2025 Annual Report Highlights
2025 Annual Report Highlights
Safe Water Needs
Skilled People
Water First Education & Training Inc. is a non-profit organization in Canada, addressing water challenges in Indigenous communities through education, training, and meaningful collaboration.
Our work is focused on three key areas: Drinking Water, Environmental Water, and School Water. By focusing on technical training and education for youth and adults, Water First aims to support capacity building, and sustained access to safe, clean water in Indigenous communities across Canada.
Water First acknowledges that its main office lies within the traditional territory of the Petun and the Anishnaabeg, which consist of the Odawa, Ojibwe, and the Pottawatomi nations. This territory is covered by Lake Simcoe-Nottawasaga Treaty No. 18, of 1818. We acknowledge that the work we do takes us across Turtle Island, from coast to coast to coast, where the land is home to many Indigenous peoples. We are grateful for the work we do in First Nations, Métis, and Inuit territories and for the communities we work with.
For the fourth year in a row, Water First has been named a five-star charity in Canada by Charity Intelligence Canada and one of the country’s Top 100 Charities. Charity Intelligence assesses charitable organizations for dedication, transparency, accountability, and results to help donors make informed decisions.
Roll Call
Water First does not identify as an Indigenous-led organization. As such, our Board of Directors, Advisory Council, and Roundtable members provide valuable feedback on our programs and delivery in communities. The Indigenous members of the Board and Advisory Councils, along with Indigenous staff and participants, provide valuable direction and feedback that ensures our work aligns with the evolving needs of the communities we serve. We thank the Elders, water specialists, educators, and community members who play an essential role in guiding Water First through our continued growth.
We asked members of our Board and Advisory Councils about the importance of the work that Water First is doing. Take a look at what they said!
Board of Directors
- Leanne O’Brien, MPAC – Chair
- Ian Heaps
- Teza Lawrence
- Naomi Mandamin
- Robert McMahon
- Gary Pritchard
- Phil Tangie
Indigenous Advisory Council
- Dr. Jeannette Corbiere Lavell
- Bill Assinewai
- Ogamauh annag qwe (Sue Chiblow)
- Jean Marie Colbourn
- Murray McGregor
- Naomi Mandamin
- James Simon Mishibinijima
Multi-Regional Roundtable
- Dr. Jeannette Corbiere Lavell
- Bill Assinewai
- Devin Meenen
- Katy Thorne
- Alex Traverse
Our Impact
18%
20%
Our Impact
Safe water needs skilled people.
The water challenges in Indigenous communities across Canada are critical and complex, fueled by systemic colonial practices and the worsening climate crisis.
Infrastructure alone is not the answer. Water First works in collaboration with First Nations to build capacity and help ensure sustained access to safe water through training and education. From early learning programs that spark a curiosity about water science to robust internships that train adults to become certified water operators and water resource managers, our programs focus on education that supports long-term solutions, water sovereignty, and environmental resource protection.
This year, our staff, the participants of our programs, and partnering communities demonstrated an unwavering commitment to collaboration and success. From the first ever Environmental Water Internship to the scaling of programming into western Canada, Water First’s growth and the impact of our work has been steady, intentional, and most importantly, achieving results. Safe water needs skilled people, for now and for the long-term.
Numbers to Date*
97
126
12,707
176
*All statistics as of October 31, 2025.
287
70
93
186,900
have been delivered through Internship Programs
Financial Snapshot
Financial Snapshot
The work that we do in collaboration with Indigenous communities across Canada is rooted in openness, authenticity, and trust. We want to thank the donors that continue to trust us to move this important work forward and invest in our approach to education and training. Miigwetch.
Expenses
Revenues
Note: This snapshot represents the 2023-2024 fiscal year. Read our most recent audited financial statements.
Collaborative Model
Our Collaborative Model
Relationship Building - Meaningful Partnerships - Lasting Results
Water First works in partnership with Indigenous communities to address local water challenges through education and training, but the most important part of our work begins long before an internship or classroom visit does: collaboration.
Collaboration and reciprocal learning are at the heart of everything we do. We seek partnerships with communities that see the benefit in our programs, and embark on robust consultation before we begin. Nobody understands the evolving challenges and safe water needs of a community more than the people who live there. By engaging with community leaders and our own expert team of Indigenous and non-Indigenous staff from the very beginning, we can help ensure that our programs are successful, our partnerships are built on trust, and the results are long-lasting.
Learn about our Indigenous Advisory Council.
Program Updates
Drinking Water Program
By training and supporting dozens of Indigenous adults in becoming certified water operators each year, the Drinking Water Program addresses the critical need for water science professionals in Indigenous communities. The paid internship helps participants obtain entry-level certifications, and hands-on work experience in water treatment plants. Having local, qualified personnel available supports communities in ensuring access to safe, clean drinking water for the long term.
