse du gouvernement déposée23 avril 2021432-00641432-00641 (Environnement)PaulManlyNanaimo—LadysmithParti vertBC10 mars 202123 avril 20211 février 2021Pétition à la Chambre des communes réunie en Parlement Nous, soussignés, résidents du Canada, attirons l’attention de la Chambre sur ce qui suit : Que la quasi-totalité des bassins versants d’eau douce de la côte est de l’île de Vancouver appartiennent à des intérêts privés, selon un accord conclu lorsque la Colombie-Britannique a rejoint la Confédération. L’octroi des terres à E & N, qui comprend les terres de Campbell River à Jordan River, était un paiement partiel pour la construction du chemin de fer E & N dans le cadre de l’accord pour la Confédération.Que tous les bassins versants d’eau douce de l’octroi de terres à E & N qui sont sous propriété privée ont connu des problèmes de qualité et de contamination de l’eau liés à l’activité humaine, y compris l’exploitation forestière, minière, les décharges et autres activités industrielles et récréatives. Les bassins versants de Nanaimo, Ladysmith, Port Alberni, Parksville, Courtenay, Shawnigan Lake et d’autres communautés ont été touchés. Que l’octroi de terres à E & N a violé les droits des traités et le titre autochtone.Que la propriété publique des bassins versants d’eau douce, comme dans le cas du district régional de la capitale, a permis aux districts de l’eau de contrôler toute activité dans le bassin versant et de permettre à la forêt naturelle d’aider à filtrer et à stocker l’eau et de réduire les coûts de traitement de l’eau potable.Que l’eau potable propre et sûre est essentielle à la vie, est un droit fondamental et est indispensable au bien-être économique des communautés et de la région et que la protection des sources d’eau douce de la communauté doit primer sur tout autre intérêt.Par conséquent, vos pétitionnaires demandent au Parlement de collaborer avec la province de la Colombie-Britannique, les Premières Nations, les municipalités, les districts régionaux et les propriétaires fonciers afin d’entamer un processus visant à placer les bassins versants d’eau douce de l’île de Vancouver sous la propriété et le contrôle publics et de veiller à ce qu’ils soient correctement protégés aux fins de l’approvisionnement en eau potable de la collectivité, maintenant et pour les générations futures, en éliminant toute activité industrielle et autre qui n’est pas essentielle au maintien d’une source d’eau douce pure et sûre.
Response by the Minister of Environment and Climate ChangeSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable JONATHAN WILKINSONWater quality management is a shared responsibility among different jurisdictions.  At the federal level, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) plays a role in the management of pollution.  ECCC takes water pollution very seriously and continues to work hard to protect and conserve Canada’s water resources. Much of this effort is to apply and enforce Canadian laws that control pollution such as the Fisheries Act.ECCC is the lead department responsible for the administration and enforcement of the pollution prevention provisions of the Fisheries Acthttps://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/F-14/index.html. These provisions serve to protect fish as a public resource by prohibiting pollution that could be deleterious to fish.  Subsection 36(3) is the key pollution prevention provision and prohibits the deposit of all deleterious substances into water frequented by fish, or to any place, under any conditions, where it may enter water frequented by fish.A deposit of a deleterious substance is only authorized under regulations that set strict requirements concerning the deposits.  There are Fisheries Act regulations related to a number of the sectors and deposits mentioned in the petition including the pulp and paper, metal and diamond mining, and wastewater sectors.  Deposits that are not subject to a regulation are subject to subsection 36(3) of the Fisheries Act.The management of drinking water is shared among federal, provincial and municipal governments. The federal responsibility lies with Health Canada, but its role is in protecting the health of all Canadians by developing the Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality in partnership with the provinces and territories. These guidelines are used by every jurisdiction in Canada and are the basis for establishing drinking water quality requirements for all Canadians. Provinces and municipalities are typically responsible for the provision of safe drinking water.  
