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July 11th, 2023

Jayden’s first few weeks in Windsor

Me, I, am Jayden Kochon from Colville Lake, NT Canada. And I’ve been placed in Windsor, Ontario, which is the most southern city in all of Canada. So far, I enjoy this city a lot, it’s not a big city which I like about it. I do not like big, busy cities due to too many people. Windsor is a beautiful, hot, but quiet, relaxing small, big place. The sceneries around the city are beautiful. You just need to find them, and see the beauty in it to know. 

There quite a few things to do here, but I haven’t really done a lot yet. I went to Devonshire Mall, which is a good decent sized mall. There are all the stores you can think of there. So if you like to shop, there’s a lot of great things you can buy there. There is also a lot of workout gyms throughout the city. Me and my buddy signed up for one called Planet Fitness. I would highly recommend it there. There is a lot of restaurants here, and a whole bunch of different foods. I tried so much foods that we don’t get up north, and all the foods I’ve tried so far were amazing!!!! I would recommend going out to all the interesting restaurants that you’re able to while in a city. Don’t ask questions, just do it. 🙂 

I biked around the city a bit. Not all over, as I don’t know the city. But I biked to the Detroit River, I saw Detroit and it looks amazing at night. The lights of the buildings in Detroit look spectacular from Windsor at night. Not better than my home town though. 😉 It sure is hot here though. July is the hottest month of the year. I do not like the heat at all, as I come from the North pole. But other than that, I’m enjoying every moment here, exploring, learning, and trying out a different lifestyle. 

NYA placed me at a mechanics shop, which is the best job they could’ve placed me at. The place is named Demario’s Auto Shop. There we do most things people want done to their cars/trucks, for example: wraps, car and truck painting, maintenance, and customs jobs. I have not worked in any place like this, and I’m learning a lot of new things about cars, and trucks that I didn’t even think were things. My experience here so far is AWSOME!!! 

I tried goat for the first time, which was all right I guess lol. Very strange. I tried Indian food, which was very good because I love spicy foods. I also went to the gym for the first time, because we do not have a gym where I am from. But any who, it’s a great experience if you haven’t been. 

-Jayden  

November 18th, 2022

Marrisa’s FOXY Peer Leader Retreat

Marrisa Idlout from Pond Inlet was selected as a 2020 NYA Participant. NYA supported her in attending the FOXY Peer Leader Retreat in August.

I am really happy that I had the opportunity in the summer to attend the Arctic Foxy retreat just outside Yellowknife, NWT. I almost did not make it because I was actually scheduled to attend the first retreat however due to flight cancellations and all the connections needed to get from Pond to Yellowknife, I did not make the first one but thankfully the second one.

I am grateful because I learned a lot and it was a really enjoyable time. It was a 9-day retreat at a lodge in the woods beside a lake outside Yellowknife and we had to take a float plane to get there which was fun. I spent the retreat with around 20 other girls between the ages of 14-17 yrs and I was one of the oldest. There were two main things that I learned that are still impacting me today. I learned just how important it is to know what a healthy relationship looks like and what it does not. It was really helpful to explore outcomes and different scenarios through talking and games.

It helped me think about the long term consequences of making sure I am in healthy relationships and just how different my life might be based on the choices I make in whom I chose to have a friendship with. The other main thing I learned was just how important a routine and schedule is to making my life and those I am around me happier. For example, when we are trying to do something together as a group, it is really important to get to bed early and have a similar sleep schedule with my cabin mates. This also taught me a lot about teamwork and communicating together as we got things done better that way and it was more fun too.

One of the things I loved doing every day was to go swimming in the lake. This was something that a lot of the others liked doing too so it was really social and fun. We created a lot of laughs and memories down at the lake. Overall, I really appreciated the chance to travel to another territory and experience a new environment different from North Baffin as well as learn a lot more about myself in a safe, open setting. I felt really comfortable there and would recommend participating in one of the retreats if it is at all possible.

Thank you to NYA and Arctic Foxy for supporting my time there.

– Marrisa

September 7th, 2022

Marcus’ Sea Adventure in BC

Hi! I’m Marcus Proctor. I’m from Fort Good Hope, Northwest Territories. I traveled to Vancouver Island, BC, this summer for my Canadian Summer Placement. I did a 21-Day Sea-Kayaking trip with Outward Bound Canada.

