Our Story

Tin Roof Global

Originally called Tin Roof Global, the organization was created in 2009 to bring drinking water to rural schools in Uganda. We trained local volunteers on how to operate and maintain the water and sanitation systems we installed.

Water First began working with First Nations in Canada in 2012, after being challenged on many occasions about why we weren’t working with communities here at home experiencing water challenges.

Our projects with Indigenous communities were small at first, but within a few years accounted for 90% of program resources. In 2016, Tin Roof Global changed its name to Water First Education & Training and changed its mandate to work solely with Indigenous communities in Canada.

Water First focusses on both drinking water and environmental water concerns, as well as water science education for Indigenous youth.

Shawanaga First Nation Baseline Water Quality Study

Our first-ever Canadian initiative, Water First partnered with Shawanaga First Nation for a community-based monitoring project in 2013. At that point, the community had been shipping in drinking water and they were interested in finding a feasible local source. Local youth were hired and received training in water sampling and water chemistry, as well as taught how to understand the data returned from the analysis of the samples.

Unfortunately, the community is still trucking in drinking water today.

Officially Water First

In September 2016, Tin Roof Global Action Inc. officially became Water First Education & Training Inc. Along with the name change, our mandate also changed to focus exclusively on water issues affecting First Nations communities here in Canada.

Our mission is to help address water challenges in Indigenous communities in Canada through education, training and meaningful collaboration.

Indigenous Youth Graduate From Water First Internship Program

Ten Indigenous youth were honoured this morning for successfully completing the Water First Internship Program at a graduation ceremony held on the powwow grounds of Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation.

“We are very proud of the graduates, who have studied and worked hard since early 2017 to obtain certification in drinking water treatment and environmental water quality monitoring,” said Water First executive director John Millar.

“These young women and men have shown incredible passion and commitment to building sustainable water systems in our communities, and today we honour that passion and commitment,” said Kevin Debassige, technical services manager for the United Chiefs and Councils of Mnidoo Mnising (UCCMM).

The Water First Internship provides hands-on training and work experience in water treatment and environmental monitoring to Indigenous youth in their communities, leading to certification as a Water Quality Analyst and Operator-in-Training. These certifications are requirements to sample and test water and to begin to work as a water treatment plant operator.

The Internship was developed in collaboration with UCCMM, Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory and the Union of Ontario Indians, and delivered in seven First Nations on Manitoulin Island.

Wrap up at Kebaowek First Nation

On January 24 people braved the freezing temperatures and gathered at the Eagle Dome at Kebaowek First Nation to celebrate the completion of the Walleye Habitat Restoration project, a partnership between Kebaowek First Nation and Water First.

Throughout the two-year project, three large walleye spawning shoals were constructed at restoration sites identified in consultation with the community elders, restoration biologist and Water First staff.

We would like to thank the community for their support throughout the project and the interns for their dedication and hard work to make this such a successful fish habitat restoration project.

Below are the before and after pictures of one of the spawning shoals.

Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikimach

In July of 2019, Water First and Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach, located in northern Quebec near the border of Labrador, started a collaboration on a new environmental project.

This three-year project includes both a contaminant study to establish baseline mercury and heavy metals concentrations in the soil, water, and traditionally harvested fish, and a community-based fish habitat restoration and education project in the Caniapiscau River watershed. Three local young adults were hired as interns for the project — Lawrence Mameanskum, Wayne Nattawappio, and Kabimbetas Mokoush — and have so far received hands-on training for water quality analysis, fish & soil sampling, fish biology, fish population assessment, and fish habitat restoration.

In June, the interns and Water First staff started the contaminant study, completing the sampling on Lac Vacher and the Iron Arm portion of Attikamagen Lake. In July, five large brook trout spawning shoals were constructed on Little Barry Lake. The sites were chosen through consultation with community elders, a restoration biologist, and Water First staff. In August, consulting biologist Richard Rowe of FRi Ecological Services joined the interns and Water First staff to perform a lake trout population assessment on the Iron Arm portion of Attikamagen Lake.

Empowering Indigenous youth to develop a passion for water science

Over the past number of months, Water First has been creating a new school-aged youth education pilot project, Growing Roots. Through this project, Water First is partnering with different communities to expand our youth water science education programming to maximize the involvement of Indigenous youth, leading to long-term environmental action and stewardship.

In early October, we convened The Indigenous Community and Youth Advisory Council, comprised of community elders, youth, educators, and lands and resources department staff. The conversations were rich in knowledge and recommendations moving forward.

Water First worked with Christian Island Elementary school to deliver both indoor and outdoor water science workshops to every class. Students engaged in STEM-based learning activities such as biodiversity while observing local aquatic wildlife and plants. Students developing a passion for water science will help to end the disparity of Indigenous representation in the STEM fields.

Click on the presentation below to see more about the pilot project.

The most exciting part of our visit was working with students to plan an environmental restoration or conservation action. The students are now taking what they have learned to develop a plan for watershed restoration/conservation action within their community.

Water First is launching our Growing Roots pilot in two other First Nations communities in Ontario and Manitoba in the spring of 2020, along with our second trip back to Chimnissing to support the students implementing their projects.