National First Nations Water Leadership Award

What is the biggest need regarding safe drinking water in your community and how do you feel that your work and engagement have helped to address that need?

First and foremost I would like to say I am honoured to be nominated for this award and thank you to the people that took the time to nominate me.

The biggest need is having safe drinking water in Zhiibaahaasing First Nation. Zhiibaahaasing First Nation is located on the largest freshwater island in the world and we have been on a long-term boil advisory for over 30 years. Zhiibaahaasing First Nation is currently without a water treatment plant. In the summer of 2019, Zhiibaahaasing Water Treatment Plant was in danger due to high water levels approaching the building. In the spring of 2020, the building was deemed unsafe as the integrity of the building was compromised due to water levels and high winds. The water plant was decommissioned. A state of emergency was declared by Chief and Council and is currently still in effect.

In the summer of 2019, the winds and high water levels raised concerns for the integrity of the building. I watched and observed the water levels on a daily basis and I had expressed my concerns that the water levels were nearing the building. On the evening of June 29, 2019, the winds were high, so I went to check the plant around 7 p.m. and found the water had washed under the water treatment plant and started to remove the rock supporting the foundation. The holding tanks that hold 13,000 gallons of water sat on the corner where the water had washed away the foundation. The fear was the weight of the water could damage the whole water treatment plant. At this point, leadership was notified that emergency support was required. That evening, E. Corbiere & Sons were called in for emergency support and were on site within 1 hour of the call out. That weekend and in the following weeks, loads of rock and armoured stone were delivered to protect the water treatment plant from future damage from the rising waters. A new break wall and raising of the ground level was completed during the summer and into the winter months.

During the spring of 2020, the concern was there again from high water levels and wind. The wind was so powerful that Chief and Council declared the water treatment plant, that was built in 2013, structurally unsafe.

Once Chief and Council declared the State of Emergency, the community was without water. No drinking water, no water in the cisterns and no deliveries. We were able to quickly reach out to MChiigeeng First Nation for support. We hired Bright Water Services out of Kitchener to deliver water from MChiigeeng First Nation 3 times a week and 2 to 3 loads a day. We also had to provide clean drinking water to each home. Culligan Water was obtained to bring drinking water once a month to the community. Each home was equipped with a water cooler to support the jugs that they received. Currently, Culligan is still providing water delivery.

During this time, I worked alongside my Chief and Council, Band Manager, ISC, First Nations Engineering Services Ltd. and BI Pure Water to get a temporary water treatment plant in Zhiibaahaasing First Nation. The plan was to have a sea-can built as a portable package plant to ensure Zhiibaahaasing had water in the community. A distribution line was placed in the ground to connect the package plant to the low lift station that pulls water from Lake Huron. The package plant arrived September 3, 2020.

Training for the package plant started in December 2020. Training was for 2 weeks with the operator from BI Pure Water. Once the training was finished, the first load of water was delivered on December 25, 2020. With this new package plant, it was imperative to have 2 operators on site while water was delivered via truck to each cistern, to monitor the PLC and ensure there were no alarms during hauling.

Now, Zhiibaahaasing First Nation is waiting on a new water treatment plant and distribution system. This new system will get Zhiibaahaasing First Nation off the long-term boil water advisory and allow for removal of all the cisterns from each home and community building.

What is your favourite part of your day-to-day work within your community?

My favourite part of my day-to-day work within Zhiibaahaasing First Nation is ensuring we have clean drinking water and showing trainees and community members the processes of the water plant. Teaching my knowledge to other operators is the most rewarding, knowing I can share my knowledge. Troubleshooting and cleaning the instruments are some of the ways I teach my trainees, along with completing in-house water samples. Hands-on learning for myself and other trainees is the best way to learn water treatment.

What message would you like to share with others as a way to encourage engagement on safe drinking water and water leadership within their community?

Four times a year in Zhiibaahaasing, we host a water ceremony with our elders and women take the lead in these ceremonies for our clean drinking water. We host these 4 times a year to ensure our community takes this time together to honour the water and discuss issues we have with water in our community. We take this time to say Miigwech (thank you) to the water for letting us have clean drinkable, fishable, and swimmable water. Having leadership at these ceremonies shows the commitment towards water and gives them an understanding of the water processes.

I would like the leadership to respect operators and respect the knowledge we hold and the pride we take in ensuring our water is safe. I would also like leadership to promote water and waste water jobs in their communities. I would like to see more female operators in this field as they protect and care for our waters. I would like to see 1 female operator to every male operator.

What is the biggest need regarding safe drinking water in your community and how do you feel that your work and engagement have helped to address that need?