Bassins hydrographiquesColombie-BritanniqueContamination de l'environnementRelations fédérales-provinciales-territoriales
43e législature223Réponse du gouvernement déposée22 mars 2021432-00494432-00494 (Environnement)PaulManlyNanaimo—LadysmithParti vertBC5 février 202122 mars 20211 février 2021Pétition à la Chambre des communes réunie en Parlement Nous, soussignés, résidents du Canada, attirons l’attention de la Chambre sur ce qui suit : Que la quasi-totalité des bassins versants d’eau douce de la côte est de l’île de Vancouver appartiennent à des intérêts privés, selon un accord conclu lorsque la Colombie-Britannique a rejoint la Confédération. L’octroi des terres à E & N, qui comprend les terres de Campbell River à Jordan River, était un paiement partiel pour la construction du chemin de fer E & N dans le cadre de l’accord pour la Confédération.Que tous les bassins versants d’eau douce de l’octroi de terres à E & N qui sont sous propriété privée ont connu des problèmes de qualité et de contamination de l’eau liés à l’activité humaine, y compris l’exploitation forestière, minière, les décharges et autres activités industrielles et récréatives. Les bassins versants de Nanaimo, Ladysmith, Port Alberni, Parksville, Courtenay, Shawnigan Lake et d’autres communautés ont été touchés. Que l’octroi de terres à E & N a violé les droits des traités et le titre autochtone.Que la propriété publique des bassins versants d’eau douce, comme dans le cas du district régional de la capitale, a permis aux districts de l’eau de contrôler toute activité dans le bassin versant et de permettre à la forêt naturelle d’aider à filtrer et à stocker l’eau et de réduire les coûts de traitement de l’eau potable.Que l’eau potable propre et sûre est essentielle à la vie, est un droit fondamental et est indispensable au bien-être économique des communautés et de la région et que la protection des sources d’eau douce de la communauté doit primer sur tout autre intérêt.Par conséquent, vos pétitionnaires demandent au Parlement de collaborer avec la province de la Colombie-Britannique, les Premières Nations, les municipalités, les districts régionaux et les propriétaires fonciers afin d’entamer un processus visant à placer les bassins versants d’eau douce de l’île de Vancouver sous la propriété et le contrôle publics et de veiller à ce qu’ils soient correctement protégés aux fins de l’approvisionnement en eau potable de la collectivité, maintenant et pour les générations futures, en éliminant toute activité industrielle et autre qui n’est pas essentielle au maintien d’une source d’eau douce pure et sûre.
Response by the Minister of Environment and Climate ChangeSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable JONATHAN WILKINSONWater quality management is a shared responsibility among different jurisdictions.  At the federal level, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) plays a role in the management of pollution.  ECCC takes water pollution very seriously and continues to work hard to protect and conserve Canada’s water resources. Much of this effort is to apply and enforce Canadian laws that control pollution such as the Fisheries Act.ECCC is the lead department responsible for the administration and enforcement of the pollution prevention provisions of the Fisheries Acthttps://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/F-14/index.html. These provisions serve to protect fish as a public resource by prohibiting pollution that could be deleterious to fish.  Subsection 36(3) is the key pollution prevention provision and prohibits the deposit of all deleterious substances into water frequented by fish, or to any place, under any conditions, where it may enter water frequented by fish.A deposit of a deleterious substance is only authorized under regulations that set strict requirements concerning the deposits.  There are Fisheries Act regulations related to a number of the sectors and deposits mentioned in the petition including the pulp and paper, metal and diamond mining, and wastewater sectors.  Deposits that are not subject to a regulation are subject to subsection 36(3) of the Fisheries Act.The management of drinking water is shared among federal, provincial and municipal governments. The federal responsibility lies with Health Canada, but its role is in protecting the health of all Canadians by developing the Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality in partnership with the provinces and territories. These guidelines are used by every jurisdiction in Canada and are the basis for establishing drinking water quality requirements for all Canadians. Provinces and municipalities are typically responsible for the provision of safe drinking water.
Bassins hydrographiquesColombie-BritanniqueContamination de l'environnementRelations fédérales-provinciales-territoriales
43e législature223Réponse du gouvernement déposée25 janvier 2021432-00408432-00408 (Environnement)ElizabethMaySaanich—Gulf IslandsParti vertBC10 décembre 202025 janvier 202113 octobre 2020PÉTITION À LA CHAMBRE DES COMMUNES RÉUNIE EN PARLEMENTAttendu que:
  • Les pratiques irresponsables de l’industrie et des multinationales ont détruit la plupart des bassins hydrographiques et des voies navigables du Canada et réduit leur importance légitime;
  • Les lois actuelles ne protègent pas suffisamment les bassins hydrographiques et les voies navigables du Canada contre ces pratiques irresponsables; et,
  • La protection des bassins hydrographiques et des voies navigables assure du même souffle la protection des forêts, de l’air, des pêches et des terres du Canada.
Nous soussignés, citoyens et résidents du Canada, prions la Chambre des communes réunie en Parlement :
  • d’actualiser les lois du Canada en la matière pour veiller à ce qu’aucune industrie ni multinationale n’ait préséance sur la santé des bassins hydrographiques et des voies navigables ni sur la santé de la population, des espèces et des terres du Canada;
  • de veiller à ce que les lois sur les bassins hydrographiques et les voies navigables du Canada soient revues sous la gouverne de professionnels et de spécialistes de la conservation de l’eau.