The weather was amazing with mostly clear skies and hot temperatures. The plants and
landscape were very different compared to home. The tall red cedars, mountains surrounding us, various ferns, bushes, and berries, created a surreal atmosphere. The beaches and forests are crawling with life. (I actually thought the rocks were moving away from me, turns out, it was just shore crabs trying not to get squished).

During the three weeks, we spent a week going around Kennedy Lake. Learning how to
maneuver the kayaks, and getting used to camp-life. The last two weeks were spent on the ocean near Tofino. We went around Meares, and part way around Vargas Island.
I learned a lot about myself in the way of emotions, feelings, and relationships I hold close. During the three weeks, I found that dietary changes and times that I eat were things that affected me. I had stomach problems for the first week and felt homesick, but for traditional food. Eventually, I adjusted. I had a lot of time to reflect on different habits, relationships, and how I want to go forward after this summer. I believe during these three weeks, I changed a lot mentally and how I view things are different.

I had a TON of new ‘firsts’ and experiences on this trip– First time traveling out of territory alone, checking into/out of hotels, almost losing luggage, first time kayaking and surfing, seeing/tasting the ocean, and seeing snails, slugs and crabs. Everything was overwhelmingly calming, I found satisfaction in navigating through these experiences by myself. It was empowering in a way.

During the first week of the trip, we were on Kennedy Lake. It was our 4th day, so we were still learning about camp dos-and-don’ts. Another participant and I were having a late-night conversation by the shore while everyone else was sleeping. When we got to the tent, we had forgotten our snack bags inside our drybags and decided to leave it there, instead of putting them inside the kayaks (to prevent smell and animals). About 5 minutes go by and we hear some sticks snapping behind us in the forest. We stare at each other in silence, listening to the bushes rustling behind us. An animal sniffed out our snacks and decided it was gonna come for a midnight visit. It didn’t come into the tent or try to get the food, but it got awfully close and proceeded to wander off back into the woods. Safe to say, we didn’t keep anything food-related near our tents for the remainder of the trip.

This program has impacted me in ways I am still trying to comprehend. It will be a memory I reflect on and hold close for a long time after. I would totally recommend doing this program, if you are willing to commit, participate, learn, and most importantly, are willing to change and share your views and opinions.

I would like to give a huge thank you to Northern Youth Abroad, Outward Bound Canada, Yamoga Land and Water Board, and my community members. This summer wouldn’t have been possible without any of these organizations and people. I’ve had the best summer, filled with many life experiences and a ton of great people from all across Canada.

September 1st, 2022

Kayden’s time at Music Camp

I had the most amazing, wonderful time at the National Music Camp this summer!!! I had a chance to meet a lot of really cool people along the way that shared the same interests and passion for music. I learned many things throughout the program such as the basics of being creative with what notes to play on the spot during my musical improvisation elective, the different harmonies and vocal runs/patterns used for each vocal category (e.g. Tenor, bass, soprano, alto, etc.) to make a musical choir, as well as the different varieties of instruments used to make a song/composition sound the way it should and the different ways to make those sounds appealing to the ear. 

During my 7 day program, we were placed in a camp about an hour and a half away from Toronto, in a town called Orillia, the program was held in a very vast camp full of really great activities apart from the musical experience, activities like a trapeze net, archery place and a couple basketball courts here and there. In terms of the camp scenery, it was beautiful!!! The camp had many different parts where you could just sit down and admire the clear blue lake and the huge green trees, as well as pathways to different areas of the woodlands near the camp itself.  

The first couple days at the camp, I felt very isolated from the other boys In my cabin because I couldn’t relate to them as much as I wanted to or as much as the other boys could because of our differences in backgrounds and lifestyles, but as the days went by, I started to open up about where I was from and just opening up in general, we actually had a couple nights where we just sat down for hours talking about our feelings and just letting it all out, which if I am being honest, I don’t think I would have done without the help from the Canadian program. I got along well with everyone and I became so close with them, we are now all really great buds, each and every one of us!! We had so much fun together during the program, from the time we played baseball with a broom in our cabin, dancing to “careless whispers” outside, and singing Wonderwall in unison both in our cabins and even at the talent show. The boys of 43 (our cabin number) gave me so many great memories that I will never forget in such a short amount of time. The staff also did a really amazing job taking me under their arms and welcoming me into a very scary world I walked into for the first couple days, I am really grateful for that. They also did a really great job embracing our cabin energy and joined in on a couple of occasions. 

