Quarterly Newsletter

Keep up to date with our programming activities.

Fall 2023

October 20th, 2023

Quarterly Newsletter

The latest news and updates on our programs.

Graduation Day! 🎓

Celebrating the next generation of Indigenous water treatment plant operators

Graduation often marks the end of a journey. For the Indigenous youth and community members of Mamaweswen, The North Shore Tribal Council, who recently completed their Drinking Water Internship Program, graduation is just the beginning.

In late September Mamaweswen and Water First celebrated 11 interns on their graduation from the 15-month Drinking Water Internship Program. The Internship includes a paid training program where interns obtain entry-level certifications required to begin careers in water treatment. Sustainable access to safe, clean water in Indigenous communities in Canada continues to be a critical issue, and as qualified, local personnel, graduates bring technical skills and capacity to communities to ensure access to safe, clean drinking water for the long term.

Following graduation, interns join the Water First Alumni Network to stay engaged, build local networks and access opportunities for ongoing professional development and peer support.

“In the last 15 months, here with Water First, I’ve seen that we don’t have to look too far for inspiration and that we each have the potential to make that inspiring contribution to others. When you leave here today, celebrate what you’ve accomplished, but look forward with an eye towards how you too can be that inspiration to others.”

Nigel Debassige, Valedictorian
Atikameksheng Anishnawbek

The North Shore Tribal Council Drinking Water Internship Program began in June 2022 and marks Water First’s fourth successful Drinking Water Internship Program completed to date. The program was funded through the North Shore Tribal Council member First Nations employment and training program, together with the support of Water First donors.

Water First has collaborated with 37 First Nations communities through the Drinking Water Internship Program. Interns have worked approximately 98,000 hours in their local water plant, and 46 interns have successfully graduated from the program. A fifth internship program is underway with Ogemawahj Tribal Council, and Manitoba’s first internship program is soon to be launched.

Over the course of the North Shore Tribal Council Drinking Water Internship Program, each intern accumulated 1,800 hours of on-the-job experience in water treatment plants, which is part of the water operator in training (OIT) certification process. Interns pursued additional water operator certification exams, including water quality analyst and technical training like GIS and water sampling, leading to jobs in water treatment and in the environmental water field.

In Canada, 14% of First Nations communities are affected by a drinking water advisory; in Ontario, it’s 25%. The challenges are complex and layered. Communities may face issues relating to infrastructure, source water quality, or having enough trained people to manage water systems – or more than one of these issues at a time. Water First works with Indigenous communities that have identified education and training as part of their solution to the water crisis. Safe water needs skilled people. Learn more at www.waterfirst.ngo.

“Clean, safe, potable drinking water is a fundamental need in our communities. The success of this program has enhanced our community’s capacity to meet future demand. Congratulations to our Interns who worked hard to achieve their certifications in the water industry. We are proud of your accomplishments.”

Allan Moffatt, CEO
Mamaweswen, The North Shore Tribal Council

Up and Running 🏃🏽‍♂️

Our 5th Internship Program is well underway

The latest Internship Program, a partnership with Ogemawahj Tribal Council, was launched in June 2023, with 7 interns from 5 communities beginning their journeys to becoming water treatment plant operators. After gathering in Rama First Nation to complete the first of many in-person training workshops together over the course of the program, the group is now in full swing. The group has also already gathered for a week to explore the importance of mapping and GIS and to prepare for and write their Operator in Training and small systems exams. Next, the group will gather in early November to prepare for and write their Entry Level Course exam.

Save the date: November 30th! 🗓

Get ready for our next virtual event

Interested in hearing from participants in the Drinking Water Internship Program? Mark your calendar for Safe Water Needs Skilled People! Join us on November 30th at 12:00-1:30 PM ET (9:00 AM PT, 10:00 AM MT, 11:00 AM CT, 1:00 PM AT, 1:30 PM NFLD) for an opportunity to hear impactful stories from Water First staff, interns and graduates of our programs and from our Indigenous Advisory Council. Click the button below to RSVP.

Summer Success Stories ☀️

Earning high school credits through experiential learning

Earning high school credits is a priority for Water First and our students. We make this happen in our Summer Credit Program by emphasizing learning in a relevant and meaningful way. Integrating learning on local lands with guidance and teachings from Elders and Knowledge Keepers, water organizations and community programs, translates to buy-in from students, a love of learning, and ultimately success.

This Summer Credit Program, co-delivered by certified educators at Water First along with plenty of community collaborators, is a multi-week education program for youth in school in Indigenous communities. By participating in the land-based, experiential learning program, which is full of fun, hands-on water science activities and collaborations, students gain a Geography or Environmental Science high school credit! Students gain credits towards high school graduation in a way that meets their needs, allowing them to continue in their learning journey. Hands-on, experiential learning is prioritized as an alternative to mainstream teaching methods.

For the third year in a row, the program was delivered this summer with students from Beausoleil First Nation on Christian Island, as well as a second year of programming with students from Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation and Saugeen First Nation on the Bruce Peninsula, and new this year, the Schools team worked with students from Sheshegwaning First Nation on Manitoulin Island.

Water First awarded 33 high school credits as a result of this summer’s credit program!

We’re excited to announce that communities continue to show interest in our summer programs, and we are exploring additional programs with partners. Stay tuned for future updates.

“During this week, some students told me they struggle to focus when sitting at a desk all day and often get removed from their school classrooms for being too disruptive. Yet these students were some of the most engaged and inquisitive participants in this outdoor experiential learning program.

I ended the week with a quiet realization that we were helping students, who simply may not fit into the mold of a traditional classroom, be successful and achieve their goals.”

Caleb Girard, reflecting on his time with students from Saugeen First Nation and Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation

Our 3rd year of partnering on a Summer Credit Program with Beausoleil First Nation

2 years of partnering with students from Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation and Saugeen First Nation

New this year: a Summer Credit Program delivered to students from Sheshegwaning First Nation

Meet Aiden 👋🏼

Aiden began his journey with Water First as a student in a week-long school program back in 2019. Since then Aiden has participated in four Water First school workshops and Water First’s Summer Credit Program. In addition to learning the ins and outs of water sampling and tackling the local phragmites problem Aiden enjoyed the plethora of outdoor activities, like kayaking, which are integral parts to Water First Programming.

This past summer Aiden joined Water first once again but this time as an assistant! Thank you Aiden for all your valuable help over the past few months assisting with in-school workshops and all of our outdoor learning.

Better Together 🌊

Deeper relationships lead to greater impact

At Water First, there’s no better feeling than getting invited back to a community to collaborate on a new project. For Water First, the most successful projects springboard into enhanced partnerships and deeper relationships. When Cory Girard, Project Manager for environmental water at Water First, returned to Brunswick House First Nation (BHFN) in early July 2023, she experienced this feeling firsthand.

Brunswick House First Nation is located about 150 kilometres northeast of Sault Ste. Marie. Girard has visited the community three times over the past year to train BHFN staff on the technical aspects of their climate change monitoring program, by tracking the effects of climate change on the waters and plants most heavily relied on by the community. After a successful field season in 2022, Water First was asked to return for training on a new-and-improved climate change monitoring program.

Read more about the inspiring journey of Santana, Shawn, Paradise and the growing BHFN team, who have worked tirelessly over the past year to enhance their climate change monitoring program, highlighting the connections of cultural activities like water ceremonies and careful observation of plants, animals and water sources to climate action.

“My goal for this project is to create climate change awareness in the community and document the long-term effects of climate change. I would like to see the Mountbatten Climate Change Project continue to strive for years to come.

Climate change means to me that Mother Earth is in pain, and she needs more people to protect the water, the trees, the ground and everything in between.”

Santana Vanbuskirk, Environmental Water Program Intern
Brunswick House First Nation

Participants from Brunswick House First Nation collecting water samples

Park Lake, Labrador 🎣

Restoration for the future

After acquiring an old fishing lodge on Park Lake, Sheshatshiu Innu First Nation (SIFN) in central Labrador is embarking on a 10-year journey to clean up and improve the lodge site to run a 100% Innu-owned and operated tourism lodge, just south of Akami-Uapishkᵁ-KakKasuak-Mealy Mountains National Park Reserve. In 2021, Water First began working with SIFN to develop a long-term fish habitat monitoring and fish habitat restoration program for Park Lake.

For the second time in 2023, members from the Environmental Water team returned to beautiful Park Lake in June, spending two weeks out on the water trapping fish with Fyke nets for assessment. The team also continued the water quality monitoring work that has been conducted over the past two years.

The team visited once more in September, working with Elders, looking at habitats for fish species like brook trout and salmon, going over data management techniques and getting the opportunity to collaborate with local Knowledge Keepers on the continuation of the project.

Charity Intelligence ⭐️

Water First Gets 5 Stars

Water First has been rated a 100 charity in Canada and was given 5 stars by Charity Intelligence, an organization that conducts assessments of charitable organizations to promote transparency and accountability with a focus on results. Charitable Intelligence’s rating is based on financial transparency, results reporting, demonstrated impact, need for funding, and cents to the cause.

Fall greetings from Water First!

From all of us, thank you for being a supporter and champion of Water First’s mission.

Summer 2023

July 7th, 2023

Quarterly Newsletter

The latest news and updates on our programs.

New Drinking Water Internship collaboration with Ogemawahj Tribal Council

We have some exciting news! Last month, Water First proudly launched our fifth Drinking Water Internship Program, in partnership with Ogemawahj Tribal Council.

In the first week of the program, the seven interns gathered in Rama First Nation to begin their journey to becoming certified water treatment operators. The week started out with the interns learning about and participating in a water ceremony, and then they dove right into learning about watersheds, water sources, pollutants and contaminants. ⁠One highlight of the first week was a tour of the Rama First Nation water distribution system and the drinking water treatment plant with Chad McRae, the Overall Responsible Operator.

This is just the start of the 15-month internship, and there is a lot of learning to come. Watch for updates as we go!

Newest group of drinking water interns outside.

One highlight of the first week was a tour of the Rama First Nation water distribution system and the drinking water treatment plant. Chad McRae, the Overall Responsible Operator, took the interns on a tour of the distribution system where they got to see the inside of a water tower.

Adaptability in action

Water First has been partnering with Sagamok Anishnawbek First Nation over the past few years on water science programs, and we’re continuing to build a strong relationship. Our visit to the community in June was going to be a major milestone: for the first time in our history, all three Water First program areas – the Schools Program, the Environmental Water program, and the Drinking Water program – were set to be happening in the same community at the same time. What an incredible opportunity for collaboration and inspiration!

Mason Prout, Water First’s Communications & Development Specialist, made the trip to Sagamok Anishnawbek to help the Schools program deliver water science workshops at the local school. Little did Mason know that things wouldn’t exactly go according to plan…and that he would get to witness the amazing adaptability of his Water First colleagues and the people in the community.

