My name is Sarah Lee-ci Gon and I was placed to stay in Ottawa!

I come from a community called Behchoko in the Northwest Territories, my community holds a population of 1,950. It is also the biggest community in the Northwest Territories!

My host mother Mariamanda stays in a house apartment with her neighbor Lucio. I had to share a room with my placement buddy, Ts’ahlekea.

The neighborhood is very hot and humid, it’s great for the beautiful plants that are planted around the neighborhood! My host mother and buddy went out for sushi on one of the first days.

During my stay in Ottawa, I am volunteering at Wabano Indigenous center. It is a fun and interesting place to be and work at. All the staff and workers say that they like working there. I don’t blame them, I really enjoyed my time volunteering there with them. One my first week, I got to paint chocolate and wrap them. The best part is that they let me take chocolate home to share with my host family. The pictures show my work/art on dark/milk chocolate.

Not only did I get to make chocolate, but I got to join the summer camps! I really enjoyed volunteering at the camps with the kids and staff. My job while at camp was to watch kids with safety and to follow the rules in the Wabano camp as to the place we are at. I really had fun doing it, the staff and supervisor let me have some too as I was with the kids. I went to Flying squirrel (an indoor trampoline/playground.) Calypso (Biggest waterpark in canada.) 

So far, I have made friends with Ts’ahlekea! She is very nice and creative to be around with. My host mother isn’t what I expected at all, in a good way. They both are nice and Mariamanda tries her best to make me comfortable at my stay.

I got lots of volunteering hours and surprisingly spent my entire allowance on the first weeks, but I managed to save more now than the first weeks.

The thing I learned is to have a flexible schedule, anything could happen and change the schedule you are used to. I also learned a few things from the Inuit and Metis nations. It’s called smudging, it’s rude to take photos during the ceremony and I kinda forgot to take pictures afterwards.

The most important thing I learned so far is to save money! Everything is expensive here, you will need to manage your finances for your needs and wants. 

Other than the things I learned. I noticed many things are different here in the south to the north, for instance, there is much more heat than in the north, plus HUMIDITY. All these different things make me want to go home. But instead of seeing the cons, I saw the pros. I noticed how different and clean it was. I like how people made it organized, for example, they have a system with recycling and garbage, there is even a plastic one! 

Anywho, the best thing I did was when Mariamanda told me and Ts’ahlekea about a Japanese festival, I thought it was gonna be cool to check out the cool stuff they would offer at the festival. When we got there, it looked like the festival was set up in a gym. They had animals made out of paper, little games, little pots, jewelry, and Ukatas. It is exciting to wear yukatas with my buddy. We got to wear it for $10 and walk around for 30 minutes in it. My buddy got her name in Japanese, but I didn’t. They kinda took too long with my Yukata. I was kinda upset, but knew I would be able to someday if I came again. Either way, I was happy to be here in Ottawa 🙂

Hello! My name is Kelsey, and I’m from Whale Cove, Nunavut. I’m 16 years old and will be turning 17 on the 21st of September! First of all, I’m truly thankful for my mom for being there for me throughout this program. Her unwavering support and encouragement have been my rock, guiding me through challenges and celebrating my successes. Having her in my corner has made all the difference, and I couldn’t be more grateful for her presence in my life.

I’m also very grateful for NYA, my mentor, and my host family. I really appreciate my host family for welcoming us into her house and making us feel at home. She has been the best and is a lot of fun to talk with. Her name is Catherine, and she’s one of the nicest person I’ve met. She’s also very pretty. Catherine deserves the best in this world, and I know she is an amazing mother. She has 6-year-old twins. The twins love doing crafts! Like making bracelets, necklaces, and other things. That is one of the things I like about them—they make nice bracelets, necklaces, and stuff. They even made a long rope with the little rubber bands.

By the way, the food here is really good too! I got to try Teriyaki, which I’ve always wanted to try, and it’s amazing. Same with the steak and fries at Montana’s. I went to Montana’s with Mahasi in Winnipeg, before going to Ottawa, and I told Catherine about how good the food is. She let us go there for dinner with Jordon and David. It was great meeting up with them. I really hope to keep in touch with everyone as long as possible after this summer. Anyways, I’m very thankful for NYA for allowing me to experience what it’s like here and letting me try new things. The same goes for Mahasi; they helped me and have been really fun!