I would fully recommend this program to anyone willing to put in the hours to better their understanding in musical education. I really enjoyed my time at this program and I would like to thank NYA for not only giving me the experience I thought I could only dream of in the Canadian program, but to go out of their way to make sure I enjoy the music camp as much as I possibly could.

I really appreciate everything NYA has done from the bottom of my heart. I also want to thank my fellow NYA participants, as they have taught me how to be a more open person and have been there for me while I wasn’t feeling great about the situations I was put into, such as being homesick or feeling like I didn’t belong, they gave me the motivation and encouragement I needed to keep moving forward and I could not thank them enough for that; but I want to most of all, thank them for giving me memories that will last a lifetime. These 2 summer programs that I participated in through Northern Youth Abroad will forever benefit me in ways I could not comprehend to paper in terms of my future. Thank you all for my best summer yet!!!!! 

August 29th, 2022

Emerald with Next

Hi, my name is Emerald Hatkaittuq and I’m from Gjoa Haven, Nunavut but I’ve been living in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories since 2019.

I meant to finish my blog during my participation in the Northern Youth Abroad Next program but I didn’t. So, I guess I can say that I’m an alumni now, pretty cool. The goal of the Next program is to give youth from Nunavut and the Northwest Territories a chance to prepare for college and kind of get an idea of what a college student’s day to day life is like. Which I’m very grateful for because I got to experience what that is like with the support of the NYA leaders and fellow participants. 

During my participation, we stayed at the Algonquin College campus residence in Ottawa. It was nice because College Square is right next to the campus, so shopping for clothes, snacks or going to Tim’s wasn’t a problem. We were placed in a construction class on campus from Tuesday – Friday where we got to build dog houses, including a picture frame. Outside of class, our schedule included assignments, sessions, workshops and volunteering. I got to volunteer at the Ottawa Mission where I cleaned and chopped vegetables but I left early because I ended up not feeling well. I did get to volunteer with Ottawa Riverkeeper where I got to pick up garbage at Centrepointe Park. If I remember correctly, they explained that the purpose of this organization was to prevent micro plastics exposure in the water and environment. It was actually fun, I’m hoping that I can do the same for my community as well. We also got to choose what we wanted to do for our Personal Learning Project, I chose sewing and art. A nice lady taught a few participants and I how to make a bag and properly use a sewing machine.

Other than that, we did get to explore the city during our free time. I got to go to the Rideau Center and Bayshore Mall, which I loved because I love shopping. We walked across the bridge to Quebec and saw the Canadian Museum of History. I got to see Parliament Hill, ride a double decker bus, and train for the first time. We also got to go to Buskerfest and Sound & Lights. My favourite was when we went to the National Art Gallery, I didn’t get to see everything because I stayed in the Canadian and Indigenous section where I got to see a lot of Inuit artifacts. 

I loved every part of this program! If I could do it all over again, I really would. I think the highlight of my summer was during Re-Orientation. I got to climb the high ropes 3 times. The first time I only made it to the second last one. My second try, I made it to the middle and my third try I made it to the top! I was so proud of myself. A year ago, I don’t think I would’ve been able to do that. I also made friends with people I’ve gotten close with over the summer. I miss them a lot. You all have a very special place in my heart. 

I also want to give a big thank you to the NYA staff for giving me this opportunity and for taking good care of us. Your hard work doesn’t go unnoticed. 

Thank you for reading! 🙂

August 9th, 2022

Breanna’s Learning Project

My highlight of this simmer was my Personal Learning Project. It was going to the culinary arts (cooking) with a couple of other Participants. We got great tips from a chef who taught us how to handle a knife properly, different cutting board tips to prevent food borne illness, and what flavours go well while cooking.

