Sault Ste. Marie’s pitch to host the new Canada Water Agency was not successful. A tiny few lines in Thursday’s federal budget under the heading Protecting Our Freshwater awarded the new agency to Winnipeg. The 2023 federal budget proposes to inject $85.1 million over five years to support the creation of the Canada Water Agency, “which will be headquartered in Winnipeg.” “By the end of 2023, the government will introduce legislation that will fully establish the Canada Water Agency as a standalone entity,” the document reads. The announcement comes just one week after World Water Day, on March 22. Ward 5 Coun. Corey Gardi, who led the charge to have the agency located here, said he was disappointed.