Ontario’s Water Policy Reform Examined through a Groundwater Lens: An Analysis of Provincial Policy Measures and Newspaper Media Framing Around Groundwater 2000- 2019

Groundwater is often neglected in water resources governance and management initiatives which is due in part to groundwater’s rural and out of sight nature. In Ontario, 20 years ago, the Walkerton tragedy served as a wake-up call to address the lack of knowledge and long-term health of water resources in the province. This focusing event caused a punctuated equilibrium in the policy arena of Ontario allowing for significant water policy reform in the province. This paper argues that despite Ontario leading in many aspects of water governance, groundwater still faces governance and public awareness challenges in the province. In this two-phase study, a longitudinal content analysis of provincial legislative initiatives and newspaper media framing on groundwater are undertaken through the period of May 2000 to June 2019. Results show that Ontario’s groundwater initiatives have focused on the criteria of land-use control on potentially polluting activities, groundwater based urban/industrial planning, and public participation in groundwater management. Newspaper media across the province employ predominantly neutral framing of issues around groundwater and a varying mix of both thematic and episodic framing elements are found. Provincial leadership towards groundwater initiatives and a wide-ranging strategy around groundwater policy and communications to elevate consciousness around the resource are recommended.