Response by the Minister of Environment and Climate ChangeSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable JONATHAN WILKINSONThe Government of Canada is committed to safeguarding our country’s freshwater resources for generations to come. No resource is more important to Canadians than fresh, clean water – our lives and livelihoods depend on it.Freshwater management in Canada is a shared responsibility between federal, provincial, territorial and Indigenous governments. The Government of Canada works cooperatively with other orders of governments to leverage partnerships and incredible expertise that exists within Canada to safeguard freshwater resources. Below are some examples of collaborations:
  • Federal-provincial-territorial collaboration on water: The Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) is the intergovernmental forum in Canada for discussion and joint action on environmental issues of national concern. It is composed of environment ministers from the federal, provincial and territorial governments. CCME has established a Water Management Committee that works on delivering water activities that are of interest nationally. For example, the CCME develops Canadian Environmental Quality Guidelines to provide a scientific basis for making effective decisions regarding the protection of freshwater resources in Canada.
  • Protecting major watersheds. The Government of Canada has decades of experience undertaking watershed protection initiatives in collaboration with provincial governments, Indigenous communities and stakeholders. Canada is committed to working and collaborating with others to restore and protect our freshwater resources through arrangements such as the Canada–United States Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, the Canada–Ontario Agreement on Great Lakes Water Quality and Ecosystem Health, the Canada–Quebec Agreement on the St. Lawrence, and the Canada–Manitoba Memorandum of Understanding Respecting Lake Winnipeg and the Lake Winnipeg Basin. In 2017, we invested $70.5 million to protect the Great Lakes and the Lake Winnipeg Basin. Of this investment, $44.84 million over five years was provided to the Great Lakes Protection Initiative in order to take action to address the most significant environmental challenges affecting Great Lakes water quality and ecosystem health. This funding supports efforts to address priorities of reducing phosphorus loadings to Lake Erie, assessing and enhancing the resilience of Great Lakes coastal wetlands, evaluating and identifying at-risk nearshore waters, reducing releases of harmful chemicals, and increasing public engagement through citizen science. A total of $25.7 million of the Budget 2017 investment was also provided to the Lake Winnipeg Basin Program. We have invested in a wide range of projects that focus on actions to reduce excessive nutrients – like phosphorus – from entering the lake, as well as projects that enhance collaboration throughout the basin, and that support Indigenous engagement on freshwater issues.
  • Supporting domestic and international water boards. Domestic inter-jurisdictional water boards have been established to focus on specific water issues that have implications for more than one province or territory. These boards include the Ottawa River Regulation Planning Board, Prairie Provinces Water Board, Mackenzie River Basin Board, and the Lake of the Woods Control Board. In addition, the Government of Canada supports 15 Canada-United States water boards and committees through the International Joint Commission (IJC), by providing science and expert advice. The IJC prevents and resolves disputes between the United States and Canada regarding lake and river systems along the border (under the 1909 Boundary Waters Treaty).
  • Monitoring water quantity and quality. Environment and Climate Change Canada’s (ECCC) National Hydrological Service (NHS) is the primary operator for the hydrometric monitoring network, which is collaboratively managed and cost-shared with provinces and territories (approximately 2800 active monitoring stations). The NHS is also responsible for water management of international and domestic transboundary water in partnership with the IJC and the provinces and territories. In 2019, the Government of Canada invested $89.7 million to modernize the NHS to support earlier and more accurate information about freshwater resources. This investment will help to ensure the sustainability of the Government’s water-monitoring networks, which in turn will help prepare Canadians for water-related disasters like flooding and droughts. In addition, ECCC’s Water Quality Monitoring and Surveillance program activities are accomplished in collaboration with provincial and territorial governments. The objectives of the program are to disseminate timely information on water quality to the public, government agencies, industry and the scientific community. ECCC also oversees the Canadian Environmental Sustainability Indicators program (CESI). The CESI program provides freshwater data from federal, provincial and territorial governments to track Canada’s performance on key environmental sustainability issues, including pressures on freshwater regional ecosystems, and water quality and availability in Canadian rivers.
