One wrapped up; one on the go; and one starting soon
Fall 2024
The latest from the Drinking Water Internship Program is here! 🗞️
At the heart of solving long-term water challenges in Indigenous communities are the dedicated individuals gaining the skills to make a difference. With each milestone – from graduation to new partnerships – we’re reminded how vital these partnerships are in building sustainable access to safe drinking water.
8 OTC graduates ready to lead! 🎓
Next generation of water operators ready to enter the field
When Janelle Snache first heard about the Drinking Water Internship being offered by Water First right in her home community of Rama First Nation, she knew it was an opportunity she couldn’t pass up. After returning home from nine years away, Janelle sought a career that combined her love of environmental science with a desire to support her community.
Now, after completing the 15-month program, Janelle and seven other interns from Ogemawahj Tribal Council (OTC) communities are celebrating their graduation as certified water operators.
Leading up to this celebratory moment, the dedicated group of interns participated in multiple week-long workshops. They spent two weeks intensely studying for the challenging Water Quality Analyst exam in May and June, another week exploring careers and employment readiness in early July, and a week on the land learning about the importance of environmental water safety in late July.
Most recently, the group wrote their Class 1 exam – a culminating test facilitated by Ontario First Nations Technical Services Corporation, with support from Water First. This certification is important, as it enables graduates to operate more independently as licensed water treatment operators.
Collaborating with the other interns and learning together has been the best. We’ve gained a new perspective on the importance of water and how we treat it, and I’ll be able to take that knowledge with me into my career.
The graduation ceremony, held in Rama First Nation, was a heartwarming celebration of these passionate individuals’ hard work and dedication. Over 15 months and 2,000 hours of training, both at local water treatment plants and in Water First workshops, interns honed their skills to be able to contribute meaningfully to their communities.
There are many issues that communities may face relating to sustained access to clean water, including infrastructure challenges, source water quality, or barriers to training people to manage water systems – and often 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, and now thanks to the OTC graduating class, eight more have entered the field.
Working with Water First, the collaboration was phenomenal. I would love to see this again – to train more of our community members to be water operators and water protectors. We just created eight new water advocates from our communities, and I’m so proud of that.
A gathering of Water First Alumni
At this year’s Aboriginal Water and Wastewater Association of Ontario (AWWAO) Conference and Tradeshow in Sault Ste. Marie, we held an ice cream social for our Water First Alumni and interns.
What made this year’s conference so special for us? Graduates – at least one from all four internship cohorts – gathered together in one place. It was an opportunity for interns and Alumni to reconnect, share experiences, and tap into the ongoing support the Water First Alumni Network offers, from resume help to professional development. Seeing everyone come together was a reminder of how far we’ve come!
New waters, new opportunities 💧
The Manitoba Internship starts with a splash (and a save!)
In February 2024, Water First proudly took its first step in expanding the Drinking Water Internship Program into new regions. In partnership with the Interlake Reserves Tribal Council (IRTC) and participating communities, our water treatment plant operator training program expanded into Manitoba, marking the first program to operate outside of Ontario.
Since then, interns from seven communities have taken part in several weeklong workshops, including coming together for an introductory week, a week to prepare for and write the Small Drinking Water Systems exam, a week focused on exploring mapping and GIS, as well as a week preparing for the Water Quality Analyst exam.
During one of the workshops, we had the privilege of working closely with two community water operators, who not only shared their expertise with our interns, but also came to our rescue in a moment of need: a Water First team member accidentally flushed the keys to our rental car down the toilet – with water samples needed for a testing activity locked inside the car! Fortunately, the two local operators provided us with new samples from their water treatment plants just in time for the workshop activities. We appreciate their quick thinking, sense of humour, and teamwork!
Up next, the group will take the Class 1 exam this November, and are on track to graduate in the spring of 2025.
In Their Words
Advice from Drinking Water Internship Alumni
This spring, we launched the Environmental Water Internship, a brand new program from Water First modeled after the successful Drinking Water Internship but with a focus on environmental water sciences asked recent Drinking Water graduates Melodie, Austin, and Elijah for some words of wisdom for these new interns. Their advice? Simple: make the most of every opportunity, embrace the challenges, and dive into the hands-on learning ahead!
@waterfirstngo Exciting news! In partnership with Mamaweswen, The North Shore Tribal Council, we're launching a brand new initiative — the Environmental Water Internship. Ahead of the program's launch next week, we're sharing a few words of advice from past Drinking Water interns. To read more about the Environmental Water Internship, click here: https://waterfirst.ngo/what-we-do/environmental-water/ #EnviroWaterInternship ♬ original sound - Water First
Shorter days won’t slow us down 🏃🏼♂️
Continuing to support the building of local capacity
Sustainable access to safe, clean water in Indigenous communities across Canada continues to be a critical issue. Nationally, 13% of First Nations communities are affected by a drinking water advisory, while in Ontario, that number rises to 25%.
Water First works closely with Indigenous communities that have identified education and training as key components in addressing the water crisis. Safe water doesn’t just depend on technology – it relies on skilled people who can operate and maintain water systems. That’s why we’re proud to continue growing our Drinking Water Internship Program, which focuses on equipping Indigenous youth and adults with the technical skills and certifications needed to become water treatment plant operators.
We’ve seen strong interest in the program from Tribal Councils, community leaders, and water operators, leading to new partnerships and expansion. In fact, this fall, we’re excited to launch a new internship program to meet the increasing demand. Stay tuned for an exciting announcement on our next partnership in the coming months.
