A Message from Your Board of Directors:
The National Council of Women of Canada (NCWC) is deeply concerned about the potential threats to Canada's water security posed by the Trump administration. These concerns include weakened environmental protections, increased pollution risks, and proposals to divert Canadian water to the U.S.
Trump's deregulation policies, particularly in mining, oil exploration, and manufacturing industries, could lead to increased pollution in shared water bodies such as the Great Lakes. His rollback of restrictions on PFAS chemicals—long-lasting chemicals linked to severe health issues—contrasts with Canada's recent efforts to regulate these substances. Additionally, the weakening of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under Trump raises concerns about inadequate environmental assessments for projects like dams or dredging that could impact Canadian waters.
Trump has also suggested diverting water from British Columbia to California, raising alarm about inter-basin water transfers. NCWC has policies NCWC has policy that urges the Government of Canada to “prohibit construction that would permit diversion of inter- basin transfer of water to a foreign country and prohibit the export of bulk water by pipeline, tanker, bulk carrier and of surface or groundwater by watercourse diversion.”
We have policy- now is the time for ACTION!
The NCWC urges our members to engage local MPs, MPPs/MLAs and municipal leaders near shared water bodies—such as cities along the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River and western rivers that cross the border—to protect Canada's water resources and ensure safe drinking water, recreational use, edible fish and ecological balance while opposing harmful policies that threaten Canada's water security. The Great Lakes-St.Lawrence Sustainable Water Resources Agreement mandates that any water withdrawal must be returned and only for emergencies.
Please share these concerns with members of your community and encourage others to join in raising these issues with your respective local MPs, MPPs, MLAs and municipal governments. It is vital that our representatives recognize that Canadians are deeply concerned about our water and that we support all efforts to protect our water.