Canada’s federal legislative framework for freshwater management consists of several legislative instruments that provide the federal government with powers to address freshwater issues across the country, both directly and indirectly. As well, the provinces and territories have significant jurisdiction over water resources within their boundaries and play a core role regarding water management.Federal legislation for freshwater management addresses the key areas of federal jurisdiction. The management of cross-boundary water flows ensures water quantity issues are addressed, while pollution prevention provisions protect water quality in fish-bearing and migratory bird habitats. As well, in this area of shared jurisdiction, the federal legislative framework allows for cooperative collaboration on fresh water with provincial and territorial governments, Indigenous peoples and international partners.Pollution prevention is a fundamental element of the federal freshwater legislative framework. The Fisheries Act includes provisions prohibiting pollution that could be harmful to fish and other aquatic life. Regulations under the Fisheries Act impose conditions, including effluent limits, on the release of deleterious substances and effluent into water; and can include environmental effects monitoring requirements for facilities. Similarly, the Migratory Birds Convention Act, 1994, protects against pollution on land or in water that could be harmful to migratory birds. The Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 is an important federal law aimed at preventing pollution and protecting the environment and human health. It authorizes action on a wide range of environmental and health risks that directly impact water resources, including, for example, water pollution, toxic substances, and waste.In the Prime Minister’s mandate letter, water features prominently. The Minister of the Environment and Climate Change has been asked, with the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, to create a new Canada Water Agency to work together with the provinces, territories, Indigenous communities, local authorities, scientists, and others to find the best ways to keep our water safe, clean, and well-managed. Parliamentary Secretary Terry Duguid is responsible for advancing this commitment. While the mandate of the Canada Water Agency has not yet been defined, and will be the subject of engagement, the Canada Water Agency presents an opportunity for greater collaboration in Canada to protect freshwater resources. The Mandate Letter also committed the Government of Canada to develop further protections and take active steps to clean up the Great Lakes, Lake Winnipeg, Lake Simcoe and other large lakes.    
Bassins hydrographiquesProtection de l'environnementVoies navigables intérieures
43e législature223Réponse du gouvernement déposée4 décembre 2020432-00141432-00141 (Environnement)ElizabethMaySaanich—Gulf IslandsParti vertBC21 octobre 20204 décembre 202013 octobre 2020PÉTITION À LA CHAMBRE DES COMMUNES RÉUNIE EN PARLEMENTAttendu que:
  • Les pratiques irresponsables de l’industrie et des multinationales ont détruit la plupart des bassins hydrographiques et des voies navigables du Canada et réduit leur importance légitime;
  • Les lois actuelles ne protègent pas suffisamment les bassins hydrographiques et les voies navigables du Canada contre ces pratiques irresponsables; et,
  • La protection des bassins hydrographiques et des voies navigables assure du même souffle la protection des forêts, de l’air, des pêches et des terres du Canada.
Nous soussignés, citoyens et résidents du Canada, prions la Chambre des communes réunie en Parlement :
  • d’actualiser les lois du Canada en la matière pour veiller à ce qu’aucune industrie ni multinationale n’ait préséance sur la santé des bassins hydrographiques et des voies navigables ni sur la santé de la population, des espèces et des terres du Canada;
  • de veiller à ce que les lois sur les bassins hydrographiques et les voies navigables du Canada soient revues sous la gouverne de professionnels et de spécialistes de la conservation de l’eau.
Response by the Minister of Environment and Climate ChangeSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable JONATHAN WILKINSONThe Government of Canada is committed to safeguarding our country’s freshwater resources for generations to come. No resource is more important to Canadians than fresh, clean water – our lives and livelihoods depend on it.Freshwater management in Canada is a shared responsibility between federal, provincial, territorial and Indigenous governments. The Government of Canada works cooperatively with other orders of governments to leverage partnerships and incredible expertise that exists within Canada to safeguard freshwater resources. Below are some examples of collaborations:
  • Federal-provincial-territorial collaboration on water: The Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) is the intergovernmental forum in Canada for discussion and joint action on environmental issues of national concern. It is composed of environment ministers from the federal, provincial and territorial governments. CCME has established a Water Management Committee that works on delivering water activities that are of interest nationally. For example, the CCME develops Canadian Environmental Quality Guidelines to provide a scientific basis for making effective decisions regarding the protection of freshwater resources in Canada.
