Hi, I’m Richard Iyago and I live in Baker Lake, Nunavut. I’m retaking grade 12 English, then I’ll be able to graduate. When I first started NYA, I was wondering what all the participants, staff, and placement workers would be like. I was wondering that because the way people treat me is a big part in my life. I also wondered what my work placement would be and where I would be going, which made me feel nervous but exited. This would be the longest I’ve been trip I’ve been away from home and family.

When I went to Ottawa for NYA orientation, the people there made me feel comfortable, when I was feeling insure about my choice in the program. When we went to the camp, it was hot and humid most of the time. While at camp, there were a lot of bugs which I didn’t like. My favourite part of being at camp was meeting all the participants.

Squamish was my placement community; it’s very different then Baker Lake. Squamish had big mountains and lots of trees while Baker Lake has no trees and small hills. There were tons of concrete in Squamish while in Baker, there isn’t a lot of concrete. While I was in Squamish, the large amounts of trees unnerved me a little because they blocked my vision and there were a couple beware bear signs around.

Day-to-day life for me in Squamish was to wake up at 7:00am to get ready for work. Be out the door by 8:10am to catch the bus. If I had time, get a snack and coffee from a nearby gas station. Be at work by 9:00am. Lunch was at 12:00pm. Get back to work by 1:00 pm. Work until 4:00pm then go to the bus stop by 4:18pm.

There are highlights to being in Squamish. The first highlight was going on a big 14-person canoe for a couple hours. Another highlight was going to Britannia Mining Museum where I learned how the miners worked in those tunnels, and the lights and equipment that were used. The last highlight was taking a hike that was about 3 hours to a nearby lake named Edith Lake.

Richard

Hello, my name is Quinten Ross, and I am from Hay River, Northwest Territories. My work placement is in Squamish, BC, which is about an hour’s drive from Vancouver, BC. There, I work at the Squamish Public Library. So far, I’ve spent most of my time there assisting my work supervisor with small tasks such as tidying the bookshelves, locating unwanted novels from the bookshelves and discarding them from the local library system, and helping the Summer Reading Club staff. My supervisor at the library has been so kind and thoughtful, and the other amazing staff have treated me just like the rest of the team, which I appreciate so much. As well, I have enjoyed the pace and quiet, and the sense of independence my work placement has offered, as it has allowed me to work at my best and remain comfortable while living abroad here in southern Canada

Here in Squamish, I live with a host family, Ken and Justin Perry. They’ve hosted northern youth during the summer about 7 times before, so they’re comfortable with the Northern Youth Abroad Canadian program staff and participants. They live on the edge of the hill here in the highlands, north of downtown Squamish. The first thing that caught my eyes cruising around this area through the highlands were the amazing properties and beautiful views down the hill of downtown Squamish; I can see why living here is so costly. Ken and Justin have taken us (my placement buddy and I) to many places, including hikes around the Squamish area, a road trip to Whistler where we visited the Lil’wat and Squamish Culture Centre, a rowing trip with Takaya Tours on the traditional sovereign territory of the Tsleil Waututh People (Deep Cove), and to restaurants where I tried different delicious foods, including an amazing seafood crepe from Crepe Montagne in Whistler. I will for sure have to visit this restaurant again in the future. One of the many things I will for remember the most are the precious and adorable baby raccoons who continuously showed up in the backyard! My host family likes nature, especially the wild birds and animals they feed (like the raccoons)

Thanks for taking the time to read about my experience so far!

Sincerely,

Quinten

Hello! My name is Debbie Ann Mannilaq, I am 19 years old, and I am from Taloyoak Nunavut, which is the northernmost community on Canada’s mainland.

I am currently a participant in the Northern Youth Abroad Next program. Within the NYA Next program, we live in the experience of the Algonquin College residence, we’ve learned how to register for a college program we may be interested in, took a construction class, we’ve learned how to bus our way around the city, worked on time management, how to work as a team and many more skills and knowledge I’ll use in the future. As a group, there are 13 participants, all girls with one guy which may seem weird, but it can actually be very funny sometimes. We have our group leaders Mahasi, Nicole, Patti and we’ve also had Lis but she had left a while ago to work in the office. Anyways, they’ve all been so great and have been keeping us very well.

Over the last 4 weeks, on a day-to-day schedule we’d have construction class every morning from Tuesday to Friday. Within the first two weeks, we were building dog houses that will be donated to animal shelters. On the days we weren’t having construction class, we would have sessions, assignments, volunteered at The Ottawa Mission and bottle works. We also cleaned up garbage at Centre Pointe Park to prevent the spread of micro plastics in the waters and its surroundings. We toured the Nunavut Sivuniksavut College and Carleton University which I found very interesting. A couple participants and I worked on our personal learning project at Furry Tails in a pet smart store. Furry Tails are a place for cats that can be their home until they are adopted or taken when they’ve been abandoned. Even though we’ve just hung out, played with the cats and asked questions about them, I had such a fun time there.