Building skills, confidence, and connection with Remote First Aid training

The Water First Environmental Water team spends a lot of their time in remote settings without cell service or easy access to deliver water science projects and training. To make sure they are prepared for an emergency, the team gathered at Mansfield Outdoor Centre in Mulmur, Ontario to take the Canadian Red Cross Remote First Aid course.

The team spent two days together learning essential life-saving skills and practicing first aid techniques – from using an AED and administering CPR, to transporting injured people and treating conditions like heat stroke and hypothermia. Not only did the training enhance the team’s ability to respond in an emergency situation, it also instilled a sense of confidence in everyone’s own capabilities.

Most Water First staff work remotely, so in-person gatherings like this give everyone a chance to connect. Beth Wright, Technical Trainer & Communications Coordinator, embraced the chance to get to know her colleagues better. As she says, “When people feel comfortable and connected, they’re more likely to share ideas, express concerns, and collaborate smoothly.”

National Indigenous History Month and Pride Month:
A celebration of history and diversity

In June, Water First joined people across Canada and the globe to celebrate National Indigenous History Month and Pride Month.

As an organization dedicated to working with Indigenous communities in Canada to address the water crisis through education and training, we decided to showcase our ongoing journey to learn about Indigenous histories and diverse perspectives all month long.

We also celebrated the Indigenous youth and young adults who participate in our programs, community partners, Knowledge Holders, educators, water scientists, and everyone else we engage with in support of safe water.

With Pride, we wanted to show our respect and care for people in the Two-Spirit and LGBTQIA+ community – whether they are on our staff, in the communities we partner with, or part of the network of friends and champions who support our work.

Are you on a learning journey too? Check out some of the resources we’ve pulled together. We are always adding to this list. If you have a resource to share with us, please let us know!

Schools Program making new connections across Canada

Fort Chipewyan
Alberta

Délı̨nę First Nation
Northwest Territories

Kuujjuaq Inuit Community
Quebec

Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation)
British Columbia

Kangirsuk Inuit Village
Quebec

Boston Bar First Nation
British Columbia

Water First recognized with Water Canada Downstream Award

Water First was the recipient of the 2023 Water Canada Downstream Award at the annual Canadian Water Summit in Ottawa! ⁠This award recognizes a program or project that is driving greater diversity in the water sector and addressing the skills shortage.⁠

Keegan Smith, a Project Manager at Water First, was on hand to accept the award and say a few words.

“The Indigenous communities we work with are strengthening their capacity to manage and protect their waters for generations to come. Water First are honoured to be helpers in this mission. We’re grateful to be recognized for our work through the Downstream Award. Not only does this reflect the hard work and dedication of our staff, it also reflects the hard work and dedication of the Indigenous youth and young adults in our programs.”

Summer greetings from Water First!

It took a lot of coordination, but we managed to gather almost the entire Water First team together in person for an in-depth Indigenous education training session in Nottawa, ON.

From all of us, thank you for being a supporter and champion of Water’s First mission. Best wishes for a wonderful summer!

Spring 2023

May 8th, 2023

Quarterly Newsletter

The latest news and updates on our programs.

Celebrating the next generation of water scientists: World Water Day 2023

World Water Day is recognized every year on March 22. It’s a meaningful day for Water First, because it gives us a chance to raise awareness of the water crisis that too many Indigenous communities in Canada are facing. It’s also an opportunity to celebrate some amazing individuals who are striving to make a change – the Indigenous youth and young adults in the water science field, whether they are training for or have already started their careers.

For World Water Day 2023, we acknowledged the vital role that each person plays in addressing the water crisis. Every day, people contribute their unique skills, knowledge and passion to providing safe, clean water in their communities. Each person’s contribution is important: testing pH levels and monitoring water quality, studying fish populations in a local lake, learning about water science concepts in school, or sharing Traditional Knowledge about land and water management. Education and training, like the Drinking Water Internship Program offered by Water First, help to build the skills and confidence needed to do all these tasks.

Safe water needs skilled people. People like Isaiah, who is a Drinking Water Internship graduate. As part of his job at the local water treatment plant, he uses his skills to monitor water quality and flow levels. Check out this video of Isaiah, where he talks about how important it is to take care of water for future generations.

This year we also recognized the second annual National Indigenous Water Operator Day on March 21. This awareness day was created by Water Movement, a Canadian not-for-profit that aims to bridge the connections between Indigenous water operators.

So many Water First supporters joined us on World Water Day, either by sharing our messages on social media or donating to help us continue our work. Thank you to everyone who helped to make a difference.

Diving Into Water Quality Analysis: A WQA Workshop Recap

A Water Quality Analyst (WQA) plays a critical role in testing water quality in a water system and ensuring the water is safe. For participants in Water First’s Drinking Water Internship Program, working towards WQA certification is a major milestone on the path to a career in water science. The two-week WQA Workshop, hosted and facilitated by members of the Water First team, gives the interns a deep dive into this critical aspect of water safety.

Following an opening ceremony from Elder Don Syrtte from Batchewana (Rankin) First Nation, the interns spent the first week exploring the fundamentals of water quality analysis through theory and hands-on activities. Throughout the week, participants had the chance to review all they had learned and explore areas where they needed more clarity. The second week was a mix of intense studying, fun games, and a final exam that put everyone to the test. The interns had their eyes set on passing the Water Quality Analyst exam, and they pulled out all the stops to make it happen.

The best part of these two intense weeks? 87% of the interns passed the exam! This marks the highest pass rate to date since the start of the WQA workshops, which was a testament to the hard work and dedication of both the facilitators and interns.

Overall, the WQA Workshop was a resounding success, with the interns gaining valuable knowledge and skills, while having fun and building connections with their peers. It was a critical milestone on their path to a career in water science and will undoubtedly serve them well in their future endeavours.

Read a recap of everything the interns learned during the WQA workshops in this blog post here.

Schools Program gets a warm welcome in the North

Water First’s Schools Program is grateful to be invited to facilitate water science learning with school-aged Indigenous youth in communities across Canada. The team recently visited communities and schools in the north – specifically in Northwest Territories and in the Nunavik region of Quebec. The weather may have been cold, but the welcome we had was anything but! From delivering fish-themed programming in Deline to inspiring water-based science fair projects in Kuujjuaq, the team was thrilled to make genuine connections and life-long memories.

In early August, our Schools Program was honoured to join the Délı̨nę Got'ine Government's 5th Annual Sadǝ́ Camp.

Northwest territories

Last August, Water First marked our first-ever trip to the Northwest Territories. Our Schools Program was honoured to join the Délı̨nę Got’ine Government’s 5th Annual Sadǝ́ Camp. Working with students aged 6-13, Water First team members Catherine and Ter delivered a fun week-long water and fish-themed program that focused on learning about Great Bear Lake.⁠

The program focused on using water science tools to learn about water testing and exploring how the watershed connects to the Arctic Ocean. Participants also went out on a boat to learn traditional methods of fish pulling, learned how to clean and smoke fish, and made art using deer hides.

Our second visit to the Northwest Territories was this spring. In late March, Water First’s Schools Program returned to Délı̨nę, this time to work with students at Ɂehtseo Ayha School. During the visit, we worked with each grade from K-12 and focused on understanding the parameters that make their lake, Great Bear Lake (Sahtu), perfect for Lake Trout (Sabah). We also learned a fun fact: Great Bear Lake holds the world record for the largest Lake Trout caught by rod and reel!

After testing different water samples in the classroom using various tools, grades 6-12 brought the water science equipment out on the lake with the help of the school’s on-the-land coordinator, George. George set everyone up with some holes to take water samples – and also to do a bit of ice fishing. Together, the group looked at a range of parameters: pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, TDS and conductivity.

The community’s language, Dene Kede, was also a main focus throughout our visit, as the school was wrapping up their Language Celebration Month. Catherine says, “When Language Celebration Month was brought to our attention, we had conversations with the language teacher about some initiatives and strategies the community is doing for language and cultural sharing amongst the youth population. They shared that they are making positive strides towards growing their traditional language with youth and piloting a kindergarten immersion program.”

Nunavik

Water First also had the opportunity to venture into the Nunavik region of northern Quebec. In January, Adrianna and Dillon from Water First’s School Program visited the Inuit villages of Kangirsuk and Kuujjuaq on two separate trips.

The temperatures may have been chilly, but we got a warm welcome from each community. In Kangirsuk, the team hosted workshops for students in grades 3-5, which are designed to inspire students to take an interest in water science. They also had the opportunity to use the workshops as a jumping-off point for high school science fair projects focused on water.

In the next visit, to the village of Kuujjuaq, the team spent time out in the community with grade 7 students on a field trip to the local lake and a tour of the water treatment plant. These experiences helped students make connections between the quality of the water in the lake and the water treatment process.

The Nunuavik trips were full of special moments and meaningful connections. Read Adrianna’s blog post to get the full story.

Long-term connections for sustainable outcomes

A fundamental aspect to Water First’s work is striving for lasting results – which means sustainable outcomes to projects, with benefits remaining within Indigenous communities for the long term. That’s why our focus is on education that supports a community’s long-term goals. Safe water needs skilled people, now and into the future.

This approach is clearly evident in our Environmental Water Program. Environmental projects take a long view. When it comes to fish habitat restoration or climate change monitoring, it can take months, years, or even longer to see noticeable positive change.

So when a community reaches out to us for support in implementing a project or training strategy, we know it’s the start of a long-term relationship. And we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach

The collaboration we’ve had with the Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach (NNK) in northern Quebec is a beautiful illustration of this approach. Our work together started in 2018, and led to the completion of three projects in support of lake health in the region. We’re planning ways to celebrate this relationship, so watch for more stories to come.

The partnership with Water First has allowed us to learn about the health of our lakes and fish on our traditional land. This knowledge will allow us to monitor and protect our resources for future generations.

David Swappie
Counselor, Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach

In preparation for the summer fish habitat assessment project, newly hired interns and previous partners spent time becoming familiar with various water quality monitoring tools and equipment.

Noah and Cheyenne Swappie, both past interns, took on a leadership role with the newly hired interns and demonstrated use of the tools and equipment for the group. In this photo, they’re showing the group how to use a YSI Meter that tests for dissolved oxygen, temperature and pH.

Noah Mokoush has worked with Water First for many years. During the training, he was able to share his knowledge of water science tools and equipment with the other participants.

In addition to participating in the environmental water project this summer, Noah visited the local school to work with our Indigenous Schools Water Program on fun, hands-on water science programming. Being from the community, Noah was able to chat with the students in Naskapi, the local language. Keegan, one of our technical trainers, noted that the students seemed to be more engaged in what was being taught when Noah explained the concepts to them in Naskapi.

