01-40_WC_149_JUL-AUG26_PT - Flipbook - Page 7
11 Indigenous adults join Water First environmental water internship
FOR MANY OF US, summer means getting
outside and enjoying the things we wait all
year for – lounging in the sunshine; getting
our hands dirty in the garden; being out on
the water to swim, boat, or fish. But this
summer will look a little different for 11
Indigenous adults in Ontario’s Waabnoong
Bemjiwang Association of First Nations
(WBAFN) as, together with Water First
Education and Training, Inc. (Water First),
they get out on the land and into the water
for the launch of a 15-month environmental
internship.
Aimed at training Indigenous adults in
WATERCANADA.NE T
critical water and resource management,
the Environmental Water Internship will
include participants from four WBAFN
communities and can lead to jobs in
local Lands and Resources offices and
throughout the environmental sector.
Indigenous communities across the
country are disproportionately affected
by environmental degradation caused
by climate change, industry run-off, and
more. Programs like the Environmental
Water Internship help ensure that
Indigenous communities have access to
training that results in greater independent
WATER C AN ADA •
resource management, from fisheries
monitoring to critical data collection.
“Our partnership with Water First
is helping build local environmental
capacity by creating meaningful
employment opportunities for members
of our First Nation communities.
Through hands-on experience and
mentorship, interns are developing the
skills needed to protect our lands and
waters while supporting community
priorities today and for future
generations,” said Ashley Zelionka,
executive director, WBAFN.
WATER C AN ADA • JULY/AUGUS T 2026
7