We’ve walked pass the Alexandria Bridge to go visit the Canadian Museum of History in Quebec, watched movies at the Cineplex Cinemas, went to the Fun Haven arcades, rode buses and trains to the downtown city, we passed through and seen the Parliament Hill. My favourite activities were going to the beach, swimming, and mall shopping! I also really enjoyed exploring the city itself.

Down to our last week here, I’ve unfortunately tested positive for covid, so I am isolating with my room mate Shana, who also has covid. We’ve been doing really well, and she’s been very nice and welcoming! I’ll miss her and the rest of the group. As much as I’ve missed home, family, dealt with cultural shock and struggled with the small touch of living college life, I can see myself in the next couple of years working up to my post-secondary education. NYA has been such a great way to give me experience within living in a city, campus life and generally given me the opportunity to travel, which I love doing, far away from home, it is a great program to travel, learn, share and creates memorable times in your young life. So, for anyone afraid or hesitant, just as I once was, to put themselves out there, do it! Whether it is applying for a program, college, or anything that scares you, know that you can or you tried.

Thank you, for taking the time to read my blog 😊

Hi, my name is Henry Nakashuk.

I had a chance to go with the NYA NEXT program and it has been interesting. I got to go downtown of Ottawa, and I got to work for constructions for three weeks. I did some other cool things on my own free time like make new friends and go to Bayshore mall. I also went to the beach and tried some new food at restaurants. Many more things I just can’t explain them all!

My time with NYA NEXT program was amazing, even though I was late for one week. I got to learn so many things. For example, I got know the Algonquin College campus, the places, where I was working or volunteering, about the city of Ottawa and the people you are going to meet. They are amazing people when you get to know them and they can help you with anything. You just need that right person, and you might get new friends along the way or have new experiences that you never thought you can have. But don’t forget this is for training, so if you ever want to learn, you will love the NYA Next Program. Don’t be scared of the challenges, you’ll always have challenges no matter what, so might as will add more that interest you.

Thanks for reading!

Hi, my name is Sky Kalluk,

I am from Resolute, Nunavut. I graduated from high school in 2020 and couldn’t go for NYA Next at the time because of Covid-19. I wanted to join in 2020 so I could learn more about myself, and figure out what I would want to do and see what is right for me is because I tend to change my mind a lot. So far, life on campus had been good, a lot of walking though, I still have to get used to that. The first few days on campus were very confusing because the college is very big. I think it’s bigger than my hometown.

I really enjoy construction right now, making the dog houses were a little hard for a while but i got the hang of it. It helps that I have such a good construction buddy, she’s so easy to work with and easy to communicate with. I think hands on things would be best for me because it keeps me busy. I have a hard time keeping up with assignments so this reminds me of high school haha but if I were to go to college, I need to learn how to keep on track, and I think NYA Next helped me a lot with that.

Hey y’all!!

 My name is Kayden Mercer, I am 17 years old and have lived in my community of Rankin Inlet, Nunavut my whole life. I will be going into grade 12, but have taken some grade 12 courses during grade 11. My territory of Nunavut is the territory found furthest east. It was established as of April 1, 1999 through negotiation, and negotiation alone. I personally found it pretty remarkable when I heard that my elders fought for, and won the right to own the worlds largest jurisdiction against the Canadian government, and did it without shedding a single ounce of blood throughout the process of negotiation! I decided to participate in Northern Youth Abroad because I feel this program will help me gain the attributes and traits that will guide me to become a better, more well-rounded human being, such as being more verbally and socially involved/engaged, as well as being more persistent and morally motivated when I am faced with a difficult task or duty that I do not want to do or feel reluctant to complete.

This summer, I have been placed in New Hamburg, Ontario with my placement buddy Preston. Preston is a really great, lovable character who is always filled with joy and enthusiasm. He is the type of guy you want around when you are in a bad mood as he always finds ways to lighten up your day. All good reviews in terms of my placement buddy!

When Preston and I first got onto the train leaving Ottawa, we both came to the conclusion that this was going to be our first time travelling on a train. We were both pretty nervous the whole ride through and a little (really!!) sad about leaving the other participants behind but I think we did a pretty good job comforting each other. When we got on our second train going from Toronto to Kitchener (our first time travelling alone on train), one of the conductors welcomed us with open arms and made us feel a lot more comfortable about the situation we were in. He was a really nice man and was really interested in where we were from.

When we arrived in Kitchener, we had no trouble locating Barb, Alan and William. They took us under their wing and made us feel like one of their blood related sons. It was honestly one of the most comfortable feelings when they gave us a bike tour around the town of New Hamburg, that was the exact moment I knew I was going to have one of the best summers I possibly could have; not to mention, if their house was a hotel, I would also give 5 stars!! I can’t say enough great things about my host family, they will always hold a special place in my heart long after I wrap up this program.

