Life on campus

First off I’m going to introduce myself, my name is Marthajoy and I live in Pangnirtung Nunavut. Myself and another participant came to Ottawa late since our flight kept getting canceled due to the weather back home. Otherwise when we finally made it here it was at midnight and we didn’t get to meet everyone right away. We didn’t make it for the orientation, therefore I was pretty overwhelmed on my first day since everyone knew what was going on when I didn’t. But throughout the week the leaders and the staff were helping me catch up on what I had to do, and explained everything I missed. Life on campus is pretty interesting, why? Because we’re getting an idea of what it would be like if we went to college and how it would be living at the residence/dorms. At the residence you share a room with a buddy but you get your own bedroom.

What I’ve done/experienced so far

Be ready for all the things that you will do when you get here:) I got very exhausted by the end of the first week, but the leaders gave us time to rest on Sunday. On Mondays we have cooking class, and from Tuesday to Friday we have construction classes. We also did a lot of fun things in between, we had a tour at Algonquin college and Carleton university so far, but we’ll go on another tour this week at Nunavut sivuniksavut. We also went to the theater, took swimming lessons, watched the parliament light show, volunteered at the beach for HOPE volleyball, and we also visited the nature museum. We take the bus everywhere we go as a group, but there’s also a lot of stores close to the residence like the college square mall, McDonald’s, Tim hortons, and a convenience store.

What I enjoyed the most so far

I really enjoyed volunteering at the beach. We were taking down the volleyball nets. After that I got to watch a couple volleyball games and played just for fun with the other volunteers, some of them also went swimming. I’ve never experienced anything like that before, there were a lot of people, all kinds of canteens, and loud music playing everywhere. But to be honest I really miss my time alone. But it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try it out! You’ll have tons of fun and you’ll miss your time alone at the same time. It’s a very good opportunity to learn and experience new things!

My name is Alexa Ivalu from Igloolik, Nu. I am placed in Halifax, Nova Scotia. I’m working at the Discovery Centre, as an organizer. I’ve been enjoying my trip here so far.

So far, I went for a trip to PEI with my host family, and my host buddy and I went to the amusement park and went for rides. Such as the ferris wheel, merry go ‘round, the roller coaster, paratrooper, bumper boats, and the go kart.

On Canada day we went to go watch the fireworks down near the beach and they were so close and that’s what made it big. I had fresh squeezed lemonade for the first time, and it was delicious.

The next weekend we went to Cape Breton and stayed at the mountains. My host family and I went for a hike on the Skyline Trail, and I was sweating the whole time. Anyways it was amazing seeing the edge of the skyline, had very little of breeze the whole walk. It was a 7.8 km walk to the edge and back. It was awesome to get to experience that.

My host buddy and I went to go see the Indigenous games 2023 earlier today. Although I was soaking just walking out like 2-3 minutes, it was a good time. Saw a bunch of Indigenous hand-crafted sales, they were unique. My host family and I are planning to go North American Indigenous games opening ceremony tomorrow at the Scotia Bank Centre.

I’ve seen all sorts of motor bike being ridden on. Some as a group, and some riding alone. Some loud, and some not so loud. Everything is so different down here compared to home, so much streetlights, so many people, so many buildings, etc.

There is so much opportunities here, and NYA gave me this excellent opportunity. People here are so much more friendly than people back home, and I like it. My host buddy and I start to find everything funny when it’s nighttime and we’re not sure why.

Hey I’m Felicia Elanik and my home community is Inuvik, Northwest Territories. I have been staying on Vancouver Island in Campbell River, BC. This place is so different then my home community there it is so humid here and the mountains and valleys are so beautiful with the ocean. The tress are huge! The water is so blue and teal. There are so many hills that I have to walk up and down to get to work. My workplace is with Laichwaltach Family Life Society. I work in Little Fry daycare, and I absolutely love it here. My coworkers are so nice and friendly. The kids of how I will miss the kids so much, they are so kind hearted and cute!

On this trip I didn’t spent one whole weekend in Campbell River yet. My host mom Debbie is just the best and always bringing us places. The first weekend we went to Port Alberni, and then I got to head to Nanaimo to spend time with a friend. That following weekend we went Long beach in Tofino and then go Toquart bay to spend the night with May Debbie’s sister. Last weekend we went to Victoria which was a beautiful drive. Our last weekend we are gunna stay local and visit the site seeing places here.

This place is so different from home. There are underground places. The plumbing is underground also. We don’t run out of hot water or water in general. So I can take a shower for a hot and the water will still be hot! And the prices are so different. When I first went shopping I was so amazing on how much I got for so little, and there is so many selections. It can take forever to get to the store with all the traffic and the width of the city. I’m glad I’m placed in a smaller community then a huge city. BIG plus is that there is barely any bugs which is amazing! I’m not getting eaten up by misquotes. So when we are at a restaurant Layla orders from the kids menu. So the funniest moment was when we were at a bbq and Layla said “I don’t like be called a child.” Debbie’s stepped in and said “what do you order from?” And she spit sprayed her tea all over we sure had a good laugh.

