Creemore based Tin Roof Global gets federal funding

Bryan Davies photo: Tin Roof Global executive director John Millar shows MP Kellie Leitch some of the hands-on education tools we put in the hands of children in First Nations communities. These battery-powered microscopes are used to take zooplankton samples from remote lakes and examine the live specimens with students in the field.

Simcoe-Grey MP Kellie Leitch was in Creemore June 20 to announce $88,500 in funding for Tin Roof Global.

The Creemore-based NGO received $12,000 through the Science Horizons and $76,500 through the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada PromoScience Fund.

The $12,000 will be used to pay an intern to work in Temagami First Nation, educating school aged First Nations youth about water science. The aim of the project is to develop professional and study skills among high school graduates from First Nations communities.

The $76,500 is to be disbursed over the next three years, to support future work with indigenous communities experiencing water challenges across Canada.

One-in-five First Nations communities in Canada are under a boil-water advisory.

Tin Roof Global executive director John Millar said the money will be used in all aspects of delivering the program, including equipment, staff, travel and research costs.

“It allows us to meet a really big demand,” said Millar.

He said First Nations communities are very anxious to help bring the programs to their communities.

“The needs of the program versus the resources that we have to meet the needs, there’s a pretty big disparity there so it gets us closer,” said Millar.

“Tin Roof Global is committed to the future development of not only water sciences but educating our youth,” said Leitch. “This funding will help provide First Nations youth hands-on science based activities in class and in a field setting as well”.