Sheshatshiu Innu Nation

Water First’s work with Sheshatshiu Innu First Nation (SIFN) is another example of a relationship with longevity. One of the benefits of this long-term collaboration is the opportunity for field work at different points in the year. Last summer, Water First staff traveled to Park Lake, Labrador to work with SIFN on projects to support strengthened capacity for fisheries management. And then in February, the team visited Park Lake again for a winter water monitoring workshop. We look forward to more visits in the future!

The Sound of Water: Jacob’s Journey to Water First

Jacob Vickery is Water First’s Communications Assistant. Since he joined the team early in 2023, Jacob has contributed his unique creative talents and collaborated with other team members on a number of projects. In this blog post, Jacob reflects on the role that music played in his path to Water First.

Jacob’s film-making skills have also been in the spotlight. In late April, his short film, Infinity, premiered at the Canadian Roots Exchange‘s (CRE) National Gathering in Banff. You can watch the film here.

Winter 2023

January 25th, 2023

Quarterly Newsletter

The latest news and updates on our programs.

From Connection to Community – My Path to Water First

Sometimes, the most rewarding relationships emerge from unexpected connections. Take this story from Jacey Bonertz, a Technical Trainer & Project Coordinator with Water First. Jacey talks about how a connection with an Indigenous-owned business led her to work with Water First, and how she’s able to do meaningful work that gives back. And it all started with a chance encounter on Instagram.

“The story of my path to Water First highlights how good things happen when you support people doing meaningful work in the world.”

Jacey Bonertz, Technical Trainer & Project Coordinator

Celebrating International Day of Education

January 24, 2023 was the fifth annual UNESCO International Day of Education. This year’s theme was “to invest in people, prioritize education.” Education is the cornerstone of all Water First programs. To acknowledge this important day, we shared a few words from our staff about what education means to them. Hear their thoughts – and get a glimpse of their not-so-serious sides! – in the video here.

Drinking Water Interns share their experience at the #MuchMoreThanWater virtual event

Last November, Water First hosted a virtual event to give attendees the chance to learn more about the Drinking Water Internship and how it has grown over the years. The theme of the event was #MuchMoreThanWater, which highlights the fact that Water First programs start with water, but they lead to so much more.

The event was hosted by Krysta Wordock, a Technical Trainer & Project Coordinator with Water First, and featured Kendra Driscoll, our Internship Development Manager. But the true stars of the show were Austin (a current intern with the North Shore Tribal Council program) and Bella (a recent internship graduate). Austin and Bella shared their experiences during and after the internship, and what the program meant to them. It was an inspirational and uplifting event.

Didn’t get to attend the event live? You can watch a condensed 20-minute video of the highlights here, or watch a recording of the full event here!

“Every single thing that we did was somehow wrapped into our culture. We always had a welcoming ceremony for each prep course. When we got together it was always very traditional, talking about our ways, the ways of the land. Building that group together for 15 months was an incredible experience.”

Bella McLeod
Nipissing First Nation

“I feel really grateful to be part of this Internship Program, and the knowledge that has been shared with me, the vibes that I get from it, the people that I meet – I cannot express it enough. It’s been amazing, and it’s given me a new outlook on everything, especially with water.”

Austin Waboose
Batchewana First Nation

Water First Schools Program makes their first trip to the west coast

Our Schools Program team recently made their first trip to the west coast to deliver water science workshops for two communities, at Boston Bar School and Xwemelch’stn School. The trip flew by, but we’re already planning to return to British Columbia in May for more school programs. We’re looking forward to working with students who will spend time learning about the local watershed, participating in outdoor activities, and testing different field equipment for themselves.⁠

Putting the spotlight on land-based education on APTN

Dillon Koopmans, Water First’s Senior Manager of Indigenous School Engagement, was recently interviewed by Darrell Stranger, host of InFocus on APTN News, for a segment highlighting the importance of land-based (and water-based!) education.

“There’s no comparison to learning on the land and from the land. There are certain things that just can’t be taught in a classroom.”

Exploring water science concepts in Kenora, Ontario

Water First’s Schools Program recently completed a week-long workshop in Kenora, Ontario, where we visited Gaagagekiizhik School to deliver water science lessons to students from kindergarten all the way up to high school.

The students got to spend their time outdoors and in the classroom, completing activities designed to give them a deeper understanding of key water science concepts. The trip also featured a number of special moments and integrated important cultural components.

It was an incredible week of learning. Students had fun and went home every day with a greater understanding of how their watershed works.

Nadia George, an actor, activist and Water First ambassador, joined the team in Kenora to experience the workshop first hand. Nadia got to engage with the students and spend time with the Water First team during the trip.

“I will forever be grateful for these moments as they will continue to inform my path as an advocate for environmental justice and clean water equity,” said Nadia. Check out some of her photos from the trip in this post on Instagram.

Coming soon: Paige

Paige, a new short film from Water First and Untold Storytelling, follows the story of Paige Manitowabi, a Water Walker from Manitoulin Island. Paige learned Traditional Knowledge and teachings from her mother and coupled this with training in western science. Since graduating from the Water First Drinking Water Internship in 2018, she has used this knowledge to inspire Indigenous youth to be water protectors.

Watch a preview of the film here.

Fall 2022

October 24th, 2022

Quarterly Newsletter

The latest news and updates on our programs.

Celebrating the graduates of the Georgian Bay Drinking Water Internship

On September 23, 2022, community and family members, Water First staff and other supporters joined together to celebrate the next generation of Indigenous water treatment plant operators as they graduated from the Drinking Water Internship Program. This program, a partnership with Waabnoong Bemjiwang Association of First Nations, Gezhtoojig Employment & Training Anishinabek Nation and Water First, launched in June 2021 in the Georgian Bay area of Ontario.

During the 15-month internship program, each intern accumulated 1,800 hours of on-the-job experience in water treatment plants, which is a part of the water operator in training (OIT) certification process. Interns also pursued additional water operator certification exams including water quality analyst and the entry-level course for drinking water operators, as well as environmental relevant training like GIS and water sampling which can lead to work in both drinking water treatment and the environmental water field. Following graduation, interns join the Water First Alumni Network to stay engaged, build local networks and access opportunities for ongoing professional development and peer support.

Highlights from Graduation Day

Each and every one of the 14 graduates displayed incredible dedication and skill throughout the course of their internship. After weeks of hands-on instruction in treatment plants, or in the environment learning monitoring and sampling techniques, there is no doubt that these impressive young adults will do great things for their communities. Congratulations graduates!

Learning on the land: Enviro Week at Elliot Lake

This September, interns in the North Shore Tribal Council Drinking Water Internship got to enjoy Enviro Week, a fun, experiential and active week that’s all about spending time together out on the land, exploring and learning about lakes, rivers and streams. Held at Elliott Lake, Enviro Week gives interns a chance to get familiar with environmental water testing tools, learn about recording the data, and discuss what it all means from a water quality perspective. It also gives interns a chance to see career paths beyond water treatment and reinforces a connection to water.

Shoal improvements to support walleye spawning

Earlier this fall, Nathalie Mathias, Long Point First Nation (LPFN) Fish Habitat Restoration Coordinator, and her daughter, Kayla Mathias, worked on a project with Water First to enhance three walleye spawning shoals in the LPFN area. At one location near a dam on Lac Simard, Nathalie and Kayla moved well over 10 metric tonnes of rock three times – from the source pit to the truck, then to the dam site, and finally to lay the shoal.

In total, three shoals were enhanced and restored as part of the project, making up about 90 m² of optimal walleye spawning habitat. Walleye (also known as pickerel) are an important part of the biodiversity in local waters, and shoal enhancement projects like this help to strengthen their populations. In addition, communities that partner with Water First on projects like this build up their capacity to monitor fish habitats and other markers of water health into the future.

In the spring, Water First staff will return to the site to do some monitoring to spot spawning fish, make a presentation about the project to the community and install a commemorative sign.

Students gain high school credits through summertime learning

In late August 2022, our Schools Program team wrapped up its second year of delivering the Summer Credit Program. Students took part in a multi-week, land-based, experiential learning program full of fun, hands-on water science activities through which participants can earn high school credits like Geography or Science.

The program was delivered in Beausoleil First Nation last year and again this summer, and for the first time with students from Saugeen First Nation and Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation, based out of Cape Croker Park in Nawash.

While the main objective is for students to earn high school credits, Water First delivers the program in a way that deeply integrates Indigenous culture: learning on the land, working with water and fish, and learning from Elders, Knowledge Keepers, local lands and waters organizations and community programs. The programs are project-based, so students can take pride in contributing to their community’s growth. Students also gain foundational knowledge to prepare for jobs, careers or other opportunities in water.

In this blog post, Tanya from the Schools Program shares her experience of the three-week Summer Credit Program at Cape Croker Park in the community of Nawash, a partnership with the Bruce-Grey Catholic District School Board.

Partnerships in Action: Our 2022 Annual Report

Water First works to support Indigenous communities in addressing local water challenges to ensure safe, clean water for the long term. And it’s only through meaningful partnerships that this work is possible – partnerships with communities, donors, funders, staff and other organizations and individuals who share our goals. In our latest Annual Report, we acknowledge and celebrate those partnerships. We invite you to enjoy some highlights of all that we have achieved together over the past year.

Read inspiring stories from the next generation of water scientists in the 2022 Annual Report.

Your input means a lot!

As a friend of Water First, please consider responding to this quick survey about how Water First communicates and shares information. It should take you less than five minutes to complete. Thank you in advance for your time!

Want more highlights of our programs and adventures?

Summer 2022

June 28th, 2022

Quarterly Newsletter

The latest news and updates on our programs.

Water Walk with Wasauksing First Nation

The Schools Program team was in Wasauksing First Nation a few weeks ago, working with students from Wasauksing Kinomaugewgamik. The school runs a Water Week each spring to close out a year spent learning about the water. Coordinating alongside school staff members Melanie Dolson (Grade 3/4 teacher) and Deina Bomberry (Language/Cultural teacher and Local Water Walker), Water First was invited to run programming during this week-long event.

We were honoured to participate in the community’s 10th Water Walk, community feast, and art exhibit run by Deina Bomberry. A school Eagle Staff was created by incorporating the youths’ ideas as a symbol of the community, which was presented through a ceremony of drum and song, and concluded with passing the Staff to the oldest and youngest students in the community. The event was featured in the local newspaper.

Our ‘What’s in Your Water’ program had students exploring Wasauksing First Nation’s connection with their watershed, learning about spawning shoals and invasive species, going on field trips to the Aqua-Cage Fisheries (fish farm), and collecting and analyzing water monitoring samples. So fun!

Isaiah Tabobondung (a previous student of Wasauksing Kinomaugewgamik and current Water First Drinking Water Intern) visited and shared with the students about his experiences and current work. He also brought in some tools to demonstrate water testing. It’s so inspiring when a participant from the Internship brings their enthusiasm to the students!

