Protecting Canada’s Water

Ottawa Journal (August 02 – August 06, 2021)
David Tilson, M.P. (Dufferin-Caledon)

From the towering heights of the Rocky Mountains to the depths of our lakes and oceans, it’s easy to see why Canadians want to protect the beauty of our natural environment. Our Government is committed to protecting Canada’s environment through sensible legislation that will preserve clean water, clean air, and abundant wildlife for our children and future generations of Canadians to enjoy.

Clean water, for instance, is a precious and vital resource. We believe all Canadians should have safe access to clean water, including safe drinking water from the taps in our homes. This is why our Government recently took important action to protect Canada’s freshwater supply. Under our proposed Transboundary Waters Protection Act, we are prohibiting the export of bulk freshwater from Canada’s watersheds.
   
Canada’s rivers and streams running across international borders will now receive the same protection from bulk water removal, as larger bodies of water like the Great Lakes currently do.
   
The Act would also put into place new federal enforcement and inspection powers to ensure corporations are following the rules of the act. Corporations found to be in violation of the rules would face tough new penalties, including multi-million dollar fines. The message we are sending is clear: Canada’s freshwater is not a commodity. It isn’t for sale.
   
This action builds on our comprehensive Action Plan for Clean Water we introduced in 2007, which aimed at securing safe, clean drinking water for all Canadians, cleaning up major bodies of water like Lake Simcoe and Lake Winnipeg, and reducing harmful water pollution at its source.

Through the Jobs and Growth Budget for Canadians this year, our Government is building a greener future for Canada’s economy by investing in the development of green energy, technology, and jobs. We are investing $1 billion dollars over five years to develop clean energy technologies like carbon capture and storage and another $1 billion to green infrastructure like government buildings, wastewater facilities, and energy generation facilities. Together, these investments help create jobs and build a greener, stronger economy for Canada.

Our Government is also countering the effects of climate change by working closely with the Obama administration in the United States, to develop a continental approach to this global challenge. Both our governments have committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 17 per cent of 2005 levels by 2020; in fact, Canada actually reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 2 per cent in 2008 compared to the previous year.

By working together, our governments have already succeeded this year in harmonizing our passenger vehicle emission standards. We will continue working throughout the year to do the same for heavy-duty vehicles like full-size trucks, delivery trucks, and tractor trailers.
By preserving Canada’s natural resources including our freshwater and taking practical, realistic steps to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, water and air pollution, our Government is protecting Canada’s environment.