The Government of Canada is committed to assisting First Nations in the provision of safe, clean, drinking water and effective wastewater treatment and disposal. Through the Capital Facilities and Maintenance Program (CFM Program), Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (AANDC) provides funding to First Nations for the design, construction, operation, maintenance, and monitoring of drinking water and wastewater systems on reserve.
The Circuit Rider Training Program (CRTP) is designed to provide on-site, hands-on training and mentoring services to operators of First Nations drinking water systems and wastewater systems. Under this program, mentoring services are delivered by Circuit Rider Trainers (CRTs) who provide the training to assist First Nations operators to attain and maintain the level of certification required for them to operate, maintain, and monitor their community’s drinking water systems and wastewater systems
Yukon University employs the regional Circuit Rider Trainer Program (CRTP) Coordinator who is responsible for the delivery of the CRTP program within the Yukon region. The YukonU CRTP Coordinator role includes setting-up CRTP service provider contracts, help develop plans of work, and support activities of CRTP service providers and Water Treatment Plant operators.
To ensure proper operations and maintenance activities and, thus, sustainable water and wastewater systems on First Nations’ lands, AANDC funds the Circuit Rider Training Program (CRTP). Through the CRTP, Circuit Rider Training Program Service Providers (CRTPSPs) are retained as third-party service providers to manage water and wastewater system trainers under the auspices of AANDC’s CRTP.
The goals of the Circuit Rider Training Program include: supporting on-reserve water and wastewater system operators in developing and maintaining the capacity to manage their systems well; improving the maintenance, management and effectiveness of on-reserve drinking water and wastewater systems; reducing the number and duration of drinking water advisories (DWAs); and, helping First Nations communities to exploit the full service life of their water and wastewater infrastructure.