Overview:

Water First is a Canadian charity that partners with Indigenous communities to address local water challenges through education and training.  Focussing on collaborative, long-term partnerships, Water First works with communities that see value in their programming. Water First’s work is guided by Indigenous participants, staff, board members, local partners, and the Indigenous Advisory Council, with a focus on building trust, cultivating relationships, and creating a safe learning environment. Water challenges in Indigenous communities are complex, and while infrastructure alone cannot solve the crisis, supporting the next generation of water plant operators through training and education has been identified as critical to the sustainability of local efforts to provide safe and clean drinking water.

Topics to be discussed:

• Who we are: Water First’s mandate, history, and collaborative, community-guided approach.
• Why we exist: The context of water challenges, including boil water advisories.
• Our programs: Details of the School Water Program, Environmental Water Program, and the flagship Drinking Water Internship Program.
• Drinking Water Internship: Program focus and components providing wrap-around supports.
• Program impacts: Benefits to communities; previous and current internship locations, and sustainable outcomes Future plans: The Alumni Network and the expansion of programming into new geographic areas.

Host:

Samuel Shannon
OMWA Technical Director

 Samuel is the Director of Infrastructure and Operations for the Municipality of North Middlesex. He is a municipal infrastructure leader with experience in engineering, asset management, and public works operations with experience in both large and small communities. Samuel brings a practical, field-informed approach to infrastructure planning and service delivery and is actively involved in sector leadership through his role serving on the Board of Directors with the Ontario Municipal Water Association. He is committed to building resilient municipal infrastructure that supports community growth and long-term sustainability.

Speaker:

Krysta Wordock
Manager & Instructor

Krysta is an OACETT Certified Environmental Technician (C.Tech.) who graduated from Mohawk College with an Environmental Technician Diploma and from the University of Guelph with a Bachelor’s degree in Geography. Her passion is water treatment and she has worked in different Ontario municipalities and industrial settings as a Class 2 Drinking Water Operator, as well as a Class 1 Wastewater Operator. She is an active volunteer within her community volunteering with Guelph Environmental Collective and other grassroots organizations. She stays busy with her curling league in the winter and enjoys playing beach volleyball in the summer. Krysta enjoys any opportunity to share experiences and to learn. Working at Water First, Krysta hopes to further her understanding of how to care for water and to share her experiences and knowledge of water treatment.

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