Hi, I’m David Kalluk, and I’m from Baker Lake, Nunavut, and this summer I’m in St. John’s. St. John’s is such a wonderful place with so many beautiful views. So far I’m enjoying it.

I’ve been exploring the outskirts of St. John’s and these adventures I’ve liked so far, I liked seeing all these amazing views on the hikes. I’ve been to abandoned WW2 ruins with graffiti, I honestly thought I wouldn’t have seen this kind of art but my host family and NYA have made it possible.

I did the Irish Loop with a couple stops, I saw some whales during the loop, and I also went to St. Vincent which is known for whales and is even called “The Whale Playground” but unfortunately we didn’t see any. While at the beach we saw some Northern Gannets that would dive every few minutes to catch some small fish. All these adventures we do always have breathtaking views and without a doubt stunning.

It is such an honor and is something I will take advantage of because this type of opportunity is so rare up in the north. I am so thankful for NYA for giving these types of opportunities to youth up in the north despite how expensive it is.

And I am glad to end up going this year because I have made great friends in the past 3 weeks, I will forever remember these moments with NYA! Having a program that helps build a bridge between schools, post-secondary, and work is so convenient. The work experience we get can and will help us participants in the future. I hope other youth in the north get to experience this like I have and make some memories and gain a very useful experience.