NYA has helped me gain a lot of confidence and allowed me to experience new things. I even overcame challenges I thought I wouldn’t be able to conquer. Although I’ve been behind on some things and need to improve. I haven’t really felt homesick, but I do miss my family and friends. Besides that, I’ve really loved my time here. The only downside is the heat—it’s too hot for me, especially since I’m from the North. Meeting everyone has been the highlight of my summer. I was very nervous at first and thought nobody would talk to me, but everyone turned out to be so nice.

My first impression of everyone was that they were cool and awesome, and they truly are amazing. My buddy Hailey and I had a blast at the VR experience, which was one of the best moments, along with visiting Niagara Falls. Niagara Falls is very beautiful, especially when it’s lit up at night. I also went to Mississauga for a Jackalope event, and let me tell you, it was a blast! There was a skateboarding event, parachute jumping, break dance performances, motocross action, a thrilling bike competition, and so much more. It was an epic day filled with excitement! Another interesting thing is that the prices in the South are much better than back home. Everything is cheaper here, whereas back home, it’s really expensive.

This summer has been unforgettable, and I’m already looking forward to trying again next year. I’ll make sure to do even better and work harder next time. As for now, I’m still a little nervous, but I’m pretty sure I’ll overcome that by next year.

                  My name is Juliana Irqittuq and I am from Sanirajak Nunavut. Sanirajak is a small town in Nunavut with approximately 900 people. I am participating in the NYA 2024 Canadian program.  I applied back in 2023 and got accepted as an alternate, but I didn’t get a placement in my first year. I did all my winter assignments, and I am now a part of the 2024 Canadian program. 

                  This summer I was placed in Orléans Ontario, which is outside of Ottawa. I think Orléans is such a beautiful little city. I am considering on going here for university. I am volunteering at Chapel Hill retirement residence and I am loving it. I love talking with the elders and doing activities with them such as dance parties, playing card games with them. Going on walks with them. Etc..

My placement buddy is Angelina Netser from Coral Harbour, we are so similar it’s crazy. We often go out to shop or just explore the city. We are often laughing a lot and making lots of funny memories together, my favourite memory with her is when she said she used to be obsessed with Vinnie Hacker and I said “huh? Kisu? (What) vinegar?”. We also went to go watch fireworks downtown on Canada day. I am so thankful for all the help and support I got from my teacher and mentor, Steve, and my best friend Ben. I wouldn’t have made it here without their support.

                  Orientation week was so much fun! NYA did a great job getting us all settled in and comfortable with our new surroundings. We went swimming, and did so many assignments. We even went to Parliament Hill to learn about the government. I learned a lot about how our government works. 

                  My host family is amazing! I feel very welcome in their house, and I share a room with my placement buddy, who is quickly becoming one of my best friends! Honestly, I don’t think I could have completed the summer program without my host family and my buddy. My first few days on my work placement were hard, but I always knew that, at the end of the day, I would be going home to recharge with supportive friends.  

                  My experiences with NYA so far have really helped me appreciate how much hard work it is going to take to become a doctor someday. When you try new things, meet new people and visit new places, there are going to be challenges around every corner. However, my experiences so far have prepared me to better cope with these challenges and to manage the stress and anxiety I encounter when I leave my comfort zone. 

                  I highly recommend the NYA program to any northern youth who want to go to university or become a professional. Transitioning from life in a remote community to a city center can be stressful in lots of ways, but NYA offers a way for youths to do this in a controlled and supportive way. I feel like I have learned and grown so much during my time here, even though it’s only been a few weeks! NYA has been a truly transformative experience. I have gained valuable skills and expanded my horizons in ways that would not be possible otherwise.

                  For youths from remote communities, NYA provides a unique chance to explore new environments, meet people from diverse backgrounds, and learn about different cultures. This exposure fosters a deeper understanding of the world and oneself, helping to build empathy and resilience. The program’s focus on leadership development and community engagement equips you with practical skills and experiences that are highly valuable both personally and professionally. Whether through volunteer work, skill-building workshops, or cultural exchanges, NYA encourages participants to push boundaries, embrace challenges, and discover their potential.

                  Overall, NYA isn’t just about learning new things; it’s about personal transformation, building lifelong connections, and becoming a more confident and capable individual. It’s a testament to the power of experiential learning and the positive impact it can have on young people in remote communities.

Thank you for reading.

Hi my name is Jacob Ihakkaq I am from Kugaaruk Nunavut

Here’s an image of my community.

My placement buddy is Pat Nadli Gargan, and we are in Windsor for the summer.
Windsor is a beautiful place but can get temperatures up to 30°, Windsor is right across Detroit Michigan people here are very nice and kind.

