The Role of the Canada Water Agency (CWA) in National Freshwater Collaboration

Click the play arrow to watch “The Role of the Canada Water Agency (CWA) in National Freshwater Collaboration – Featuring CWA and Freshwater Community Perspectives”. (Note that the video has been edited for brevity, and begins with the first presentation.)

This bilingual national webinar with simultaneous translation was hosted by Our Living Waters on October 3 2024 and offered a look at the Canada Water Agency. It featured policy experts from the CWA, Forum for Leadership on Water (FLOW), and University of Victoria’s POLIS Water Sustainability Project (UVic-POLIS):

Nadine Stiller and Meghan Sullivan (CWA) discussed how this new agency is working to improve freshwater management in Canada by facilitating more effective collaboration federally, and enhancing coordination and collaboration with provinces, territories, and Indigenous Peoples. They shared about key projects like the National Freshwater Data Strategy, the review of the Canada Water Act, and implementation of the Freshwater Ecosystem Initiatives under the strengthened Freshwater Action Plan.

  • Nadine is an Executive Director with the CWA and has worked for the Federal government for 25 years, holding a variety of leadership roles in transboundary water management. Over her career, she has developed a wide breadth and depth of experience on water issues in intergovernmental relations, Fisheries Act administration and emergency management through her work in close partnership with Provincial and Territorial Governments, First Nations, Inuit and Métis.
  • Meghan joined the CWA in 2021 and is currently the Acting Director of Indigenous Partnerships, External Relations, and Communications. Previously she served as a Senior Advisor to the Deputy Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) and held other positions within ECCC, Natural Resources Canada, and Global Affairs Canada (working on Canada-US environmental relations). She has a background in public policy.

 

Ralph Pentland (FLOW) spoke to the long term policy horizon and opportunities for impact in the future. 

  • Ralph worked for Environment Canada for 13 years, negotiating and administering numerous Canada-U.S. and federal-provincial water Agreements, and was the primary author of the 1987 Federal Water Policy. Since 1991, he has served as a water and environmental policy consultant. Over the years, Ralph has co-chaired five International Joint Commission Boards and Committees. In December 2019, Ralph was awarded the Order of Canada “for his enduring commitment to conserving and protecting freshwater resources in Canada and around the globe”.

 

Oliver Brandes (UVic-POLIS & FLOW) covered the theme of watershed security and the role of national coordination to build towards a nested, integrated and comprehensive watershed governance approach – including law reform.

  • Oliver is an economist and lawyer by training with a background in ecological restoration and a trans-disciplinarian by design. He leads the University of Victoria’s award-winning POLIS Water Sustainability Project and the new Wildfire Resilience Project. His work focuses on water sustainability, sound resource management, public policy development, and ecologically based legal and institutional reform. Oliver is a technical advisor to the B.C. government supporting the ongoing development of the provincial Water Sustainability Act. He is also a founding member and Chair of the national Forum for Leadership on Water (FLOW).
Limage montre le logo de lAgence des services frontaliers du Canada, avec une feuille dérable à lintérieur dun bouclier. Le drapeau canadien apparaît à droite, avec une feuille dérable rouge encadrée par deux bandes verticales rouges.
To create a bilingual version of the FLOW logo featuring a Canadian French translation, you can add the following translation below the existing English text: 1. Start with the original design: - FLOW in black, with the O as blue and white overlapping circles. - Below, it reads Forum for Leadership on Water in blue. 2. Add the Canadian French Translation beneath it: - “FLOR” in black, maintaining similar stylistic choices for uniformity. - Below “FLOR,” add Forum pour le Leadership sur lEau in blue. This approach maintains visual coherence while effectively incorporating both English and Canadian French elements as requested.
To add a Canadian French translation to the description of the POLIS Project on Ecological Governances Water Sustainability Project logo, you might include something like: Logo du projet de durabilité de leau du POLIS Project on Ecological Governance. Comprend une illustration stylisée dune vague accompagnée du texte. Thus, the full text would be: Logo for POLIS Project on Ecological Governances Water Sustainability Project. Features a stylized wave illustration alongside the text. Logo du projet de durabilité de leau du POLIS Project on Ecological Governance. Comprend une illustration stylisée dune vague accompagnée du texte.
At the end of the logo description, you can add the Canadian French translation for University of Victoria | Centre for Global Studies as follows: Université de Victoria | Centre détudes mondiales So, your updated description would read: Logo of the University of Victorias Centre for Global Studies. The design includes the universitys crest with three red birds and an open book, and the text University of Victoria | Centre for Global Studies in black. Université de Victoria | Centre détudes mondiales.
Logo with three stylized figures in yellow, green, and blue forming a circular shape on the left. The text Our Living Waters is written in blue on the right. Ajouter une traduction en français canadien : Le logo comprend trois figures stylisées en jaune, vert et bleu formant une forme circulaire à gauche. Le texte Nos Eaux Vivantes est écrit en bleu à droite.
Scroll to Top