My name is Marisa Idlout, I’m from Pond Inlet. I’m one of the participants rom NYA NEXT. All the hard work these past few years to take part in the program, is so worth it. To experience so much in just a few weeks, especially on a college campus is just so rewarding. I’m learning so much, I feel so prepared to go to college.

Some of the important things I’m learning so far is time management, getting things done on time, working in a group, communicating in a group, and budgeting. Orientation went by so quickly, with ice breakers, sessions, and games. We have so many things going on just this past week, and just spending time with the group is so amazing, getting to know each other and just living together, I’m so grateful I got a chance to go on this program.

On Monday July 10 we had a really helpful Campus tour of Algonquin College, it was great to know how to navigate on campus and I really loved the tour. I haven’t had a PLP (personal learning project) or had volunteered at The Mission yet, but I am so excited to do

both. These past Monday’s we had culinary classes at 4pm-6pm and so far, I love it, I think it’s fun to learn little important details not everyone probably knows in baking or cooking, even though we had done only two classes.

Im getting used to having a routine, busy schedule, living on campus, and adjusting on getting to classes on time, as well as going places through public transport. Our entire group has construction class in mornings on Tuesdays to Fridays, I’m so proud of what I made in class so far.

I think our NYA NEXT group is doing well and getting along great, making friends and memories are the best part. On Friday, July 14, we went to the fitness gym in the afternoon on Campus, I got to learn some things about working out with or without equipment. During that afternoon we also got to go learn how to swim/ get evaluated on how to swim. Even though I didn’t pass the swimming evaluation I thought it was fun just to learn.

We also got to go downtown to Parliament, Byword, and Rideau to watch the light-show at 9-10pm and we got time to go shopping and wander around with a buddy which I thought was really fun. On Saturday, we had volunteered at HOPE festival, to take down nets and once we were mostly done a lot of us had free time, we had a chance to go swimming in the lake, watch an artist perform, and play volleyball along with other volunteers.

On Sunday we had a cultural activity for both Nunavut and NWT, I love that we get to learn each other’s cultures with activities within the group. Living on Campus is really fun in general and even though the bus rides or trips are tiring. I’m so glad I get to learn what it is like living down south especially in Ottawa. I’m so grateful for NYA staff!

My name is Eshyla Ekendia, and I am from Behchoko NT. I was placed in Milton, Ontario. My first impression about Milton, is that I thought this town was small but when I got here, I saw a lot of construction of buildings, houses, and some parks around areas I’ve been to so far. The population here is 131,000 people. when we drive out of Milton, there will be less houses and less construction. And outside of Milton, there will be more farms, flowers, trees, gardening, veggies, cows, and horses. 

During my three weeks here, in Milton, with my host family. I’m starting to get use to some places I’ve been passing by through. My work placement is an outdoor operation, where I get to do outdoor, hand ons work experience. My part as a gardening volunteer. I’m learning what weeds that needs to be pulled out of gardens. We maintain plants for those who admires flowers. Knowing that people around town seeing us work, will say we’re doing a great job of taking care of the plants. During my work placement, I’ve been doing gardening for the past three weeks and I’m starting to love it. But not the part where I get tan and around my wrist that shows my watch tan line. I noticed my wrist when I didn’t bother using my watch for awhile. 

My highlight is when we went to the stadium in Toronto, a game of baseball. The team is named Blue Jays, and watching the Blue Jays game was awesome. Seeing those kind games in action is quite new to me. So, I did my best to enjoy the game, and to Blue Jays losing against Red Sox. 

I’ve tried new things, and ate new things. First, I played beach volleyball for the first time. Showing my feet, having connections between my feet to the sand is a weird and funny feeling. That’s something I tried for the first time. Secondly, I tried spicy Indian food. That was yummy and not that spicy but it that good.

Hello everyone,

My name is Lynn Football, I am from Whati, one of the four Tlicho communities in the Northwest Territories. I have completed the Canadian program back in 2019, so this is my 2nd in a long time in 4-5 years. I wanted to do the Next program to experience the college life living on campus, take the bus, and explore.

If I can remember, we went to the mall on our 2nd day here and ate over at the food court, went shopping and walk around for 2 hours. Went to the Canadian museum of nature, went swimming for safety lessons, the recreation centre next door, it has rock climbing, bowling and rec gym to play sports, definitely going for workouts and walking.

A few days ago, we went to the Parliament hill, where we walked around for food and to go shopping, then around 9:30-10pm, we all walked together to the front of the buildings and saw the light show, it was awesome!