My host family, my placement buddy and I went to Wasaga Beach and we went to Base Bordon the largest military base in Canada.

I work at Habitat For Humanity Restore Windsor Essex and what I do there is paint houses, fix fences, and help people with their homes.

What I do for fun is just help out my host family and my neighbors, go shopping and go swimming. My favorite things about being in the south is seeing big buildings, shopping, going to the gym and going swimming.

My name is Angelina Netser, and I am from Coral Harbour, Nunavut. I am a participant in the Canadian program by Northern Youth Abroad(NYA)I am placed in Orleans, Ontario for the summer. Orléans is a beautiful place filled with wonderful and friendly people. There are many great places to visit, and the food is delicious. The weather in Orleans is hot and humid on a good day, and some days are warm and rainy.

I volunteer at the Bairn Croft Residence Services, where they provide care for people with disabilities. I am helping team leaders with supervision of the clients during community outings and group activities in the classrooms. This opportunity is eye opening and life-changing.

My placement buddy is Juliana Irqittuq from Sanirajak Nunavut, and we are so happy and excited to spend our summer together and explore the city and try new things.

I have been here for three weeks now, and I am enjoying every second of it. My host family is very kind and welcoming to us, and I am very grateful for all the wonderful things they do for us.

There are so many things you can do in Ottawa. I have been to the movie theatre, three different malls, the water park and an arcade. I hope to visit more places before I leave. My favourite part about this program is meeting new people and learning about their cultures, gaining new friendships and skills .

I am proud to be part of this Canadian program! It will leave an indelible imprint on me. It will also motivate me to make a difference in my community, and I will inspire others to join this program. I would not have been able to do it without my families support, my mentor/teacher, host family and of course the NYA staff.

Hello, My name is Josephina I’m from Clyde River Nunavut and I am 16 years old.

I am one of the 2024 NYA participants, I’ve been placed here in Campbell River, BC along with my buddy Keira. Campbell River is located in the East Coast of Vancouver island, it’s known as the Salmon Capital of the world. It has beautiful mountains and huge trees all over. So far we’ve been travelling all over the island, we’ve went to the capital city of BC Victoria, Courtney, Nanaimo, Port Alberni and Tofino While on the road I have been so amazed with all the big beautiful mountains. . We went boating back in Victoria and we caught some crabs and some prawns, it was an amazing view being in the water. I am super thankful for my host mom Debbie, thanks to her we’ve been travelling all over the island and getting to try new things! In a few weeks I am heading to Vancouver through ferry to go spend a night my mentor Gen! My mentor has helped me a lot and not only with nya assignments but with my personal growth, confidence and my leadership skills. She has encouraged me, supported me and helped me through a lot. I am super thankful to have her as my mentor, thank you Gen. 

For my volunteer placement I originally was placed in a restaurant called Dockside fish and chips for a while and I loved it there! I had very welcoming coworkers, they were amazed about the fact that I am from Nunavut and they had tons of questions. The restaurant was right on the dock so there would be some seals coming up, there was 3 regulars that would usually come up their names are Timmy, Jimmy and Kimmy. While I was working there I did some food prepping, serve customers, clean and help around the restaurant but sadly their schedule didn’t meet up with mine so I had to get moved. I got moved to a sport and swim summer camp for 7-12 year olds I am one of the youth leaders in training we teach the campers about teamwork, personal development and self confidence. At first I didn’t really like the job since I’m not really a person who’s good with kids, but I am getting used to it and getting close with my coworkers and the campers which I love. We do some fun activities in the morning and after lunch we go swimming everyday. Being one of the L.I.T (leaders in training) is helping me better my leadership skills, selflessness, decision making and problem solving. 

 Northern youth abroad has impacted my life for the better in so many ways. They have so many programs for young adults who live up north, it is a seriously good opportunity you don’t wanna miss! The fun part of it is you get to make lots of friends with all the other participants during orientation. Surely being away from home can be hard sometimes but remember home is not going anywhere and there are some coping strategies you can do to ease your homesickness, for me that works best is just being busy to keep my mind of a it and just getting out of my comfort zone.

Hello, my name is Bryce Itturiligaq, I am from Naujaat, Nunavut. It is a very small community that holds about 500-600 people.

My experience in New Brunswick has been a very fun time. I went out to a trampoline park with my placement buddy Rick and placement mother Julie with her sons Milan and Damon and his friends. It’s been a long time since I went on one, so after an hour of staying there, having fun, I felt like it was my first time.

