Around the world, our network of dedicated staff, board members and local partners make our mission possible.

Together, every decision we make ensures our work is efficient, effective, and sustainable, and takes us closer to our goal: making clean water, decent toilets, and good hygiene a normal part of everyday life for everyone, everywhere.

Making change happen on a global scale

WaterAid Canada is part of a global federation alongside six other members: Australia, India, Japan, Sweden, the UK, and the USA. Together, we work with partners around the world, including local governments and WASH sectors, community organizations, and religious lead

26-year-old Imam Muhammad Abdullah performs ablution before Asar prayers at a hand-pump in his home in Muzaffargarh District, Pakistan. March 29, 2022
Image: WaterAid/ Saiyna Bashir

WaterAid Canada Staff

Justin Murgai

CEO

Julie Truelove

Head of Policy and Advocacy

Aneesha Hampton

Head of Communications and Brand

Freya Struthers

Associate Director, Philanthropy

Elise Lapalme

Personal Philanthropy and Stewardship Officer

Blanche Talbot

Donor Services and Data Administrator

Brett Massey

Director, International Programs

Sara Marshall

Business Development Manager

Nicole Dagher

Project Manager

Judy Erskine

Director of Finance and Administration

Lori Lejeune

Project Accountant

Dianne Dowling

Bookkeeper

WaterAid Canada's Board of Directors

Martin Munro (Chair)

Retired

Ashley Meek

Executive Advisor, Office of the Chief Scientist, Alberta Environment and Protected Areas

Carol-Anne Kemp

Principal Consultant & CFO, CAK Consulting Inc

Diana Stephenson

Sr. Vice President, Customer and Corporate Affairs, BC Hydro

Garvey Chui

Director of DEI & OD, Masco Corporation

Indra Prashad

Director, Strategic Planning Economic Policy, Ontario Public Service

John Hinds

President and CEO, News Media Canada

Karin Zabel

Retired

Max Binnie

Lawyer, Department of Justice, Canada

Palash Sanyal

Strategic Partnership and Project Manager, Global Institute of Water Security

Simon Carter

Retired

Sylvain Dufour

Retired

Trent Hoole

Chief of Staff, Financial Services Sector/Finance Technology, TEKsystems

WaterAid Canada's history

In 1987, Michael Lubbock founded the Canadian charity WaterCan/EauVive, because no other organization in Canada focused on access to clean water. Mr. Lubbock recognized that clean water and sanitation are human rights and felt that water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) were under-recognized and underfunded issues in the Canadian international development sector.

WaterCan was established with the mission to bring clean, safe drinking water, basic sanitation, and hygiene education to the world’s least developed communities.

Working with local partners, WaterCan’s programs reached more than one million people, breaking the cycle of poverty and disease and increasing opportunities for health, education, gender equality, and economic growth.

In 2013, WaterCan joined the global WaterAid Federation becoming WaterAid Canada. Since joining WaterAid in 2013, we coordinate activities and make decisions collectively with six other national members of the WaterAid federation: Australia, India, Japan, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States. We bring together our different experiences and expertise to build strong connections and stay focused on our vision of a world where everyone has access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene.

WaterAid's history

We started in 1981, when several UK water companies came together at the Thirsty World Conference. Determined to find a solution to a global crisis that had left billions without water, toilets or hygiene, the idea for WaterAid was born.

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Our annual reports

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