North Shore Tribal Council Internship Gears Up

As the Georgian Bay Internship cohort enters the tail-end of their program, the North Shore Tribal Council (NSTC) Water First Internship cohort is being recruited. Starting this spring, we met with community representatives and each community’s water treatment operators.

Advertisements were posted in all the communities and information booths were set up at two local events to help promote this internship opportunity. Now, after a review of all the applicants and interviews, 12 candidates from seven communities have been offered placements in the Internship.

On July 4th in Sault Ste. Marie, the interns, North Shore Tribal Council members and Water First staff will gather to kick off this latest Internship together. The weeklong workshop will begin with an opening ceremony with Ogamauh annag (Sue Chiblow) from Garden River First Nation, who is a member of the Indigenous Advisory Council to Water First.

In Batchewana First Nation, Chief Sayers will welcome everyone and the group will tour the community’s water treatment plant. Each day will be filled with opportunities to hear from alumni about their experiences in the Internship, build relationships with each other, explore local water bodies, and participate in a series of exploratory activities related to source water contamination, treatment processes, and math and chemistry for operators.

Experience in a Big City Treatment Plant

Lori Corbiere is a current Drinking Water Program intern from Wahnapitae First Nation, which does not have a water treatment plant. In order for Lori to accumulate the required 1,800 hours of experience she needs to qualify for Class 1 water operator certification, she is working at the City of Greater Sudbury water treatment plant. Recently, Lori wrote about her experience at the plant in this blog.

Cross-Program Connections in Naskapi

Water First was in Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach this past May with both the Environmental Water Program team and the Indigenous Schools Water Program team delivering workshops and training. Hover over a photo to read the caption.

Noah Mokoush has worked with Water First for many years. During the training, he was able to share his knowledge of water science tools and equipment with the other participants.

In preparation for the summer fish habitat assessment project, newly hired interns and previous partners spent time becoming familiar with various water quality monitoring tools and equipment.

Noah and Cheyenne Swappie, both past interns, took on a leadership role with the newly hired interns and demonstrated use of the tools and equipment for the group. In this photo, they’re showing the group how to use a YSI Meter that tests for dissolved oxygen, temperature and pH.

When possible, we try to bring students to the local water treatment plant. This helps bring their understanding of water and water monitoring processes full circle. It also helps to deepen their appreciation for the work that goes into providing a community with safe, clean water.

In addition to participating in the environmental water project this summer, Noah visited the local school to work with our Indigenous Schools Water Program on fun, hands-on water science programming.

Being from the community, Noah was able to chat with the students in Naskapi, the local language. Keegan, one of our technical trainers, noted that the students seemed to be more engaged in what was being taught when Noah explained the concepts to them in Naskapi.

Students went out on the land to learn about and practice water quality testing using Water Rangers kits. In this photo, they’re doing a dissolved oxygen test which acts as an indicator of the health of the water.

Dillon from our Indigenous Schools Water Program at a local feast, the first gathering since before COVID; Caribou, pemmican, geese, fish, bannock!

Group photo outside of the Naskapi Water Pumphouse.

#NoFilter

Spring 2022

April 26th, 2022

Quarterly Newsletter

The latest news and updates on our programs.

Planting the Seed for Future Water Scientists

Our Indigenous Schools team was recently in Dokis First Nation. During this program, students at Kikendawt Kinoomaadii Gamig went to visit their local water treatment plant. Going to visit the plant strengthens the students’ appreciation and respect for where clean water comes from, and for the passionate work that goes into ensuring water is safe to drink. While they were there, the students met Louise, the water treatment plant operator, and two interns from the Drinking Water Internship program, Kennedy Dokis and Harmony Restoule who are currently working at the plant. How cool is that?!

The long-term vision of our Indigenous Schools Water Program is to provide opportunities for Indigenous school-aged students to see a future for themselves in the water sciences. By seeing community members working to provide clean water, students deepen their connections to the content in the workshops, and can even see themselves in a similar position someday.

So, when Louise, Kennedy and Harmony then also visited the classroom to share their personal experiences with the kids about what they are doing at the water treatment plant and why it’s important, that’s exactly what happened! The younger kids thought of Louise as a “Water Doctor” and expressed a desire to “be water scientists” when they grew up.

One of our educators, Adrianna Bilinkski, explained, “At the water treatment plant many of the students knew Louise, and her face lit up to see them and their excitement to learn about her work. There were many hugs given, and one student exclaimed to Louise ‘I didn’t know you were a scientist!’ and proceeded to say, ‘I want to be a scientist when I get older’.”

On the final day, Veronica Dokis shared some of Dokis’ history with the students. Reaching back to where the people lived in 1850 with the signing of the Robinson-Huron treaty. She explained that the people used large canoes to travel the lakes and river when the water was open, and horse-drawn sleds when the water was frozen over. She encouraged them to go home and ask their grandparents or others in the community about these times because they actually lived it; they remember how vital the water was to the people.

A Personal Reflection

Nick Chapman from Temagami First Nation is an Intern in the Drinking Water Internship Program. She recently wrote a beautiful reflection on her experience in the program so far, “How to Be the Safety Line“.

Future Water Quality Analysts in Training

A key aspect of our training programs is to create the bridge between the solid base of knowledge and skills that partners currently have to where they are wanting to get to. So, when the interns of the Drinking Water Internship were preparing to write the most challenging of the three certification exams, we created an entirely new workshop to build the foundation necessary for water quality analysis. This week-long workshop took the interns on a deep dive into atomic, water and solution chemistry through hands-on lab activities and group work.

A woman at a table using candy to create a diagram of neutrons and electrons. — Building atomic structures with neutrons, protons and electrons with skittles and m&ms helped to conceptualize something we cannot see.

Three adults holding signs showing the compound for water. — Compounds are made from certain elements. This compound here is H20. Water is life!

A man holding a container of pink coloured substance. — Making some Kool-aid solutions.

A table covered with class laboratory equipment. — The exam references various lab equipment and glassware. Being able to use the equipment performing lab experiments helps to solidify the names and uses for all of the equipment.

Nurturing Interconnectivity

Check out our new interactive map to learn more about how Water First is working to nurture interconnectivity within our programs.

New Drinking Water Internship Begins in July

We are so excited to announce that another Drinking Water Internship is set to kick off in July! The NSTC Water First Internship is a collaboration and partnership with Mamaweswen, the North Shore Tribal Council (NSTC), with seven member First Nations in Northern Ontario.

This collaboration will address the local community-identified need for the recruitment and training of more young adults to the field of #WaterScience.

Winter 2022

January 24th, 2022

Quarterly Newsletter

The latest news and updates on our programs.

Celebrating International Day of Education

Monday, January 24th was International Day of Education, and we are continuing the conversation by sharing a video that was created for our Indigenous Schools Water Program’s lesson on water governance.

This video highlights Eric Vautour from Sheguiandah First Nation, a graduate of our pilot Drinking Water Internship Program on Manitoulin Island. It was created to inspire students to take action and pursue careers in water science.

Eric explores his journey through education — from high school to the Drinking Water Internship Program to now working as a Water Treatment Plant Operator in his community.

Shoreline Learning with Teme-Augama Anishnabai, the Deep Water People

Bear Island rests at the heart of Lake Temagami. It is home to Temagami First Nation, and about 250 Teme-Augama Anishnabai, the Deep Water People.

In October, Water First was invited to work alongside community members to engage youth in Water Science workshops at the First Nation’s primary school, the Laura McKenzie Learning Centre. We spent five days with students from Grades 3 to 8 in their classrooms, on the land, and of course learning from the water itself, Lake Temagami.

At a small beach on Lake Temagami, students built a topographic model of Bear Island in the sand. A ‘pollution source’ was later added, and a simulated rainstorm demonstrated how point-source pollution negatively affects a watershed.

Community elders made suggestions for areas of interest to be tested along Bear Island’s shores. Students were taught how to use tools like multiparameter readers to take before and after samples of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) and conductivity throughout these lessons.

Plankton nets were used to collect samples of microorganisms from the lake to examine under a microscope.

Students visited the water’s edge beside the community’s water treatment plant. They extended their knowledge and use of scientific tools by measuring parameters like wind speed, hardness, alkalinity, pH, TDS and conductivity. A Drinking Water Internship Intern Nick Chapman from Temagami joined the group to help with the workshop.

Lastly, students tabulated the data collected throughout the week and interpreted the story behind the numbers. They received a Water Rangers kit to continue with a regular water sampling project in their community.

Water Sampling with members of the Cree Nation Government

In September 2021, Water First began a new project with the Cree Nation Government and the Cree Nation of Nemaska in Eeyou Istchee (Cree land), northeastern Quebec. Kendra and Keegan, Water First staff, started the trip with three days of training about water quality and the impacts in Nemaska.

Georgian Bay Drinking Water Internship Virtual Christmas

In the spirit of a remote Christmas again this year, the Georgian Bay interns and staff gathered for some cheer.

Can you guess who won the Christmas costume contest?

“We began the training sessions by asking attendees to share their observations and concerns for the area. Through these introductory chats, we were able to address topics that the community is concerned about and interested in learning.”
Kendra Driscoll, Water First Technical Trainer

Kendra explaining the setup of the YSI, a tool used to measure pH, temperature and conductivity.

Keegan observed and advised the trainees as they sampled and tested the samples from the boat.

Members using a Van Dorn to measure water samples deeper in the water column from the boat.

After the training, a smaller group flew out to Lake Evans and Lake Dana for four days to put their new knowledge and skills to use collecting and testing water samples.

Fall 2021

October 20th, 2021

Quarterly Newsletter

The latest news and updates on our programs.

Bimose Drinking Water Internship Graduation

The Drinking Water Internship interns have officially graduated. These interns endured 18 months of hard work and dedication, long hours of studying and working, and adapting to COVID along the way – and thrived. Members from Bimose Tribal Council, our partners, and Water First staff were there in Kenora to help the graduates mark the occasion.

The graduation ceremony started indoors, where interns were presented their certificates.

There was a calm sense of accomplishment in the room; faces full of achievement and excitement for the next step. For many, they will continue to support access to clean water in their home communities.

During his ceremony speech, Jon Kocis, HUB Water Treatment Services Manager of Bimose Tribal Council gave sound words of advice (adapted from Herbert V. Prochnow):

”If you want to leave footprints in the sands of time, you have to wear work boots.”

He continued with: “So, when you get out there on your first day — lace those boots tight, put that invisible cape on, stand tall and strong like the heroes that you are, and enjoy the journey.”

When the ceremony migrated outside, we were joined by Judy DaSilva, an Elder, activist and Environmental Health Coordinator from Grassy Narrows First Nation. She led a water ceremony that was paired with a delicious feast of traditional foods.