I don't believe the need for safe drinking water really has words to put on it. It is imperative for all communities to have access to safe drinking water. Treaty #3 communities continue to work towards safe drinking water for all Treaty #3 communities and the work of Treaty #3 Territorial Planning Unit looks to continue to protect the sources of this water across the territory. Having baseline data, the assertion of Anishinaabe law and relationship to Nibi (water) provides the foundation to moving forward collectively to benefit the Anishinaabe Nation in Treaty #3.

What is your favourite part of your day-to-day work within your community?

The Territorial Planning Unit working in Treaty #3 territory takes great pride to work with the Anishinaabe Nation in Treaty #3. The leadership and Elders of the nation continue to provide guidance and feedback as we move forward together in order to protect the lands and water of the 55 000 square miles of the territory. What is especially important is the work with the youth to bring this work forward, as it will be them who carry this work forward in the future.

What message would you like to share with others as a way to encourage engagement on safe drinking water and water leadership within their community?

I think the message to share is to reflect on your own relationship with water and think of water in all forms. This is drinking water, lakes, rivers, rain, snow and many others. How does water connect with you on a day-to-day basis. And look into where your drinking water comes from. The impact of where the water you drink comes from can have far greater impact than just what we see coming out of our taps. To move forward we all have to work together in order to protect Nibi (water) for future generations. Nibi has a spirit; Nibi is life; Nibi is sacred; we honour, respect and love Nibi.

What is the biggest need regarding safe drinking water in your community and how do you feel that your work and engagement have helped to address that need?

All people need access to safe drinking water - from town site residents to rural residents in Maskwacis and Pigeon Lake. A filtration system that best suits the water wells that supply the town site and upgrading water distribution lines to get all boil water advisories off from rural residents. Through discussions, data collection and planning, we've formed a priority list in addressing these issues.

What is your favourite part of your day-to-day work within your community?

Being able to work with people from different departments and neighbouring communities. For example the Nipiy committee, Maskwacis Health Services, Technical Services Advisory Group, Battle River Watershed Alliance, Urban Systems and local contractors. I also really enjoy troubleshooting when problems occur.

What message would you like to share with others as a way to encourage engagement on safe drinking water and water leadership within their community?

The message is bring more awareness to schools and community members regarding water, from both an Indigenous point of view and a technical point of view.

What is the biggest need regarding safe drinking water in your community and how do you feel that your work and engagement have helped to address that need?

I feel the biggest need in any community is having competent, trained, certified operators. My job consists of training, mentoring, plant inspections, troubleshooting with the operators and plant maintenance/repairs.

What is your favourite part of your day-to-day work within your community?

My favourite part of the work day would be hearing from the new operator about their successes and problems that they solved during the course of the work day. Their ability to predict the results from process changes and attention to the trends before and after. When new operators start telling me when the plant will shut down and start up, and have a good idea on water flows used for the day, it tells me that they are paying attention to what is going on with their plant. They also ask questions on noises or anything different that they have noticed. Even though we have disagreements at times, we still keep in touch on plant issues and the outcomes. It is good to have this interaction with the operators as we both grow for the better.

What message would you like to share with others as a way to encourage engagement on safe drinking water and water leadership within their community?

I would say by having school and public tours and being involved in career days in the community so they know what one is doing at the water treatment plant. Posting the results of weekly community bacteria results. Attending community meetings so the public knows what, if any, issues you are having. For example, plugged collection lines due to grease being put in the sink, leaks in the community or any info that may affect the water quality.

What is the biggest need regarding safe drinking water in your community and how do you feel that your work and engagement have helped to address that need?

A number of issues come to mind. A competent, trained operator, an operational system, and access to equipment and supplies, as we are in a remote area. I feel I am a valuable asset to my community, as I am trained and I continue with my schooling.

What is your favourite part of your day-to-day work within your community?

My favourite part of day-to-day work within my community is the open communication and camaraderie between the members and the staff. It is such a small community, and ongoing support and feedback keep us all on the same page. Communicating educational updates, such as hot water tank maintenance or water cooler cleaning instructions, emergency issues such as water conservation when the community ran out of water, water line breaks or hydrant flushing. This builds up trust and respect for all involved – a lot of people want to rip a hole in you, but you have to always be respectful. We do try our best as trained operators, but we are not perfect.

What message would you like to share with others as a way to encourage engagement on safe drinking water and water leadership within their community?

My message to encourage others in the water industry is to keep up with your schooling and to know and respect the people and the community you work for. The choices we make, whether it be right or wrong, we learn from it – from career or personal business that are put on to us. For myself, being a woman in the industry is not rare but upcoming, I see more and more, and that is a good thing. Women in trades and the workforce is empowering to the whole family, to their community and employer.