There are Canadian minds, too, wondering about whopping profit from selling the public's water...
Economic catastrophe, even wars, will be caused by water shortages. The problem is population growth, farming, resource extraction and heavy industrial use. Also waste: Homeowners in North America water their lawns with drinking water.
Great News for Canada and the U.S.
This plays nicely into Canada's, and America's, hands. Canada has 1% of the world's population and 20% of its water, which includes our half of the Great Lakes. The U.S. has parched, growing areas like the southwest and midwest, but there is plenty of water in its northern tier. But on international markets, water may fetch a hefty price and eventually justify the cost of water pipelines to the coast and water ships.
The commoditization of water has partially happened. "Designer" or bottled water is already more expensive than oil.
http://communities.canada.com/financialpost/blogs/francis/archive/2007/10/24/water-exports-the-new-new-commodity.aspx