We are all so incredibly proud of the graduates and excited for their next chapter. They are now newly minted members of the Water First Alumni Network, where they will continue to be supported to grow and have opportunities to support each other.

Taking Water Quality Testing to the Great Outdoors

In June of 2021, the Drinking Water Internship with Waabnoong Bemjiwang Associations of First Nations began, in partnership with Gezhtoojig Employment & Training, Anishinabek Nation and all the participating communities began. Since then, the cohort of interns have been busy studying, writing provincial certification exams and working in their local water treatment plants.

The Drinking Water Internship program includes a week of training on the Introduction to Environmental Water.

Donor Report 2021

Despite the challenges this past year we have accomplished so much, and are filled with hope and gratitude. As an organization, Water First is grounded in a solid foundation of building trust, meaningful relationships, and lasting results. So, with ongoing support from our donors and through listening to our Indigenous community partners, we committed to adapting in order to continue working together. To celebrate a year of perseverance, adaptation and breaking the mold, we created a Donor Report featuring highlights from this past year.

Read now

The group travelled to Killarney for the week where they went outside every day to explore and test the waters of the lake, rivers and streams. They practiced with environmental water testing tools, recording the data they gathered and discussing what it all means when it comes to water quality.

Interns practiced with equipment that gathers data to assess stream health and collected bugs in the water. The kinds of bugs they found can be linked to overall water quality.

Interns practiced how to use equipment for collecting water samples at various depths in the water column.

Nick and Destiny collected water quality data from the boat using a YSI – they tested for pH, conductivity, dissolved oxygen and temperature.

Interns went on a boat tour and learnt about the petroglyphs in the area and the history behind them. Justin, one of the Water First instructor, invited his grandmother on the excursion. She lives in Whitefish River First Nation and grew up in Wiikwemkong, very close to Killarney. She shared what she knew about the history of the petroglyphs and the surrounding area.

Liam used a microscope to inspect benthic invertebrates and plankton collected from the water. The species present can be linked to overall water quality.

An operator from the local water treatment plant in Killarney gave the interns a tour of the plant and the city’s wastewater lagoons.

Outdoor Program Leads to Grade 9 Geography Credits

Nine Grade 8 students of Beausoleil First Nation participated in an 8-week outdoor experiential learning program with Indigenous School Water Program instructors and earned Grade 9 Geography credits.

Collaboration in Labrador Began This Summer

This summer, Water First’s Environmental Water Program began a new project in collaboration with Sheshatshiu (Shé-ha-ji-u) Innu First Nation (SIFN) in Labrador.

Summer 2021

July 13th, 2021

Quarterly Newsletter

The latest news and updates on our programs.

Water First Ambassador: Nadia George

Passion and enthusiasm emanate from Nadia George like water flows. Genuinely, effortlessly and with relish.

Based in Toronto, Nadia is an award-winning Indigenous-Canadian actor, media personality, public speaker, and now officially a Water First Ambassador.

Her work focuses on uplifting young Indigenous voices by giving space for them to be seen and heard.

She challenges the idea of what it means to be a contemporary Indigenous person by addressing stigmas and having open communication around contemporary Indigenous identity. Nadia advocates to bring awareness about equity within Indigenous communities around accessibility, health, mental health, and addiction. She seeks ways to improve the quality of life for all Indigenous Peoples; building bridges by providing learning opportunities to others and fostering positive reconciliation friendships. Nadia proactively reached out to Water First to voluntarily collaborate, advocate, and support addressing the water crisis in Indigenous communities. So, Ami Gopal, Director of Communications, sat down to chat with Nadia to learn more about her journey, vision for the future, and motivations in working with Water First.

The Georgian Bay Internship is Underway

This past month, Water First launched the next Water First Internship Program in the Georgian Bay area in partnership with Waabnoong Bemjiwang Association of First Nations (WBAFN), Gezhtoojig Employment & Training, Anishinabek Nation, and all the participating communities. This program will train 16 young Indigenous adults to become certified water treatment plant operators. All partners are committed to addressing the local need for more young and qualified personnel in the water management field to help ensure safe drinking water in communities.

Below is a personal reflection from Justin McGregor, Water First Internship Coordinator & Trainer:

Bimose Interns Sit For WQA Exam

Interns in the Drinking Water Program with Bimose Tribal Council recently wrote their Water Quality Analyst (WQA) exam. The exam was originally scheduled for February of this year but had to be postponed several times due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. The WQA exams, which demonstrate a certified level of professional expertise and a dedication to high professional standards, are viewed as the most challenging of exams that interns must take as part of the program. Though not required to work as an operator in training like the Operator in Training and Entry Level Course certifications, the WQA certification can be useful in advancing their careers, for example, if they want to work in environmental water or at a water testing lab.

Aanii,

We kicked off a new Internship Program with eight participating communities at the end of June. I have to say that so far the engagement and participation has been amazing. We have a strong group of interns who are eager to learn new skills with regards to Water Treatment, as well as Environmental Monitoring.

Due to COVID restrictions, we started the program with 3 weeks of online introductory workshop sessions that included online learning and hands-on activities they could do at home or that took them outside.

After that, they started a Small Drinking Water Systems online certification course. This course is the perfect start for our interns to get introduced to their roles as future water operators and water quality analysts. It is geared to be a stepping point to learn best practices and theory on what it is like day-to-day in a typical water treatment plant and what to expect for future certification exams.

Working with the interns using online delivery has its limitations, but we were able to help them navigate the course through a week-long session where we discussed, summarized and reviewed topics that we found interesting and challenging. I feel confident that it really helped ensure that the interns retained the main topics of each section.

Upon successfully passing the exam, the interns will be considered a ‘trained person’ which means they will be able to assist in the daily routines at their local water treatment plants to ensure clean drinking water is being distributed to the community. These are exciting times for these interns. Stay tuned for more updates.

Miigwetch,
Justin

"The water needs our help."

Tasha Beeds, a Plains Cree Mide-Kwe and Water Walker, has walked nearly 7,000 km to raise awareness about the current state of water systems in Canada and the United States. She is currently a Ph.D. Candidate in Indigenous Studies at Trent University with a research focus on violence, Indigenous women, and Cree consciousness.

Tasha shared her knowledge and experiences with Nibi (water) to the Indigenous youth interested in applying for the Georgian Bay Water First Internship. She inspired us all with stories of her journeys across her ancestral lands, and shared the ways in which we can engage with and help the water.

What's in Your Water on Manitoulin Island

On a rainy week in May, students from the Zhiibaahaasing and Sheshegwaning First Nations saw their water in a new light.

We delivered our hands-on What’s in Your Water program to the students of St. Joseph’s Anishinabek School on Manitoulin Island.

Over four days, students of all ages took part in STEM-based water science workshops designed to familiarize them with hydrology and watershed ecology, while further developing their relationship with water and their land.

“We did eight workshops, including an introduction to water filtration processes and a water treatment plant tour for the Grades 6-8 students,” said Adrianna Bilinski, Water First Indigenous School Engagement Coordinator.

Water First spent a week with students from Zhiibaahaasing and Sheshegwaning First Nation and they shared what they learned!

SEE THE PHOTO ESSAY

This is one of the many ways the Water First interns will be learning to use non-Indigenous tools alongside Traditional Knowledge and methods to help the water and people in their communities. We value this immensely.

A big thank you to Tasha Beeds for the opportunity to hear her speak and for her permission to share this video.

Long Term Monitoring Program in Sheshatshiu

After acquiring an old fishing lodge on Park Lake, Sheshatshiu Innu First Nation (SIFN) in central Labrador are beginning a 10-year process to clean up and improve the lodge site to run a 100% Innu owned and operated tourism lodge, just south of Akami-Uapishkᵁ-KakKasuak-Mealy Mountains National Park Reserve.

New article in Water Canada

The Water First Internship Program was featured in the May/June 2021 edition of Water Canada, a publication dedicated to covering a range of Canadian water issues.

Read it now

new

Water First is working with SIFN to develop a long-term fish habitat monitoring program for Park Lake, as well as fish habitat restoration to improve areas where garbage was left from the old lodge.

Our first visit to the community involved an opportunity to meet the managers of the lodge, the guides who operate it, and the youth apprentices being trained. Together, the group explored water quality and climate change monitoring, along with opportunities for knowledge exchange.

During this visit, the group also collected water and sediment samples to send for lab analysis to see the extent of the contamination that may have occurred from the old lodge waste. This monitoring will continue for 3 years.

Restoration sites selected in Long Point First Nation

The Environmental Water team’s latest collaboration with Long Point First Nation, is continuing to evolve. In consultation with the community, two sites have been identified for a walleye habitat restoration project, and two youth have been hired to work alongside Water First staff. A local mentor position is still set to be hired soon.

Staff Profile

Kristen Engle,
Director of Finance, Water First

Approvals have been enthusiastically received from both the community and the Ministère des Forêts, Faune et Parcs to begin the project which will weave many learning components into the process of the restoration.

This fall, partners from Long Point, Kebaowek, Kitigan Zibi First Nations will participate in Canadian Aquatic Biomonitoring Network (CABIN) training. This training is part of a collaboration between Living Lakes Canada and WWF (along with Water First and Ottawa Riverkeeper) to increase the collection of water quality and benthic macroinvertebrate data for major watersheds in Canada.

Your Question:

"How do we ensure our training addresses community need?"

Watch John Millar, our Executive Director and Founder, explain how we ensure our training addresses the needs of each community.

How do we ensure our training addresses community need?

Your Questions Answered

We have been receiving very interesting questions from our support base. For each newsletter, we will be choosing one to feature and provide an avenue for a response.

Have you ever wondered how a spawning shoal is restored? Or maybe you want to know more about what interns learn about water treatment? What about what kinds of things the kids in our youth programs get most excited about?

Here is your chance to send us your questions and we’ll do our best to answer them.

Spring 2021

April 1st, 2021

Quarterly Newsletter

The latest news and updates on our programs.

Our Guiding Philosophy

During a staff retreat in the fall of 2019, the Water First team reflected on the essential qualities of our work that produce our strongest relationships and greatest achievements. Our Strands of Success stem from this reflection. These Strands are deeply woven into our operations, how we ensure our work is meeting community-identified needs, as well as in the design and delivery of our education and training programs.

Trust Building

Ensure that respect, honesty, transparency, humility, and integrity are fundamental to our engagements.

Meaningful Partnerships

Fully committed to collaborations built on open communication, mutual knowledge exchanges, and common goals.

Lasting Results

Consistently strive toward sustainable outcomes, with skills and benefits remaining within Indigenous communities for the long-term.

To achieve and maintain our mandate, we strive to braid these three strands across all aspects of our work. They reflect our organizational values and are integrated into our everyday work. The strands are critical to our success and, over the years, have led to a strong up-take of our programs by our partners.

