Quarterly Newsletter
Summer 2019
The latest news and updates on our programs.
National Indigenous History Month
In June, we celebrate National Indigenous History Month to recognize and celebrate the unique heritage, diverse cultures and outstanding contributions of First Nation, Inuit and Métis peoples. It is also a time to recognize Canada’s colonial history, and the contemporary issues and realities facing Indigenous peoples. One of the issues is a lack of access to safe drinking water for many communities, as well as environmental water challenges.
Internship program profiled by RBC
Supported in part by RBC Future Launch, the inaugural internship program was a great success! The graduates came away with skills and knowledge they now apply in their communities.
To help promote the program, RBC has recently published an article on their Discover & Learn website.
Quinte Mohawk students become water stewards
This past May, students from Quinte Mohawk School became stewards of the water. Students from multiple grades learned how to analyze the water quality of their school’s onsite wetland with Water First staff.
After the workshop, the students’ water quality data was added to an interactive map hosted by an organization called Water Rangers. You can see the students’ findings here.
After a few days of rain, the sky cleared on the final day for the tree planting. Despite some wet feet, students in the EarthCare Team planted approximately 300 trees in the community! They planted at the local sports complex, along a ditch, and at the school’s wetland. The trees will grow to provide shade for children at the park and reduce flooding at the edge of a field. The trees’ roots will also help to prevent erosion of soil into waterways.
Internship program wins 2019 Water's Next award
Each year, Water Canada recognizes and celebrates the achievement of people, projects, and technology that address and improve water issues in Canada through the Water’s Next Award.
Join us to mark National Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21
Join us to mark National Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21
Stop by the Bank Café on Friday, June 21st to hear how First Nations and Water First work together to address community water challenges with education and training programs that integrate Indigenous values and traditions. Some reflections on reconciliation will be discussed at 6:30 pm.
This will be an outdoor, family-friendly event with interactive kids’ activities.
The Water First Internship was one of the finalists for the 2019 Water’s Next Award in the category of Projects and Technology – Drinking Water, which is one of 13 categories of awards issued.
The winners were announced at a gala evening celebration held in Collingwood, ON, on May 30, 2019, where the Water First team proudly accepted the 2019 Water Next’s Award on behalf of the Internship project partners.
You can read more about the awards program and the 2019 winners here.
