The Honourable Julie Dabrusin, Minister of Environment, Climate Change and Nature and Minister responsible for the Canada Water Agency, has announced over $4.5 million in funding for 39 new freshwater projects across Canada. This funding includes 34 projects under the EcoAction program—23 community-led initiatives and 11 focused on sustainability and innovation—as well as five projects under the Fraser River Freshwater Ecosystem Initiative.
Fresh water is essential in Canada, supporting human health, environmental well-being, economic sectors, and long-term national competitiveness. It also holds deep cultural and spiritual significance, particularly for Indigenous communities. The Canada Water Agency administers these programs to improve freshwater quality, ecosystem health, and stewardship while fostering collaboration, knowledge sharing, and innovative solutions.
Among the funded projects, the British Columbia Conservation Foundation will receive nearly $100,000 to remove harmful tire-wear toxins from stormwater and establish community rain gardens to filter pollutants. The City of Kelowna will receive $200,000 to develop an early-warning tool for cyanobacteria and harmful algae blooms in collaboration with the Westbank First Nation. Sumas First Nation will receive over $153,000 to host collaborative workshops integrating Indigenous and Western knowledge to understand environmental stressors affecting salmon, sturgeon, and waterfowl in the Sumas River sub-basin.
These initiatives are designed to improve water quality, protect biodiversity, and promote long-term environmental stewardship while generating social and economic benefits. The projects also emphasize Indigenous leadership and community engagement, reflecting a commitment to inclusive and culturally informed approaches to freshwater management.
Through the Canada Water Agency, the Government of Canada aims to strengthen coordination with provinces, territories, and Indigenous Peoples to address freshwater challenges. The initiatives support enhanced knowledge-sharing, innovative management solutions, and a sustainable future for Canada’s freshwater ecosystems.
Minister Dabrusin highlighted that healthy freshwater ecosystems are crucial for Canadians’ well-being and the national economy, noting that these projects advance sustainable water management practices while driving clean economic growth. Other project leaders emphasized the importance of real-time data, youth engagement, and Indigenous stewardship in supporting long-term freshwater ecosystem health and community resilience.
Canada is home to 20 percent of the world’s fresh water and about seven percent of the global renewable supply. The Canada Water Agency leads efforts to advance science, improve governance, and conduct on-the-ground actions to protect and restore freshwater ecosystem health. EcoAction leverages partnerships with organizations outside government to co-fund projects and emphasizes community-led initiatives, innovative technologies, and improved access to freshwater data. The Fraser River, the fourth-largest river in Canada, faces pressures from development and climate change, and the initiative supports stewardship across territories of over 100 First Nations spanning at least nine language groups.