Extension of the Bimose Internship and Upcoming Training

We are excited to announce that the Bimose Internship has been extended to continue through to the end of September. This extension offers interns opportunities for more training, more preparation time to challenge exams, including Wastewater Management and Level 1 Operator, and more hands-on work experience in the treatment plants. Group training sessions, tutorials, and one on one individualized sessions will continue in full to support the interns reach their professional goals.

Meaningful Partnerships

“Water First doesn’t just come into the community and take and leave. They come into the community and they bring and collaborate. They do consultation with the community on how [their] programs should work. This is one of the reasons I support them.”

Ogamauh annag qwe (Sue Chiblow)
Garden River First Nation
First Nations Advisory Council Member

Sue Chiblow shares why she supports the work we do with Indigenous communities.

Gearing up for the New Internship in Georgian Bay

Training Designed to Meet a Need

Nobody understands the evolving drinking water challenges and needs of Indigenous communities more than the people who live there. Our training programs are designed to meet the needs that have been identified by our Indigenous community partners. With drinking water challenges, individuals who run treatment plants are vital to sustainable solutions.

Watch this clip where Mike Murray, project coordinator for the Waabnoong Bemjiwang Association of First Nations (WBAFN) Water and Wastewater Treatment Systems HUB, explains how the Water First Internship will benefit the First Nations communities in the Georgian Bay area.

Recruitment and Hiring

Water First and our community partners are very excited to share that 14-16 interns from 8 communities (pictured above) will be hired to train as drinking water operators starting June 2021. We are currently gearing up for a combination of virtual and in-person recruitment aimed at building community awareness and generating excitement around the Internship. From our previous experiences, we have found this to be an area where Water First can provide valuable support. Watch for updates this summer when we introduce the new cohort of Water First interns!

Recruitment and Hiring

Showcasing Learning and Connections Made

Learning happens with experience. And applying what we have learned through our virtual delivery continues to strengthen our school-aged youth programming. Our program that teaches students about watersheds and the importance of source water protection, What’s in Your Water, was originally designed as a face-to-face workshop series. Due to COVID restrictions, with the support of funders like the Ontario Trillium Foundation, we were able to adapt our programming to be delivered virtually. We piloted the virtual delivery with Beausoleil First Nation and the Christian Island Elementary School in the fall.

New on the website!

Education Resources are ready for download. And we keep making more so pop in once and a while to check out what’s new.

Check it out

new

Measuring success in education programs is often through students showcasing what they have learned and if possible how the students apply this learning. This showcase needs to be flexible — particularly when it comes to virtual delivery — and can be formal or just through observation.

The students from Christian Island Elementary School created a presentation that summarized their learning throughout the program.

Dillon Koopmans, our Educational Programs Manager summed it up this way: “When the students did their presentation and shared their learning with us, it felt like the student-led reflection had a culminating effect. The students could reflect and clearly record what they had learned. We had accomplished true learning through virtual delivery in the times of COVID.”

The students from Christian Island Elementary School created a presentation that summarized their learning throughout the program.

Skills training to meet a community’s vision

While working with many Indigenous communities, we have heard time and again their vision of Indigenous-led land management. Communities want to manage their water resources and track the effects of industry and climate change. As a result, communities are seeking ways to strengthen their technical capacity to do so. Environmental technical training is a well-established field. What sets Water First apart is our approach.

In My Words

Adrianna Bilinski
Indigenous School Engagement Coordinator

Virtual Program Delivery with
Sagamok First Nation

In My Words

Adrianna is an Ontario Certified Teacher, and a woman of Ojibwe descent from Beausoleil First Nation. She holds Bachelor degrees in History, Gender Studies, and Education. As an educator, her primary focus is to raise awareness of the historical and current question of equity and equality in Canada through First Nations, Métis, and Inuit views.

In this story, Adrianna shares her personal experience delivering the What’s in Your Water program virtually with Sagamok First Nation.

Read her post Now

First, we consult with our Indigenous partners about their long-term environmental water goals. By understanding their goals, we help to determine priority areas and local training needs. Then, we design a training program based on a project that is carried out by the interns and aligns with the long-term vision of the community.

This map features where our Environmental Water Program Team have worked and features two training programs that are set to start this summer:

Your Question:

"How does Water First support the interns to help them succeed?"

Watch John Millar, our Executive Director and Founder, explain how we invest in each individual to meet their needs and offer support to help overcome barriers to full participation in the program.

How does Water First support the interns to help them succeed?

Your Questions Answered

Recently, we have been receiving very interesting questions from our support base. For each newsletter, we will be choosing one to feature and provide an avenue for a response.

Here is your chance to send us your questions and we’ll do our best to answer them.

Winter 2021

January 18th, 2021

Quarterly Newsletter

The latest news and updates on our programs.

New Partnership Kicks Off in 2021

Waabnoong Bemjiwang Association of First Nations (WBAFN) and Water First are proud to announce our new Drinking Water Internship partnership. In 2021, the partners will begin delivering the drinking water treatment and environmental water management training program. This program will support approximately 12 young Indigenous adults to become certified water treatment plant operators across six participating First Nations communities.

Together, WBAFN and Water First will address local needs for more young and qualified personnel in the water management field to help ensure safe drinking water in communities. Not only for today, but for future generations.

“We are extremely excited about the opportunity to partner with Water First and we welcome the support they bring to our member communities’ efforts to provide safe drinking water to residents. Existing water treatment staff are doing a great job with available resources, and at the same time, we all acknowledge the need for more young people to enter the water field. We’re hopeful that the successes Water First has had in its previous training partnerships can be repeated here, to help the next generation of local water experts safeguard their communities’ health and well-being.”

Irvin George, Waabnoong Bemjiwang Association of First Nations, Executive Director

This recent CBC Radio interview covered our new partnership and the Tribal Council’s goals for the program.

Virtual Workshop Delivery with Beausoleil First Nation

Continually adapting our programs is a Water First strength.

Our plan was to be delivering STEM-based workshops to Indigenous youth in many communities this past year – in classrooms, labs, and out on the land. However, in order to respect travel restrictions, we were able to adapt our program and create digital resources. Recently we hosted a virtual workshop series with Christian Island Elementary School students in Beausoleil First Nation.

Before the virtual sessions began, the team put together a comprehensive kit of tools and shipped resources to the school. This kit will stay with the school in the community allowing teachers and students to continue to use the tools in the future.

Our programs are designed to integrate local ecological knowledge and weave personal experience in with the new content as much as possible. So, we invited former Beausoleil First Nation Chief, Jeff Monague, to teach us and the students his considerable historical and geographical knowledge of Christian Island. It was deeply informative and helped guide elements of the program as it unfolded.

This virtual format of relationship-building with teachers and students was new and unique to us. There were plenty of memorable moments and we learned a lot in the process. We witnessed our host teacher and students get excited about the hands-on tools their class were able to engage with throughout the program. Knowing that the teachers and students were confident to take the student-led water monitoring project forward proved to us the success of the virtual delivery.

Delivering our programs virtually allowed us to support classrooms in ways that would otherwise not have been possible and has opened our eyes to new possibilities to explore for the future. Taking what we learned from the first round, we have made adjustments and improvements and we are excited to deliver the program again with Sagamok First Nation this winter.

Exploring Possibilities for Walleye Spawning

Walleye are a culturally significant species of fish for Anishinabek Peoples. So, when the walleye fish habitat restoration work with Long Point First Nation in Winneway, Quebec was postponed this summer due to COVID-19, we were disappointed. In the fall, after getting the clearance from the pandemic committee, we visited the community to reconnect and to scope out two community suggested sites for the restoration work that will take place in 2021.

Turning the Tap on to Safe Water

“My community finally has a water treatment plant going. It’s currently being built. I’m looking forward to that. For my family, and my community as well, because we’ve lived with a Boil Water Advisory my whole life.”

Jeremy Ledoux-Redsky, Shoal Lake 40

Turning the Tap on to Safe Water

Site A – This site was suggested because it borders a cultural site. Twice a year, the community has a cultural week hosted at this site. This week is a chance to gather and to get kids out on the land and on the water. Site B – This site was suggested because the waterfall acts as a natural barrier. The fish would travel to this point and since they can’t go any further would spawn at this site. By restoring both of these sites, the walleye eggs and baby fish or fry would have an increased chance of survival.

Come spring, we will hire two interns from the community to work with us on the walleye spawning site restoration, building their capacity to continue this work long after we are gone.

Stronger in Partnership Virtual Meet-Up

It is a clear fact that we are all stronger through our partnerships. To honour this and to continue to strengthen relationships through a pandemic, we had a virtual meet up with key partners and some of our interns to hear their thoughts on the impact of the Drinking Water Internship.

Polly Bobiwash, Anishinabek Nation Director of Labour Market Development, shared her thoughts on how the success of the Internship program is measured.

You can watch a 15-minute highlight reel of the 90-minute event here.

Essential Workers During COVID-19 Lockdown

Over the winter break, several of the Drinking Water interns worked through the traditional holidays to provide essential services to their community during the most recent COVID-19 lockdown.

We want to extend a sincere Thank You to all of our interns for taking the initiative and going the extra mile this holiday season. We are proud of you!

Water First Staff Feature

Jen Atkinson is the Director of Operations here at Water First. Watch what she has to say about the diversity of her work and what she enjoys most.

Water First Staff Feature: Jen Atkinson

Your Question:

"Are the internship program graduates finding job opportunities?"

John Millar, Executive Director and Founder of Water First, shares his thoughts on this question in this short video.

Are the internship program graduates finding job opportunities?

Your Questions Answered

Recently, we have been receiving very interesting questions from our support base. For each newsletter, we will be choosing one to feature and provide an avenue for a response.

Here is your chance to send us your questions and we’ll do our best to answer them.

Fall 2020

October 6th, 2020

Quarterly Newsletter

The latest news and updates on our programs.

Internship Key Milestones

The Water First interns wrote their Entry Level Course and Operator in Training (OIT) exams in the last couple of months. These exams are significant milestones in the Internship program. The OIT is prepared and administered by the Ontario Water Wastewater Certification Office. Passing this exam is the key step for the interns to become provincially certified as Operators in Training at a Water Treatment Plant.

Hunter Edison and other Water First interns recording water quality data in preparation for operator in training exams.

To help the interns prepare for this particular exam, the Water First team travelled to Kenora to run a week-long review session with the interns. They reviewed challenging topics and wrote a mock exam to prepare.

Here are a few example questions that could have been on the exam:

The chlorine dosage of a town’s water source is 4.0 mg/L. The chlorine demand for the water is 3.7 mg/L. What is the chlorine residual?

Which of the following samples results would be classified as an “Adverse Result” under Ontario Regulation 170/03?

