2026-2027 Supplementary Information Tables

List of supplementary information tables for the 2026-2027 Departmental Plan

Transfer Payment Programs

Contributions in support of freshwater stewarship

Start date: October 15, 2024

End date: Ongoing

Type of transfer payment: Contribution 

Type of appropriation: Appropriated annually through the Estimates

Fiscal year for terms and conditions: 2024-2025

Link to departmental result(s):

• Canada has healthy freshwater ecosystems.
• Partners and stakeholders are meaningfully engaged in freshwater stewardship.

Link to the department’s Program Inventory:

• Freshwater Management Program
• Freshwater Policy and Engagement Program

Purpose and objectives of transfer payment program: 

To protect, restore, strengthen governance and collaboration, and to have a positive impact on fresh water in Canada.

The overall objective is to:

• address freshwater challenges and opportunities in Canada through improved coordination, management, protection, and restoration of fresh water for the benefit of current and future generations;
• develop and administer on-the-ground projects that have positive impacts on fresh water by collaborating with provinces, territories, Indigenous peoples, community-based groups, and other stakeholders; and
• support the inclusion and participation of Indigenous peoples in freshwater protection, restoration, national freshwater policy initiatives, and governance.

Expected results:

 Expected results of contributions in support of freshwater stewardship are:

• Reduced loading of phosphorus to priority water basins – Lake Winnipeg and Lake Erie Basin.
• Information is available to support decision making.
• Restoration of priority ecosystems.
• Canada engages partners and stakeholders to coordinate and collaborate on freshwater policy initiatives.

Departmental Result Indicator:

• Total annual reduction of phosphorus loads from Canadian sources into priority water bodies.
• Percentage of Freshwater Ecosystem Initiatives where freshwater quality and aquatic ecosystem health indicators are reported as good/fair - with a trend of stable or improving.
• Percentage of partners and stakeholders who indicate their experience engaging on initiatives led by the Canada Water Agency as meaningful (disaggregated by partner).

Fiscal year of last completed evaluation: Not applicable, new program.

Decision following the results of last evaluation: Not applicable.   

Fiscal year of next planned evaluation: The Canada Water Agency’s Evaluation Plan is not yet available.

General targeted recipient groups:    

• For-profit organizations
• Not-for-profit organizations and charities
• Academia and public institutions
• Indigenous recipients
• Government
• International (non-government)
• Individual or sole proprietorships

Initiatives to engage applicants and recipients: The CWA engages applicants and recipients under this program in two ways: recipients through application-based processes, and/or recipients based on their unique ability to address targeted program results. The CWA employs one or a combination of the following initiatives to provide access to the program in a clear, understandable, and accessible manner: publicity in news and social media; information provided on the departmental website; letter-writing activities; email correspondence with targeted interest groups; and meetings with targeted recipient communities. Administrative requirements have been tailored to evaluate risk levels and efficiency is being addressed through simplified agreement templates.