  • Protecting major watersheds. The Government of Canada has decades of experience undertaking watershed protection initiatives in collaboration with provincial governments, Indigenous communities and stakeholders. Canada is committed to working and collaborating with others to restore and protect our freshwater resources through arrangements such as the Canada–United States Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, the Canada–Ontario Agreement on Great Lakes Water Quality and Ecosystem Health, the Canada–Quebec Agreement on the St. Lawrence, and the Canada–Manitoba Memorandum of Understanding Respecting Lake Winnipeg and the Lake Winnipeg Basin. In 2017, we invested $70.5 million to protect the Great Lakes and the Lake Winnipeg Basin. Of this investment, $44.84 million over five years was provided to the Great Lakes Protection Initiative in order to take action to address the most significant environmental challenges affecting Great Lakes water quality and ecosystem health. This funding supports efforts to address priorities of reducing phosphorus loadings to Lake Erie, assessing and enhancing the resilience of Great Lakes coastal wetlands, evaluating and identifying at-risk nearshore waters, reducing releases of harmful chemicals, and increasing public engagement through citizen science. A total of $25.7 million of the Budget 2017 investment was also provided to the Lake Winnipeg Basin Program. We have invested in a wide range of projects that focus on actions to reduce excessive nutrients – like phosphorus – from entering the lake, as well as projects that enhance collaboration throughout the basin, and that support Indigenous engagement on freshwater issues.                
  • Supporting domestic and international water boards. Domestic inter-jurisdictional water boards have been established to focus on specific water issues that have implications for more than one province or territory. These boards include the Ottawa River Regulation Planning Board, Prairie Provinces Water Board, Mackenzie River Basin Board, and the Lake of the Woods Control Board. In addition, the Government of Canada supports 15 Canada-United States water boards and committees through the International Joint Commission (IJC), by providing science and expert advice. The IJC prevents and resolves disputes between the United States and Canada regarding lake and river systems along the border (under the 1909 Boundary Waters Treaty). 
  • Monitoring water quantity and quality. Environment and Climate Change Canada’s (ECCC) National Hydrological Service (NHS) is the primary operator for the hydrometric monitoring network, which is collaboratively managed and cost-shared with provinces and territories (approximately 2800 active monitoring stations). The NHS is also responsible for water management of international and domestic transboundary water in partnership with the IJC and the provinces and territories. In 2019, the Government of Canada invested $89.7 million to modernize the NHS to support earlier and more accurate information about freshwater resources. This investment will help to ensure the sustainability of the Government’s water-monitoring networks, which in turn will help prepare Canadians for water-related disasters like flooding and droughts. In addition, ECCC’s Water Quality Monitoring and Surveillance program activities are accomplished in collaboration with provincial and territorial governments. The objectives of the program are to disseminate timely information on water quality to the public, government agencies, industry and the scientific community. ECCC also oversees the Canadian Environmental Sustainability Indicators program (CESI). The CESI program provides freshwater data from federal, provincial and territorial governments to track Canada’s performance on key environmental sustainability issues, including pressures on freshwater regional ecosystems, and water quality and availability in Canadian rivers.
Canada’s federal legislative framework for freshwater management consists of several legislative instruments that provide the federal government with powers to address freshwater issues across the country, both directly and indirectly. As well, the provinces and territories have significant jurisdiction over water resources within their boundaries and play a core role regarding water management.Federal legislation for freshwater management addresses the key areas of federal jurisdiction. The management of cross-boundary water flows ensures water quantity issues are addressed, while pollution prevention provisions protect water quality in fish-bearing and migratory bird habitats. As well, in this area of shared jurisdiction, the federal legislative framework allows for cooperative collaboration on fresh water with provincial and territorial governments, Indigenous peoples and international partners.Pollution prevention is a fundamental element of the federal freshwater legislative framework. The Fisheries Act includes provisions prohibiting pollution that could be harmful to fish and other aquatic life. Regulations under the Fisheries Act impose conditions, including effluent limits, on the release of deleterious substances and effluent into water; and can include environmental effects monitoring requirements for facilities. Similarly, the Migratory Birds Convention Act, 1994, protects against pollution on land or in water that could be harmful to migratory birds. The Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 is an important federal law aimed at preventing pollution and protecting the environment and human health. It authorizes action on a wide range of environmental and health risks that directly impact water resources, including, for example, water pollution, toxic substances, and waste.In the Prime Minister’s mandate letter, water features prominently. The Minister of the Environment and Climate Change has been asked, with the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, to create a new Canada Water Agency to work together with the provinces, territories, Indigenous communities, local authorities, scientists, and others to find the best ways to keep our water safe, clean, and well-managed. Parliamentary Secretary Terry Duguid is responsible for advancing this commitment. While the mandate of the Canada Water Agency has not yet been defined, and will be the subject of engagement, the Canada Water Agency presents an opportunity for greater collaboration in Canada to protect freshwater resources. The Mandate Letter also committed the Government of Canada to develop further protections and take active steps to clean up the Great Lakes, Lake Winnipeg, Lake Simcoe and other large lakes.    
Bassins hydrographiquesProtection de l'environnementVoies navigables intérieures