The internship program isn’t all about operating a water treatment plant. Environmental water monitoring training is included for a comprehensive skill set around water, from the watershed, to source water, and through treatment and distribution. After the big exam, the Water First team and interns spent a week diving into this training, out on the land and on the water.

We are so proud of the interns and all the work they are doing in their journey to provide safe water for their communities.

Reflections on Water

For the past two years, Water First has participated in the Creemore Arts Festival by opening our offices to the public to showcase Indigenous artists and further develop meaningful relationships with the Indigenous Arts Community. This year, due to COVID-19, the festival has unfortunately been cancelled. So, instead we are doing a virtual showcase of two talented artists.

Clayton Samuel King (Waab-Shki-Makoons) is a member of Beausoleil First Nation.

James Simon Mishibinijima, often known synonymously as Mishibinijimi, is from Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory.

Inspiring Future Interns

McKaylii Jawbone from Témiscaming, Quebec, a member of Kebaowek First Nation is an alumni intern from a two-year fish habitat restoration project in partnership with Kebaowek First Nation. At restoration sites identified in consultation with community elders, restoration biologists and Water First staff, three large walleye spawning shoals were constructed. Makaylii created this video to inspire and encourage others to join an internship with Water First.

Inspiring Future Interns

Indigenous School Workshops Go Virtual

This fall, due to COVID, we are offering remote programming for our Indigenous School Water Programs.

We will mail out comprehensive STEM-based water science learning resource kits for K-12 schools, including lesson plans. Water First will co-deliver the workshops via video conferencing with classes. And we will support school staff virtually on how to use these hands-on resources students.

We aim to have community speakers join us virtually as well, to integrate crucial local Indigenous knowledge and create connections between the content and the community.

Our programs will still include an important environmental conservation action component. We will work closely with groups of student scientists to complete a multi-workshop series. This series will ultimately provide them with the foundational knowledge and training to conduct a source water monitoring project on water bodies of the community’s choice. Students will also share messages about environmental conservation and sustainability to inform the community of their work and raise awareness.

Before being mailed out, all resource kits will be carefully prepared, while adhering to strict COVID appropriate sanitization and safety measures.

Fish Sampling and a Spicy Noodle Challenge

Naskapi travel restrictions were recently lifted and the Water First team was invited by the community for a visit in early September.

Water First Staff Feature: Dillon Koopmans

Our Education Programs Manager, Dillon Koopmans, is determined to create a passion for water sciences. In this video, Dillon explains the motivations that drive the Indigenous School Water Programs.

Water First Staff Feature: Dillon Koopmans

This allowed us to reconnect with the interns in person and provide additional training. Together with the interns, they collected water, sediment and fish samples that will be analyzed for mercury and heavy metal concentrations.

Then, our staff worked with the interns and community members to collect catch statistics at two local derbies as a way of better understanding the sizes, sexes and types of fish being caught. This adds to the population assessment completed in the 2019 field season to understand the health of the lake and pressures on the fish populations in Naskapi Traditional Territory.

They also monitored the Brook Trout spawning shoals at Little Barry Lake that were restored in 2019. Along with visiting a new site, Lac Vacher, for an assessment of potential remediation during the 2021 field season. The team determined the scope of the hazardous waste clean up and coordinated the safe disposal of the waste by the EcoCentre in Schefferville.

Visiting in-person with our partner communities is a very special part of what we do. Not just because it is important to get hands on with our work, but also what happens in between. We firmly believe that strong relationships are built on individual connections and shared memories. One evening, while staff members Jag and Ryan were in Naskapi Nation, they hosted a “Spicy Noodle Challenge”! The interns and a few members of the community, including the deputy Chief, took part in the challenge. The result? An evening of delicious dinner, laughter and great memories.

Summer 2020

July 22nd, 2020

Quarterly Newsletter

The latest news and updates on our programs.

An Anishinabek Perspective on Nibi (Water)

By: Ogamauh annag (Sue Chiblow)

Aniin, Boozhoo, Ogamauh annag qwe dishnecuz, jijauk dodem, Ketegaunzeebee donjeba, Anishinaabe, Ojibway indow. My English or status card name is Susan Bell Chiblow, most know me as Sue Chiblow and I was born and raised by my dad in Garden River First Nation with 4 brothers and 3 sisters.

I have raised my three beautiful children and continue to live with my husband, Glen Chiblow in GRFN. As a teenager, I lived with my Nokumis who told me I had to go to school to get an education so I could understand their ways and then come home to help my people. So that is what I did, I went to school and have recently went back to school to get my PhD with a focus on Anishinabek women and Nibi (water).

I have always had a special relationship with water because I grew up surrounded by two rivers and as a child, those were our swimming pools, our fishing spots, and a place where I could sit and listen to the birds, the trees, and the wind by the rivers. I learnt to respect the water at a young age and understand how important water is for all life, the trees, the fish, the birds, and the animals. All of life needs water to live.

The knowledge I have about water has been given to me by many different Indigenous Peoples because I have been very fortunate to work with and for them. I have been told that we have a different understanding of what water does and what water is. The western world believes water can be bought and sold, that it can be controlled, and that it can be poisoned; that it needs to be managed by humans. The Anishinaabek Peoples believe water is alive, it provides life and can take life, that women are the keepers of the waters because we carry babies in water and that water can heal. Many Anishinaabek Peoples also believe that water carries our ancestor’s memories and those memories are transferred from mother to child when the baby is in the water in the mother’s womb. When I participated in the Water Walks lead by Nokumis Josephine Mandamin, she talked about how the different lakes and rivers have different personalities and different water spirits, and we need to make offerings to the waters because we are the waters, water is life and if the waters are healthy then we are healthy. These are a few of the water teachings I have been given.

First Nations Advisory Council

As a primarily non-Indigenous organization, our First Nations Advisory Council (FNAC) members provide valuable feedback on our programs and delivery in communities.

Through a four-part video series, we are highlighting the FNAC in our member’s own words about our relationships. Watch out for the next three to be released on our website and on social media in the coming weeks.

First Nations Advisory Council

Update on the Drinking Water Internship In Bimose

At the time of our last newsletter we were pivoting our Internship program to remote and interactive online programming. Now that our interns have a few months of online learning experience we have settled into a routine.

Each week, the interns receive a Mission Pack. It includes the week’s lesson, reflection questions that connect the week’s lesson to the work in the plant and review questions. Then during the week there are small group, or one on one, tutorial sessions with Water First staff.

As we all know, living in isolation due to the risks of COVID-19 has its challenges. Each intern has had to navigate these challenges, while trying to balance the demands of the program in an online format. Due to COVID restrictions, some of the interns were unable to do the work placements in the water treatment plants. This was the aspect of the program that they were missing the most. We are excited to report that as of the end of June all but three of the interns are back at their work placements at their local water plant, where they are putting the theory they have been learning into practice.

Thanks to our supporters, the Internship program in Bimose is expanding. Eight new interns will be starting in July on a fast track program delivered online. Jen Atkinson, our Director of Operations, explained that during the interview process the candidates expressed a keen interest in protecting and caring for water. They are interested in helping their communities address local challenges. “I anticipate a high motivation level and I look forward to them bringing new energy into the larger group overall.”

Digital Resource Packs from Youth Ed

Dive into water science with your kids this summer!

For many of our partners, the rest of the school year was delivered online.

Water First Intern Feature: Sunny Payash, Grassy Narrows First Nation

Sunny’s motivation to join the Water First Internship program was because he lost two nieces due to the mercury contamination in the English River.

Water is important to Sunny to help make it better for his community’s children, who are the future. He wants to help his community end its reliance on bottled water. He has enjoyed meeting new people and appreciates how learning more about water shows him just how important clean, safe water is to all life. “Even Mother Earth needs clean water.”

Water First Intern Feature: Sunny Payash, Grassy Narrows First Nation

In response, Water First developed digital water science learning packets, in use by our partner First Nations communities. These packets provide a way for teachers to engage students with relevant links to the curriculum. They involve hands-on water science and land-based activities, as well as relevant Indigenous cultural components.

Introduction to Watersheds Learn about our relationships to aki (Earth, land) and nibi (water).

Digital Water Journey Learn about the natural world and its processes through storytelling and seeking inspiration from the land.

Spring 2020

May 18th, 2020

Quarterly Newsletter

The latest news and updates on our programs.

Water Plant Operators Have an Essential Role

The last few weeks have been an interesting challenge. And to be honest, Water First is still navigating the new reality of working from home, just like you. We realize more than ever how our focus on building meaningful partnerships over the past 10 years truly makes a difference today.

Recently, an intern shared their pride in coming to understand the essential role that water plant operators have. Especially during their community’s response to COVID-19.

“The only time people think about where their water comes from is when they can’t drink it. They don’t realize people are working 24 hours a day, testing daily, weekly, monthly, to make sure the water is good.”
Jamie Lee Parenteau, Water First Intern, Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation

Water First would prefer to be in communities, side-by-side with our partners. But the health and well-being of Indigenous communities is our top priority. So instead, our team has been listening carefully and adapting our programs.

Water First is developing remote and interactive online programming tailored to our interns. We are working closely with each intern to understand their own personal response to the situation. This is top of mind when creating options and exploring digital solutions, especially for remote areas. In partnership with our friends at the Walkerton Clean Water Centre, our drinking water interns were shipped textbooks last week. This will allow our team to tutor interns from afar and help prepare the group for upcoming certification exams.

We are connecting with First Nations school partners, sharing learning resources like these from the National Ground Water Association. We are also supporting students, including a high school group from Lake St. Martin First Nation who are keeping the momentum going on their Water First environmental initiative. Students are creating handmade wooden signs promoting sustainability. As well as planning for gardens in their community, which was recently relocated. As our partners determine plans for the rest of the school year, we will continue to adapt our programming and support.

As always, our focus will remain on pursuing lasting results and inspiring a passion for clean water.

Next Generation of Water Keepers

Water First is collaborating with Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach on a 4-year Environmental Water project in northern Quebec. This community is home to the only group of Naskapi people in the world.

The project was developed in consultation with community leaders, wildlife harvesters and Elders. Together we aim to better understand the effects of a changing climate on local fish populations and concerns of mercury contamination in the natural environment.

Learn more about our environmental interns Lawrence Mameanskum and Noah Mokoush.

Lawrence Mameanskum

“I started working with Water First because I want to gain more knowledge about restoration and water quality analysis,” shares Lawrence.

Lawrence is a Water First Environmental Intern from Kawawachikamach. He has been working on water quality and restoration projects for Naskapi Nation in partnership with Water First. Last summer he was involved in fish populations assessments in Attikamagen Lake. “This lake is very important to my community as it is part of our traditional fishing and hunting territory.”

Lawrence is a Canadian Ranger taking on rescues in the north. He is trained and knowledgeable about the land, which has been helpful for the team. He has a love for fishing and this past winter was asked to hunt caribou for the community.