We also had this cultural day, where Nunavut showed their unique square dances, and we showed our drum dances as well, pretty cool to show each other our cultures.

So far, I met so many people, they are so funny in their unique ways, I also like their personalities and just being themselves, I would really miss them when we do leave after re-O 🫶

– Yours truly, Lynn Football

Hello My name Koda Amos I’m currently living in Sydney for the NYA Canadian Program. Sydney is a fantastic town, it was my first time seeing an ocean It feels big but yet small I hope you understand. I am currently working at the Salish Sea Centre, the place was small so I was worried that I didn’t get to do much but I absolutely wrong I got to do so much like I got to play and feed the octopus on the first day 😀  It was so much fun being at an aquarium and I got to learn so much, like when a sea star is melting it’s a bacterial disease that is fatal, that turns them into mush.

This is a example of that disease, scary!

We got to go to the light trap. It’s a research about how many Dungeness crabs babies to predict how many they are. There are two species in care one is a crab that has no arms!! Poor guy 🙁

And the other is a fish that has a eye infection, he’s been in quarantine. His name is Leon 🙂

And I got to go into so many different jobs in the Salish Sea Centre, I got to be an Aquarius for the first and second week, the third week I was working in retail it reminded me of my job back at home.

Being a at retail was fun,it felt refreshing and was kind of happy greeting people, I got to do some goofy stuff like putting a stingray plush on my head

It was lotta fun 😀

I am trying to learn the guitar and piano when I got here, surprisingly the host family provided me guitar but we’re still working on the piano part.

Also I was interviewing a person here, she is a Medical Laboratory Technologist, so basically they test out tissue samples and she told me something bizarre, you know an organ called a spleen right? well it’s supposed to be a size of your fist. but she got sent a spleen that was the size of a baby.

Things here is really different than up north, the temperature here is mid doesn’t get too hot or cold, very different from where I am from.

Hi, my name is Kathy Sharky. I am from Kinngait Nunavut, also known as Cape Dorset. I am 21 years old. I was offered to go to NYA for the last 2 or 3 years but I couldn’t go because of the pandemic, and I had to finish the programs I was working on back home but 2023 I got to go to NYA and it has been amazing! 

I had to fundraise $1,500 so I did a dance night for youth at Sikusiilaq Community Hall. I also did grand in your hand and sold hockey pool. When we got to Iqaluit I met a couple people who were also attending NYA, and some of. Them were their first time in Iqaluit so I helped them with which way to go and when to check in.  We enjoyed our time there, we went swimming and did a little tour.  

I have travelled to many places in the past few years and its fun staying in Ottawa for the last couple weeks, I had only passed by 3 times before. I still have to get used to the weather in summer here down south. I have met amazing NYA Staff. DJ, Mahasi, Andrea, Patti, James, Kira, Alissa, Karen and Bec and so many more.  

I speak Inuktitut and it is my first language and I was teaching Andrea how to say yes or no with your eyebrows and nose. On the weekend we went shopping to Bayshore Mall and I finally got what I always wanted to get (helix piecing). A couple of NYA Participants and I with Andrea went to the Mission in Ottawa to go volunteer. The other Participants were cooking and serving food, and me and Andrea were getting rid of bad potatoes, lettuce, and onions – I did my best to not be scared of the bugs. Me and Andrea got along.  

Next, we went to the theatres to watch Insidious the Red Door and it was fun! We did a cooking class and we made what I was craving for! I’m learning what I always hope to learn outside of my hometown.  

Construction is the main thing I love to do, and I’ve learned a lot about blades and saws and cutting, measuring wood and much more.  

I’m proud of myself for attending NYA and learning what I need to learn to be prepared for college. All thanks to my Mentor, my boss for helping me so much with fundraising and assignments.  

– Kathy Sharky  

Hi, I am Christa from Qikiqtarjuaq Nu, and I am placed in Medicine Hat Alberta. So far, I’m enjoying the city life. I really love working at the YMCA. Me and my buddy Alia are getting along so well along with my host parents.

Our second week of being in Medicine Hat, my host parents took us to Drumheller to see the royal Tyrrell Museum and on our way there we stopped by some hoodoo trails and to some mines which is really amazing! After that we stayed in the town for a bit and had some amazing food. And we are planning to go to Banff and Calgary for a visit which I’m so excited about and it’s also in my bucket list to go there!

This is my beautiful friend Harley she been my friend since I came to Medicine Hat. She let me do fun things like go for walks and go to the park and go for a ride with loud music. We are planning to go to the beach sometime this weekend and go for a picnic. Yesterday we went to go play bowling and it was so fun we are together almost everyday and do dumb fun things!

I love my work placement because I get to be with kids, and we do fun stuff together we play lots of games together. The kids are so fun and cute I love my work even when it’s hard at same time hehe!

-Christa!