Tuesday, April 7, 2026
A group of water leaders convened by AquaAction are publicly lauding the federal government’s recently announced Water Security Strategy.
The experts met with Wade Grant, the parliamentary secretary to Environment and Climate Change Canada and the Canada Water Agency to “outline the scale of the challenge and urge rapid advancement of the strategy,” an AquaAction release said.
The group presented a set of six priorities:
- strengthening data collection, prediction and freshwater research infrastructure
- advancing inclusive governance and Indigenous leadership
- aligning investment, philanthropy and public financing
- scaling innovation, technology and economic opportunity
- adopt a holistic ecosystem approach with integrated groundwater management
- raising public awareness and advancing water literacy
“Canada has the foundations to build a world-leading water security system, but success will depend on clear priorities, coordinated action, and sustained investment,” the release said.
“Participants all agreed (that) a strong signal in Budget 2026 will be essential to advancing the National Water Security Strategy, demonstrating federal leadership that will help to unlock philanthropic and private capital,” it added.
A full list of roundtable participants is below.
- Wade Grant, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada
- Terry Duguid, Member of Parliament for Winnipeg South
- Mark Fisher, President, Canada Water Agency
- Soula Chronopoulos, President, AquaAction
- Marie-Paule Jeansonne, Executive Director, de Gaspé Beaubien Foundation
- Meredith Brown, Director of Water and Land Relations, Canadian Geographic & Riverkeeper Emeritus, Ottawa Riverkeeper
- Jérôme Marty, Executive Director, International Association for Great Lakes Research
- Leanne Sexsmith, Director, Strategic Programs & Partnerships, Real Estate Foundation of BC and the BC Watershed Security Fund
- Dustin Garrick, Associate Professor and University Research Chair, University of Waterloo and consultant to the Gordon Foundation
- Dr. Alain Pietroniro, Professor, Schulich School of Engineering, University of Calgary
- Pauline Gerrard, Executive Director, IISD Experimental Lakes Area
