Donation from Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively trains indigenous Water operators

Eight indigenous apprentices from the Big Island First Nation in Canada received their certifications as water operators in May 2026.

The group completed a 15 month training program organized by the non profit organization Water First Education & Training. Actors Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively donated 500,000 dollars to Water First in 2022 to support the training of indigenous youth. The funding helps the organization provide practical training for young people to become water operators and environmental technicians.

Water First works with community leaders to design training programs that ensure local communities have sustainable access to safe drinking water. The initiative addresses a crisis where one in six indigenous communities in Canada faced health alerts due to water quality in 2026. In the province of Ontario, one in three indigenous communities faced similar issues. The program requires each graduate to complete more than 2,000 hours of practical training and pass four exams to earn their certification.

Rhonda Nash, the operations director of the Anishinaabeg of Kabapikotawangag Resource Council (AKRC), stated that having certified operators is essential for the five member First Nations to achieve self sufficiency. To date, 73 apprentices from 47 communities have graduated from the internship programs and accumulated more than 170,000 hours of work in water treatment plants.