In Ottawa, it was extremely hot, but I went to my host family with my friends and host mother, which had air conditioning, so I cooled down very quickly.

I work at 3D property management, which works on maintaining houses and making sure they’re in living order. My work placement is very chill and relaxed, especially my coworkers, they love to talk about their day-to-day experiences. They also have a quick debrief at the end of work, telling the others what they did, how much work they did for the day, and how where they were working.

My host family is very chill as well, they have three dogs that love to bark at people when they enter their home, so they don’t mind much when I get loud. Also, their sons also are loud when playing games, so they pretty much got used to loud sounds. I’m usually quiet when playing games, so I’m not going to get a noise complaint when playing games, I only get loud when I see something very funny, which makes me laugh out loud, but I try to stay quiet most of the times anyway.

Hi, my name is Keira. I am 17 years old and I am from Cambridge Bay, NU. I am apart of the NYA 2024 Canadian program, my buddy is Josephina from Clyde River and we are located in Campbell River, BC. We are loving the Island, it is absolutely beautiful. I applied for the 2023 Canadian program and got accepted as an alternate, I did enough work to gain a spot in the 2024 Canadian program. Originally I wasn’t sure if I was going to accept because I like to spend the summers on the land, I am happy that I chose to come down to do this NYA program instead of going camping lol.

I was able to meet a lot of cool, new friends, explore new places and experience things I never have. From the moment Josephina and I came to Campbell River, we’ve been going on road trips all over the island with our host auntie Debora and our host cousin Joshua! We went to the Nanaimo mall, explored beautiful Victoria, Port Alberni, Tofino, we even went to Long Beach!

It’s great to try new things, now I have life long friends and memories. It got super hard going into the 2nd week of being in my host community because I miss my home but I am still pushing through. My work placement was at little fry daycare, but it didn’t work out for me while being there. So now I am at the restore habitat for humanity.

I am grateful for this experience and want to thank everyone who has supported me, helped me with my assignments and most of all Nya staff members for being patient with me and all the other participants. I also got to see a few family members here on the island, I haven’t seen them for about a decade, so it’s great! Couldn’t have done it without my mentor Tiffany Picketts, so a huge thank you to her!

Hi, my name is Hailey Pijamini, I’m from Grise Fiord, Nunavut. My placement buddy is Kelsey Sheetoga from Whale Cove, Nunavut. We were both placed in Oakville, Ontario with our host family, Catherine and her two twin boys, and they have three pets, two cockapoo dogs, who are named Leo and Parker, and a little rabbit, Harvey.

Oakville is so different compared to Grise Fiord, there’s so much greenery and man made buildings. Their stores are really big, and there’s just so many that I can barely count.

I have been volunteering at a kid’s activity camp, Frontline Outreach, and their mission is to serve, and help others serve the disadvantaged with dignity, humility and compassion.

It’s been great working with Frontline Outreach, my supervisor, Kelly, has been super nice ever since I started volunteering. And my co-workers seem like fun people, one time we all played a game called Mafia, it’s a game where you’re assigned a card, and depending on the card you get, you can either be a Mafia, Doctor, Cop or Civilian, and it can get quite chaotic.

There’s so much to do in Oakville, so far me and Kelsey have done a lot, like go shopping, go to restaurants or places to eat, we even played VR games twice, we played first person shooters in a place called Zero Latency VR, and a zombie shooting game in another place called Mirage VR.

But the biggest thing we did, was go to Niagara Falls with our host family. Catherine booked us a tour at a place called Niagara Parks Power Station, which shows the history of the power station. They also had a tunnel leading to a closer view of Niagara Falls, and it was a beautiful sight to see, the water caused a rainbow, and you can see the city from the distance.

It’s been difficult making friends in Oakville for me, but I have made great friends with a lot of other participants of NYA, it’s so cool to have friends from all over Nunavut and the Northwest Territories.

Even after all of this, I feel like I would stay in Grise Fiord. As much as I enjoy staying in places like Oakville, nothing can truly replace home. I don’t think I’ll stay in Grise forever, but I want to stay close to my family and friends until I’m ready to live somewhere else.

I’m so thankful for everyone that had helped me get to this point, especially to NYA, my Mentor, and everyone else who helped me get into NYA. I’ll never regret signing up, and I hope future participants won’t regret signing up either. 

Thanks for reading!