Bill C-59: Canada Water Agency Receives Royal Assent

Bill C-59, which included the Canada Water Agency Act, received Royal Assent last week. This is a significant milestone in towards establishing the Canada Water Agency (CWA) as a standalone entity (outside of Environment and Climate Change Canada but reporting to the Minister of Environment). Royal assent is the formal approval of a bill by the Governor General, on behalf of the Sovereign. It is the final step in the legislative process for a bill to become law.

Next Steps

Before the CWA can officially begin its operations as a standalone entity, several orders-in-council need to be issued, including:

• An order specifying the coming-into-force date of the new law.
• An order designating Winnipeg as the headquarters for the Agency.
• An order appointing an interim president for the Agency, who will serve as its deputy head.

The Agency will be hosting webinars on the Royal Assent and next steps in the creation of the Agency.

With the National Water and Wastewater Conference being in Winnipeg we’ve engaged the new Canada Water Agency to speak at the event. We look forward to learning more about the Agency’s mandate and activities.

Canadian Water and Wastewater Association