Lawrence is interested in balancing traditional knowledge with western science and conservation. “ I liked using the scientific equipment and enjoyed learning new techniques during my first field season with Water First.” With the teachings from his grandfather, he is able to bridge both worlds for his community. “I hope I can share my experiences and knowledge with the younger generation and teach them about the restoration and conservation of our land.”

Noah Mokoush

Over the years, Noah has been inspired to take on community education projects. Everything from local concerns about stray dogs to diabetes studies and environmental projects. He shows his care through his work. “I like helping people and I’m very passionate about the land, our culture and the people.”

Noah is a Water First Environmental Intern. He has been involved in a contaminant sampling program for heavy metals and fish population studies in Kawawachikamach. “I want the community to feel secure and show them that it’s okay to fish, but we have to be careful. I want to help the community make better choices.”

His role as a community translator of traditional Naskapi has been helpful with the recent Water First food frequency questionnaire. Interns are collecting data on fish consumption and possible health risks due to heavy metals. “This will help us make more informed decisions about our diet,” Noah explains.

With a great sense of humour and a strong interest in learning, Noah has enjoyed the opportunity to connect with other Water First Interns. After attending a Water First workshop in Quebec City last fall, Noah shared, “I like that there were also people from different First Nation communities. They had different obstacles than us, but we got to learn and exchange ideas with them. I hope it will help to keep improving our restoration work.”

"I can only imagine how many issues the COVID-19 pandemic is creating for Indigenous communities. My donation is a small one which is the best I can do at this moment. Best of health and wellbeing to all."

Water First Donor

As we approach the 50th anniversary of Earth Day this April 22nd, it is a strong reminder of the lasting results we are striving towards together.

The water crisis in Indigenous communities in Canada is unacceptable. With your help and in true partnership with communities — we are supporting sustainable and safe water in Indigenous communities for generations to come.

Everyone has a right to safe, clean water. And you are a part of the solution. Thank you!

Let’s keep the momentum going!

Take the Clean Water Challenge

Help us show support for essential workers by thanking your local water treatment operators who provide clean drinking water straight to your tap.

Here’s the challenge:

Share a social post in support of essential workers by thanking your local water treatment operators!
Tag two friends and challenge them to show their support by using the hashtag #WaterIsEssential
Make sure to follow @waterfirstngo

Want an image to share with your post?

Fall 2019

November 19th, 2019

Quarterly Newsletter

The latest news and updates on our programs.

New environmental project kicks-off in northern Quebec

This past spring, 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.

Wayne and Lawrence sitting on a pile of rock that will be used to rebuild a spawning shoal.

Water First staff Jag with interns Wayne and Lawrence.

Richard measuring fish taken from the lake.

Biologist Richard Rowe and Jag talking about the plan for fish sampling.

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.

Watch for more updates this fall as the interns complete the sampling of Lac Astray and another bay of Attikamagen Lake for the contaminant study, and determine future fish habitat restoration sites.

A paws-itive tree plant at Wahgoshig First Nation

Water First returned to Joseph H. Kennedy Public School in the summer of 2019 for more water science workshops and another watershed remediation project. However, when the students arrived at the chosen tree-planting location, the Water First truck was stuck on a muddy road somewhere else.

Without any tree planting supplies, everyone put their heads together to ensure the day would still go on. To keep the kids busy, an Elder from the community ran traditional activities with the students. Meanwhile, some of the staff began a rescue mission to retrieve the tree planting supplies. With the help of many community members, the tree planting supplies, truck and trailer were freed from the mud!

Despite having shovels, some of the students wanted to maximize the number of trees they planted by recruiting extra help: the neighbourhood dogs. The dogs dug holes on command and students planted the seedlings.

Altogether, a total of 800 trees were planted. The tree plant could not have been such a success without the problem solving and collaboration of everyone involved!

Creemore Festival of the Arts

Water First is very excited to be hosting Clayton during the Creemore Festival of the Arts during the weekend of October 5th and 6th from 10am to 4pm.

Born and raised in St. Catharines, Clayton Samuel King is of Potawatomi descent and a member of Beausoleil First Nation. Clayton paints predominantly with acrylics but also works in photography, sculpture, graphite and traditional First Nation crafts. In addition to his artwork, Clayton delivers First Nations painting and cultural interpretive workshops that help bridge an understanding of First Nations art and history to native and non-native students alike. Clayton also performs as a Northern Traditional Pow Wow Dancer.

Learn more about Clayton

Artifishal Screening

On July 25th, Water First took part in a public screening of Patagonia’s newest documentary, Artifishal, at the Station on the Green in Creemore.

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The event was well attended by both the general public and local water stewards, including the Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority (NVCA) and the Nottawasaga Steelheaders. Patagonia and the NVCA are currently working together to protect native trout habitat at the headwaters of the Nottawasaga River.

Artifishal is a film about the demise of wild salmon around the world, and “the high cost—environmental, financial and cultural—of hatcheries and fish farms, and our mistaken reliance on human-engineered solutions.” The film explores the importance of keeping wild spaces wild, and the consequences hatcheries and fish farms have had on human and natural communities that have always relied on the salmon. The film showed both the strength and fragility of nature and the human-nature relationship through salmon over time. It also illustrated that unless something changes very soon, the current practice of industrialized fish farming will cause the complete collapse of wild salmon worldwide.

Salmon and steelhead are keystone species to indicate the health of watersheds because they require cool, clean water to live. The Great Lakes are home to wild populations of West Coast salmon and steelhead, and the Nottawasaga River is an important spawning ground for both species. Our local watershed needs our protection. The NVCA hosts several days each year working with volunteer groups like the Nottawasaga Steelheaders to restore habitat integral to the health of the river.

Summer 2019

August 20th, 2019

Quarterly Newsletter

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.

Read it now

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

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.

Winter 2019

February 12th, 2019

Quarterly Newsletter

The latest news and updates on our programs.

Internship program profiled in Water Canada magazine

The Water First Internship Program was featured in the January/February 2019 edition of Water Canada, a publication dedicated to covering a range of Canadian water issues. In addition to featuring the internship and its successes, Water Canada also included the perspective of one of the inaugural graduates from the program.

Internship valedictorian article in Water First

In addition to featuring the internship and its successes, Water Canada also included the perspective of one of the inaugural graduates from the program. Eric Vautour, who was the valedictorian at the August 2018 internship graduation ceremony, spoke of the importance of the program to him and his community.

Water Tree at Matachewan First Nation

This past October, Water First collaborated with Matachewan First Nation to deliver a series of educational workshops at the local school and a tree-planting field trip in the community.

Water First at AWWAO Conference

On January 29-31, 2019, Water First team members attended the 24th Annual Aboriginal Water and Wastewater Association of Ontario (AWWAO) Training Conference and Tradeshow in Thunder Bay, Ontario.

Two graduates of the Water First Internship program, now Operators-In-Training at their communities’ water treatment plants attended the conference. Water First also had the opportunity to take part in the tradeshow and was a guest speaker at the event’s banquet.

AWWAO acts as a voice for First Nation Plant Operators in Ontario. Among its many objectives, AWWAO promotes the importance of providing safe, potable water to communities, and advocates the importance of maintaining high standards of wastewater operations.

Learn about AWWAO

Students in the Indigenous program at Kirkland Lake District Composite school joined those from the First Nation to plant pine and cedar seedlings in a community garden, as well as a cedar hedge on the shore of Turtle Lake to reduce erosion into the water. Before the kids began their tree-planting, an Elder performed a smudging ceremony and gave a short teaching about the history of the area’s local plants and vegetation.

Water First has worked previously with Matachewan First Nation to restore a traditional walleye spawning shoal in Beaver Lake. After the shoal was successfully rebuilt, signs were installed to both acknowledge the funding for the project as well as to provide facts about walleye, how to tell if a fish is male or female, and the impact of overfishing during spawning time. Leveraging the opportunity created by the fish facts sign, the community created an educational walking trail nearby with signs providing information about the boreal forest and native plants & animals.

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.

Before & after restoring a spawning shoal

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.

March 22 in World Water Day

The United Nations has a goal: clean water for all by 2030. This World Water Day (WWD) is about tackling the water crisis by addressing the reasons why so many people are being left behind. The website for WWD has resources for you to learn more about the problem, read stories about current projects, and tools for use on social media.

Fall 2018

November 4th, 2018

Quarterly Newsletter

The latest news and updates on our programs.

Indigenous youth graduate from Water First Internship program

Ten Indigenous youth were honored on August 20th 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 the 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.

Science Literacy Week

As part of Science Literacy Week 2018 and funded by an NSERC PromoScience grant, Water First collaborated with Saugeen First Nation to host Water Science Days — Watershed Restoration.

This two-day event was held at G C Huston Public School, where on day one we delivered several water science workshops to multiple grades in the school. On the second day, the Grade 7/8 class planted 120 seedlings of white pine, white cedar, and white spruce around the perimeter of a field adjacent to the Mino Bimaadsawin Health Centre and the Elder’s Building. In addition, 40 white cedar were planted along a berm adjacent to the community’s Six Plex. The students had a great time and Water First staff came away feeling thankful for the opportunity to be involved in this amazing educational event!

Schools are getting on board with GUSH!

With the new school year underway, we are starting to book GUSH educational workshops in school boards across southern Ontario.

Last school year, GUSH workshops were delivered over 375 times, reaching over 9,000 students in Ontario. GUSH Workshops introduce Grade 7 and 8 students to the challenges many First Nation communities in Ontario face in accessing safe, clean water. Students gain awareness about specific water challenges in an Indigenous community and have a great time learning science and geography with fun, hands-on experiments, and activities. Editor’s note: We no longer run the GUSH program and now focus our youth education component on Indigenous schools.

Reflections on Water: The Artwork of James Simon Mishinibinijima

Water First is excited to be participating in the Creemore Festival of the Arts this year during this coming weekend of September 29th & 30th, 2018! We will be showcasing one of Canada’s foremost Native artists, James Simon Mishibinijima.

Mishibinijima is from Wiikwemkoong, Manitoulin Island, where we have just completed the inaugural Water First Internship program with great success. Mishibinijima will be sharing his work that reflects water and the Mishmountain art style. He has created a unique body of work over the past four decades which has attracted a loyal following in North America and overseas. In his work he underscores the wisdom of the Elders’ teachings as a way to foster respect and peace. He also emphasizes the interconnectedness of all life and calls upon nations to preserve our natural surroundings for the benefit of our children. The Creemore Festival of the Arts, presented by the Purple Hills Arts & Heritage Society and part of Clearview Township’s Small Halls Festival, is a weekend-long celebration of art — one of the annual events that have made the village of Creemore a destination for creative inspiration and discovery. Take advantage of this unique opportunity and visit the Water First office on September 29th & 30th between 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM.