In 2022, Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively gave $500,000 to Water First; four years later, the Canadian charity’s latest graduating class included eight newly certified Indigenous water operators

In 2022, Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively donated $500,000 to Water First, a Canadian charity that works with Indigenous communities on water education and training. Four years later, the organisation marked a milestone: eight Indigenous trainees had graduated from a 15-month programme as certified water operators. The graduates completed more than 2,000 hours of hands-on training and passed the exams required for certification, according to Water First. Their achievement points to the long-term purpose of the 2022 gift, which was intended to help more Indigenous young adults train for water-related careers. The donation did not solve Canada’s drinking-water challenges on its own, but it supported a locally focused approach: building skills so communities can strengthen their own capacity to manage water systems.

A donation aimed at local training

When Reynolds and Lively announced their donation in March 2022, they said it would support Water First’s education and training programmes for Indigenous youth and young adults. The funds were intended to help train water treatment plant operators and environmental water science technicians, as well as introduce school-aged students to water science. Reynolds described access to clean drinking water as a basic human right and said the couple valued Water First’s focus on training Indigenous adults to become certified operators and technicians. Their contribution supported a charity that works alongside communities to develop programmes shaped by local priorities, rather than relying on a single, identical solution for every place, as per the report.Water First says its partnerships are built around collaboration with Indigenous communities. Local leaders help identify needs and shape the training, with the goal of developing expertise within the communities themselves. That approach recognises that the challenges facing one water system may differ from those affecting another.The need for trained local operators is one part of a wider picture. Communities can face issues involving infrastructure, water quality or a shortage of people qualified to operate treatment systems. Training does not replace necessary equipment or investment, but it can help communities build the people and knowledge needed to manage water systems over the long term.

Eight new operators graduate

The latest group of graduates completed a Drinking Water Internship run through a partnership between Water First, the Anishinaabeg of Kabapikotawangag Resource Council, participating communities and Big Island First Nation. The eight graduates celebrated their achievement in May 2026. The 15-month programme combined classroom learning with practical experience. Each intern completed more than 2,000 hours of hands-on training and wrote four exams required to earn Water Operator certification. The work prepared participants for the responsibilities involved in operating drinking-water treatment systems. The graduates are now equipped to pursue careers in water treatment and related environmental fields. Their training can also benefit their communities directly, particularly where local residents are needed to operate and maintain water facilities.One graduate, Brandon Penner of Big Grassy First Nation, said the programme pushed him beyond his comfort zone and helped him recognise what he could achieve through commitment. He also spoke of a deep connection to the natural world and a desire to protect it for future generations.

Why local operators matter

For many communities, having trained local people involved in water management can make a difference to both daily operations and long-term self-sufficiency. Water First’s announcement quoted Rhonda Nash, director of operations at AKRC, saying that certified operators were needed for the council’s five member First Nations, which include seven separate communities, two of them remote. Nash said the goal was to ensure access to clean drinking water while creating employment and enabling community members to operate their own treatment plants. The model links technical training with local jobs and community capacity.That work is important because water systems require skilled people to monitor processes, respond to problems and maintain consistent operations. The graduates’ certification gives them a professional foundation, while their local knowledge and relationships can help connect technical work with community needs.Water First says its internship alumni can also access continuing career development and education through an expanding professional network. That support matters because training is not a one-time event. Operators may need ongoing learning as their responsibilities grow and water-management challenges change.

A continuing water challenge

The graduation comes amid persistent drinking-water concerns in Indigenous communities across Canada. Water First’s May 2026 release said 16% of First Nations were affected by a drinking-water advisory, with the figure rising to 32% in Ontario. The charity cautioned that the issue is complex, involving different combinations of infrastructure, source-water quality and staffing needs.Those figures help explain why the organisation focuses on partnerships and locally designed programmes. No single intervention can address every cause of unsafe or unreliable water. Communities may need infrastructure improvements, source-water protection, technical expertise and sustained funding, often at the same time.Water First frames training as one part of the solution, not a substitute for broader action. Developing local expertise can help communities operate systems and strengthen their ability to respond to challenges, while wider infrastructure and policy needs remain.

Building skills for the long term

The eight new operators are part of a growing network. Water First reported that 73 interns from 47 Indigenous communities had graduated from its internship programmes to date, logging approximately 170,000 hours working in local water plants and attending workshops.Those numbers represent more than training hours. They reflect the development of experience that can remain within communities and support future generations. A certified operator can help a community manage a water system today, while also becoming a mentor or resource for others pursuing similar work.Reynolds and Lively’s $500,000 donation helped Water First expand its capacity to offer hands-on training to more Indigenous youth and adults. Four years later, the graduation of eight operators shows one concrete outcome of that broader effort. The donation was one contribution among many, alongside funding from government programmes, community partnerships and other supporters.The water challenges facing Indigenous communities are far from resolved. But the new graduates represent an important step towards local capacity, skilled employment and stronger community involvement in water management. Their certification gives them tools to protect a resource that communities depend on every day, and helps keep the work of building a more sustainable future close to home.