Overall, I am very happy with my stay in New Hamburg, and I am really enjoying my work placement as well. All the people I’ve met so far at my work placement have been really curious and have been asking a lot of questions about my culture and background, which I really enjoy. In terms of culture, I would say that I haven’t felt too much of a culture shock yet, everything’s been a little different but the same concept applies as in if you get what you give to other people.

Everything is going great for me this summer! I am really thankful I have had the chance to participate in this program. See y’all soon   

Hi, my name is Blaire Nakoolak. I am 21 years old and I am from Coral Harbour, Nunavut. This summer, I travelled to Ottawa to participate in Northern Youth Abroad to gain more experience

I have been in Stittsville with my placement buddy named Verna Kalluk and my host family Christine and Jon Maxwell with their kids Sadie, Everlee and Poppy. I am glad I was able to be with them while staying in Ottawa for orientation. I got to go to Flying Squirrel Trampoline Park and Funhaven to play games, which was fun

This is my first time away from home without any of my family members and this is the furthest I travelled far away from home. I am so homesick and I am starting to feel the effects of it but I am trying to keep myself busy so I won’t be in my room all day. I wish I was home right now to be with my family and my grandma. I am missing my parents, nephew, siblings and grandma so much.

I work at a place called Pottery Playhouse. I assist the supervisor by working with the kids, helping them with anything they need. I also go to the park with the kids and supervisor. There is another staff, her name is Rebecca. She also helps with the kids in the afternoon

Hello everyone,

My name is Preston Manuel and I’m a participant with Northern Youth Abroad. I am from Norman Wells, Northwest Territories, which is near a part of the Mackenzie River, one of the largest rivers in Canada. I was accepted in 2021-2022 and was an alternative until June 3, when I got an email from NYA that they had a position for me, which I accepted. This is a great possibility for my future and it’s teaching me what it’s like in the south, to both work and live there. Although it was hard for me to leave my family, I know that Norman Wells is still the same place with the same people, but this was new for me.

When I was travelling through Yellowknife I met an old friend, which it made me feel a little better. I also met Sunshine and Shavonna, who were great people and made me feel better. But at the hotel, when I was alone, I wanted to go back home. I missed everyone, so I kept watching stuff on my phone and only got a little amount of sleep that day and the day before. I had a great time with my brothers and parents and grandparents but I needed this, so I can be a better person in the future.

So, I focused on the present and after that we got to meet the other participants in Ottawa, including Kayden, my placement buddy, he is a great man if I do say so myself. The four days at orientation were the best time of my life, having fun with the others. In the boys’ cabins the last night we watched some movie, which I fell asleep during because of how boring the movie was, it was still a good movie though. The next day we stayed at a hotel and I took a shower there (because I didn’t want to take a shower in the cabins). It was a great shower.

Kayden and I met our host family after getting off the train in London. I was nervous when I saw them but we met them and it went great. They were nice and kind for me and Kayden and it was a good car ride – I saw McDonald’s. We got home and we met the dog Morgan, who was a hyper dog. But now, after two weeks she’s happy with me and Kayden and now she has calmed down a bit.

There is lots of stuff and I needed to get used to, and I will need to get used to the roads again when I get back home, but this place is awesome. I loved to stay but I can’t. It was a great time watching William’s game of baseball, he lost but it was a great game. On the weekend we went to a farmers market and had breakfast at a restaurant called Jack’s. Everything was great on my birthday, July 10. We went to Niagara Falls, which was the best thing that ever happened on my birthday and everything was great.

That’s all I have, but everything is great. Thank you for listening to me talk about experiences at Northern Youth Abroad.

July 19, 2022

Hi, my name is Verna Kalluk.

I am from Baker Lake, Nunavut. I am 20 years old and this summer, I have been away from my hometown without any of my friends or family members. I travelled for Northern Youth Abroad which is education through work and travel.

 I enjoyed every minute of this trip with my host family, Jon and Christine Maxwell with their kids Sadie, Owen, Everlee and Poppy, and with my placement buddy, Blaire Nakoolak, who is from Coral Harbour.

I have been having a lot of fun with my host family and my placement buddy, Blaire. They took us to Flying Squirrel which is a “trampoline playground”, and we also went to FunHaven where there is a lot of different games, like laser tag that we went and there was a lot of people that joined it as well, I went to a Dark Ride where we sit on a chair and you choose a game of your choice and I chose zombies, it felt real and fun to play.

On Nunavut Day, we had a BBQ with their neighbors. We had around 30 people over and had lots of conversations. Blaire and I did our presentation on that day. Everyone asked questions about my hometown and I was able to answer their questions very well.

I have made a few friends at work and I have been loving Ritual On Main Coffee House. My coworkers have taught me new things like Uber Eats, making cold drinks, heating food and prepping things. I never thought I would experience uber eats and those fancy stuff in my life.

I am looking forward to see the other Canadian and Next participants. I am thankful for the staff for giving me this experience, and I would love to say a big thank you to my host parents Jon and Christine Maxwell for having Blaire and I here in Stittsville and showing us Ottawa.