The First Manitoba Interns Are Now Graduates
After 15 months of hands-on learning and community-based training, 11 interns from seven Interlake Reserves Tribal Council (IRTC) communities have graduated from the Drinking Water Internship Program – Water First’s inaugural internship in Manitoba.
The interns earned a collective 25 certifications, including Class 1 water treatment and wastewater credentials. They each logged more than 2,000 hours of on-the-job experience at community water treatment plants, and took part in technical workshops with Water First trainers. Their graduation marks a major milestone – not only for the interns and their communities, but also for the future of the program.
The ceremony, originally delayed due to wildfires in the region, took place on May 29th in sunny Pinaymootang First Nation. We congratulate the first Manitoba graduates of the Drinking Water Internship and welcome them to the Water First Alumni Network!
Internship Marks a Return to Familiar Region
Water First Education & Training Inc., in partnership with Anishinaabeg of Kabapikotawangag Resource Council (AKRC) participating communities and Big Island First Nation, is proud to announce a new water treatment plant operator training program for local community members. This internship supports Water First’s commitment to help develop these critical projects with communities across the country.
The 2025-2026 internship marks the second collaboration in the region, and is being welcomed by community members and participants alike. In fact, two of the AKRC Interns will be the very first water operators to work at the plant that is currently being built in their community. Safe water needs skilled people.
past year
Environmental Water Program
Indigenous communities in Canada are disproportionately affected by environmental degradation from industry and climate change. Through the Environmental Water Internship and community based projects, the Environmental Water Program works with communities to develop training programs that reflect community priorities and builds capacity for source water protection and longterm environmental stewardship.
The Environmental Water Interns are Now Graduates
The participants of our very first Environmental Water Internship (EWI) are now Graduates!
Launched in July, 2024 in partnership with Mamaweswen, The North Shore Tribal Council, the 15-month program led interns through more than 2,000 hours of technical training, in the classroom and on the land. Working in collaboration with community partners and local Lands and Resource offices, the Internship helps strengthen local capacity for managing water and fish resources and the impact of industry and climate change.
The Internship has received accreditation by Environmental Careers Organization of Canada (ECO Canada), Canada’s foremost environmental employment service provider, and will provide graduates with recognized designations in the water and environmental science field (see below).
Graduates can now become part of the Water First Alumni Network, where they can connect with other past interns and find information related to their industry and career, including mentorship opportunities, job boards, and further certification opportunities.
Congratulations to the inaugural graduating class of the EWI, and thanks to all those who helped support the program.
Now ECO Canada Certified
After a full audit, the Environmental Careers Organization of Canada (ECO Canada) has accredited the EWI through their Environmental Training Course Certification process. ECO Canada provides Professional designations to validate individuals’ skills and knowledge as leaders in the environmental sector. Graduates will receive three certifications that can be added to their professional resumes and recognized by prospective employers:
- Water Quality
- Environmental Data
- Fish Conservation
Graduates will also receive the ECO Canada seal for completion of the entire program, including an Independent Monitoring Project. This exciting step forward will benefit all graduates of the EWI.
School Water Program
The School Water Program aims to spark curiosity and motivate Indigenous students to consider future careers in water science. Water First instructors provide unique, engaging experiences in the classroom and on land, promoting education that merges hands on learning with Traditional Knowledge. Our teaching style is adaptive, flexible, and experiential, with student success in mind.
Hands-on, Feet-wet Learning
Water First embraces a learning philosophy that prioritizes experiential, or land-based learning. From testing water quality to studying fish habitats, every lesson connects students to their environment, while fostering curiosity, confidence, and a lifelong dedication to protecting water.
This commitment means working with the community to include local Knowledge Holders, experts, and teachers in every workshop – because who knows the local environment better than the people that live there? It is this merging of western science and traditional, land-based knowledge sharing that makes the Water First programs truly unique.
And it’s a learning philosophy that works. This approach acknowledges that learning is grounded in community values, customs, beliefs, culture, and history. It takes into account that all students have a different relationship to the institution of education, and offers students the chance to explore and express their interests in learning in a meaningful, collaborative way.
Hitting a Milestone in Beausoleil First Nation
The summer of 2025 offered a milestone fifth year of offering the Summer Credit Course – and the fifth year of delivering the program in collaboration with Beausoleil First Nation and the Simcoe County District School Board!
This program allows students to earn essential high school credits by diving deep into water science concepts in an experiential learning environment. It also introduces students to potential career paths in water science at a pivotal time in their education.
The Summer Credit Course was also delivered to students in Rama First Nation, contributing to a total of 22 high school credits earned this summer. Congratulations to the hard working students, and thank you to the communities that welcome Water First year after year.
during the past year
