Water

Fresh water in its many forms is an integral core of what most of us deem to be Canadian. From thundering rivers, mighty glaciers and the land of endless lakes - all as undeniably Canadian as maple syrup, hockey and universal health care in our imaginations. This comfortable image may no longer be assured. Looking at a map of our vast nation, Canada appears well endowed with water. Critically, though, less than half of Canada's fresh water is available for use by most Canadians. Sixty percent of our fresh water flows north toward the Arctic, while 85 percent of us live in a narrow band along Canada's southern border.

Canadians are now facing a new water reality. We can no longer take our water legacy for granted. Pollution, urban sprawl, overuse, and poor management are conspiring to create water scarcity in many regions of Canada. These threats to our water are further compounded by climate change. In many regions, changes are taking place much faster than we anticipated....