Bruce Water Policy fellows, leaders, and students address critical global freshwater issues
Since the launch of the Geoffrey F. Bruce Fellowships in Canadian Freshwater Policy, Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) has been holding Water Policy Cafes under the leadership of Carolyn Johns, Chair of the Bruce Fellowships. These seminar-like discussions serve as a key platform for interdisciplinary students to engage with pressing water policy issues, share research, discuss policy challenges, and collaborate on important initiatives. The Water Policy Cafes offer a forum for engaging with influential policymakers on critical water policy developments such as the establishment of the Canada Water Agency, the modernization of the Canada Water Act, and water policy consultations by other organizations and levels of government.
Left to right: Wyatt Weatherson, Bruce Fellow 2025 and PhD candidate EnSciMan; Amanda Shankland, Global Centre for Transboundary Waters postdoctoral Fellow; Dr. Erika Bruce, donor; Bryan Serre, PhD candidate, EnSciMan; Carolyn Johns, Chair of the Bruce Fellowships; Jakob Page, EUS student; the Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell, former Lieutenant Governor of Ontario and public service leader; Taher Assem, Masters student; Caroline John, former Bruce Fellow 2020 and Masters grad EnSciMan; Michael Goffin, Bruce Water Policy Fellow; Tanjot Grewal, Bruce Fellow 2025 and Masters candidate MPPA; and Sima Saadi, Bruce Postdoctoral Fellow in Environment and Water Policy
The Geoffrey F. Bruce Fellowships in Environment and Canadian Freshwater Policy, housed in the School of Public Policy and Democratic Innovation, aims to foster the next generation of water policy researchers and leaders focused on advancing public policy to safeguard the sustainability of Canada’s freshwater resources. Since their establishment in 2017, these Fellowships – funded by donor Erika V. C. Bruce in honour of her late husband Geoffrey Bruce’s legacy of work on environmental and water issues in Canada and internationally – have supported 16 graduate student fellows and one postdoctoral fellow dedicated to environmental and water policy in Canada and globally.
Currently, the fellowship supports two graduate fellows and one postdoctoral fellow, who are all researching various topics related to Canadian freshwater policy. In 2024, the fellowship introduced a distinguished water policy leader as a Water Policy Fellow, Michael Goffin. Goffin, along with Johns, helps connect water policy-related work at TMU to real-world water policy and practice.
On January 10, 2025, Goffin led the hosting of a special Water Policy Cafe seminar to engage in discussions on Canada’s role related to critical global freshwater issues. This hybrid session welcomed the Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell, former Lieutenant Governor of Ontario and a dedicated public service leader whose career has included a focus on water issues in Canada and internationally. Other distinguished guests included Member of Parliament, the Honourable Terry Duguid, former Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and Special Advisor for Water, and the new Minister of Sport and Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada; Gemma Boag, Director General of the Canada Water Agency; and others.
The theme of this special Cafe aimed to explore three critical questions related to Canada’s role in water on the international stage: What are the key global freshwater issues? How can countries work together to address global freshwater issues? What role could Canada play internationally in relation to freshwater?
At the seminar, attendees discussed the historical context of Canada as a major player in several international organizations and water-related agendas and agreements and Canada’s current role on the international water policy stage.
Water stewardship, governance and policy are increasingly becoming central to many issues around the world. Access to freshwater is a critical global issue, with numerous international organizations focused on addressing it, such as the United Nations and their Sustainable Development Goals. With its vast natural water resources, Canada plays a significant role in the global water landscape. The Great Lakes alone account for nearly 20% of the world’s freshwater supply. The formal establishment of the Canada Water Agency in 2024, after three years of work led by Duguid and Goffin, marks a milestone in Canadian water policy. Parliament's ongoing work to modernize the 1970 Canada Water Act (external link) is crucial to addressing emerging challenges. In light of climate change’s growing impact and the geopolitical importance of water, attendees emphasized the need for Canada to reimagine its role as a global leader on freshwater issues.
The discussion focused on the need to strengthen capacity in both national and international forums, with an emphasis on next-generation water leadership. Key points included the importance of the science-policy interface and the potential contributions of Indigenous knowledge and values to global and national conversations on the future of water management. These elements are seen as essential for creating more equitable and sustainable solutions.
As climate change increasingly manifests as a water crisis in many regions, it is clear that water diplomacy will be one of the defining global issues of the 21st century. Dowdeswell and Duguid stressed the need for strong government leadership and encouraged the next generation of water policy leaders, including the Bruce Fellows, to continue tackling global freshwater challenges.
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