I also have met amazing people this summer, and have had a lot of fun. Another highlight of my summer was leading a learning activity of traditional Inuit and Dene games. I found like these activities helped me feel connected to my culture.

August 9th, 2022

Jayanna at NYA Next

Hi, my name is Jayanna Wedawin and I am from Gamètì, Northwest Territories. I was accepted as a participant in 2020 but couldn’t go because of the pandemic. I’ve been enjoying NYA Next so far. It’s a good experience for someone wanting to go into post-secondary. It’s a really hands-on experience.  

We’re currently taking a construction class at Algonquin College, where they’re teaching us how to build a doghouse. I’m enjoying class so far because we’re able to learn from our mistakes and do better next time.  

I also got to take a cooking class at C’est Bon, which I loved. I’ve been really into cooking and was considering going into culinary arts after high school.  

I feel like NYA Next has helped me prepare for college, I’m glad I got this opportunity.  

Jayanna  

August 9th, 2022

Suupi’s Summer in Ottawa

Hi my name is Suupi Idlout and I’m from Resolute NU and I am in Ottawa right now for NYA Next after waiting two years, this group of 2022 is the first group to attend after the lockdown by covid. To be truly honest with you guys I didn’t think I would be here right now but I am and I’m proud of myself. The Participants all work well with each other, we are from Nunavut and NWT. 

We got here July 6, 2022, and everyone else came in really late, they must have been so tired. We are staying at Algonquin Residence; it is my first time staying in college dorms. So far, it’s nice, the residence building is huge it has more room than people in Resolute. There is so much walking and time management. We have to figure when to leave to reach our destination on time.  

We all are going construction class as a group and we made dog houses and we are donating it to humane society and we volunteering at different places. I volunteered at the Ottawa Mission soup kitchen and at Riverkeeper.  Others volunteered at Bottle Works and Furry Tales. At The Mission there are different things that you can help with, but I helped bagging non-perishables groceries for people in need and others helped in the kitchen like opening canned goods and cutting veggies. With Riverkeeper we went to Centrepointe Park to pick up garbage to prevent microplastics in water.  

I was excited for construction and all the activities, but I had to isolate for a week. I didn’t get the chance to build the whole dog house, but I put on shingles/roofing and I loved that. I missed out on swim to survive and going to the beach and I wanted to be in the water but a few days before we went, I caught covid. I had cabin fever by the time I was done isolating and the first thing we had free time, I went to see my dad and my sister. Another time we went to the beach just to watch volleyball and there was a concert there and I had a great time.  

August 9th, 2022

April’s Placement with NYA Next

Hi, my name is April Marie Beaulieu. I’m 22-year-old person from Behchokǫ̀, Northwest Territories. I’m a participant of Northern Youth Aboard, with the Next program. I have a reason why I said ‘person’ and it is because I’m a genderfluid person. 

I applied to be a part of Next back 2019 and was about to travel in 2020, but then the pandemic happened, and I was put on hold for two years and had short time to fundraise but I still made it happen before travelling to Ottawa. This is my second time being in Ottawa since 2018, when I travelled with the Canadian program. 

I’m thankful to be a part of NYA this year because I always wanted to experience life at college before starting to apply and head to college in 2023. I enjoyed my time living at Algonquin College and living in the residence with a roommate. I’m getting used to the city life, for example, taking the bus, trains, walking around downtown and how to budget. 

I did struggle in construction class, but before this I did not have knowledge of power tools, measurements and making a doghouse. However, I did learn by watching the teacher, taking it slow and fixing my mistakes. Knowing the doghouses that we are building will be donated to another organization, I’m happy and proud of myself with the work I’m doing and contributing to a good cause. I was also struggling with the heat since it was something I’m not used to or the tons of walking in one day. 

During our free time, we get to explore the college campus and the college square which is an area full of stores. I’m already getting my way around this campus, maybe considering it to be the college I go to for upgrading next year. I’m gaining new skills because of this program and also learning about other Indigenous cultures. 

With NYA Next, this does help me feel and get ready for the future when I go into further education. My goal is to go for upgrading but also to a college to be an educator for children. I hope when others apply to this program, it will help them know what they want in the future like I know what I want to thanks to NYA.  

Mashi Cho (Thank you), 

April Beaulieu