My name is Hailey Basil-Grandejambe, and I come from Lutselk’e, a small community of over 300 people nestled on the East Arm of Great Slave Lake. My Dene culture and the stunning scenery of my hometown are a huge part of who I am. Being selected for this program and getting the chance to experience Ottawa and the program feels like a pivotal step into my future. This journey south is my first, and it’s already shaping my perspective in incredible ways!
My time with Northern Youth Abroad has been incredible; I’m deeply grateful for this program and everyone who makes it possible. I feel truly seen and welcomed by the leaders, and I’m connecting with so many amazing new people! Learning about the Inuvialuit culture and sharing these experiences has been an eye-opening experience. Our weekly schedule keeps us engaged and learning constantly, even in just this first week. NYA is designed to guide us toward our educational and career paths, and it’s inspiring me to aim higher and dream bigger than ever before. This program is showing me that I can be more than just a girl from a small community—I can achieve anything I set my mind to! I’m so excited about what’s ahead. Being chosen as a participant from over 200 Northern youth feels like an incredible opportunity. I’m eagerly anticipating the upcoming experiences, workshops, events, and activities this month! This is a truly life-changing journey, and I encourage every young person in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut to apply and discover their potential, too!
My personal learning project was with a company called BIG Insurance Group; I chose this because I am interested in the automotive and financial industries. I learned a new job that I thought I wouldn’t do, they insure a lot of cars in the city of Ottawa, Ontario. I learned a lot about how an insurance company operates; they work with a lot of clients, and I learned how to get paperwork done while someone fills out an application. Brian, who was teaching me about the company, showed me how to get around the job.
This year, through the NYA Next program, I also learned a lot more while attending a one-day automotive workshop at Algonquin College, including welding, how to change tires on cars, and much more. To add to that experience, two years ago, in 2023, I was placed in Windsor, Ontario. I volunteered at an automotive workshop at Canadian Tire for 150 hours, working on cars and learning how to properly fix them, complete the necessary paperwork, and understand the process of customers going through Canadian customs clearance. My highlight for this program would be learning and furthering my education about automotive and financial skills. NYA has offered me these opportunities, and it has helped me gain new skills and knowledge of what I want to do. I have always been passionate about cars, and this learning project has helped me explore potential careers in the industry.
Hi, my name is Arthur, and I am from Clyde River. I would like to talk about some of the things I experienced in the South. For my job placement, I worked at a place called Colour Works by Demarios. I am learning how to work on cars, and I also got to do some welding, sanding, and cleaning up around the shop and yard. I also went on go-kart rides, took bus rides, went for walks to parks, and met new people. I also saw a lot of different bugs. The weather is very different in the south compared to my home up north. In the south, it’s very hot for days, and sometimes a lot of rain. In the north, the weather is cold most of the year. In the South, the food is different; it is fresher and much cheaper. You can buy items for cheap, such as pop, chips, energy drinks, and more. Clothes are cheaper, and lots of things taste different here. I visited a nature park called Point Park and took a walk. The South is a very beautiful place to visit.
My name is Edie Rabesca, and I’m from Behchoko, Northwest Territories, which is also known as Rae-Edzo. Behchoko has the largest First Nations population in the NWT. It’s a place surrounded by lakes and stunning forests, but its greatest feature is a community united by language and culture. This summer, I’m participating in the NYA 2025 Canadian Program, something I’ve dreamed of for a while. Although I didn’t get in last year, I was accepted this year after completing my winter assignments. I am so blessed and thankful for this opportunity.
This summer, I was placed in Windsor, Ontario. When I first arrived, everything felt so big and loud compared to home. The heat was different, the streets were busy, and I felt like a tiny fish in a huge pond. We went to Niagara Falls, Point Pelee and the beach, we ate so much amazing food like Greek, Asian, Filipino, Indian and so much more.
I am volunteering at Hesman Athletics, which specializes in fitness training and overall wellness. On top of the gym benefits, they have all kinds of health professionals like naturopathic doctors, physiotherapists, and massage therapists, trainers who help people feel their best. The people there are so welcoming and supportive, and I’m learning a lot about how physical health, mental health, and healing all connect. Although I love helping people and learning new things, the first two weeks were some of the most challenging weeks I’ve experienced. I missed seeing my family, listening to my native language, the familiar scent of the lake and the quiet yet calm feeling of the bush. Some nights, I’d lie awake feeling alone, wondering if I could really do this.
However, things started to get better as time went on. My placement buddy, Millie-Anna from Baker Lake, Nunavut, has been like a light in the dark. We talk and laugh about silly things, explore the city, and try new foods together. One of my favourite memories is when two other participants who were placed in Windsor came over for dinner, and we were all playing with the hose. It was so cold that it kind of felt like home for a moment. We were all laughing so hard that my stomach felt sore, and we all fell to the ground. We had so much fun.
Orientation week helped me feel less alone. We went swimming, attended workshops, and met all the other participants, learning about their way of life. My host family has been incredibly kind, checking in on me and making sure I’m okay. Even though I still have moments where I miss home, I’ve started to see Windsor as a place where I’m growing stronger every day.
Working at Hesman Athletics has taught me patience and empathy. Some days are still challenging, but I remind myself that I’m here to learn, not just about my job, but about myself. This experience has shown me how resilient I can be, even when I’m far away from everything familiar. I’ve realized that being homesick doesn’t mean I’m weak; it means I love my home deeply. But it also means I’m brave enough to leave it for a little while so I can learn new things and bring those skills back with me to share.
To anyone thinking of joining NYA, it’s not always easy. You’ll probably miss home, and there will be days when you wonder why you came. But you’ll discover new sides of yourself, meet people who might become lifelong friends, and come back stronger and more confident than you ever thought possible.
Overall, NYA isn’t just about volunteering or travelling. It’s about becoming someone who believes in their own strength. I’m proud of how far I’ve come, and I’m excited to see what the rest of the summer will teach me.
Hello, My name is Colleen Jar. I am from Coral Harbour, Nunavut, and I am seventeen years old. I am here on a program called Northern Youth Abroad, Canadian Program, and I am placed in Hamilton, Ontario, as my host community.
My placement buddy’s name is Alooq, and we are hosted by a mom with two little girls. I adore them, and they adore my placement buddy and me. Hamilton is known as ‘Steel City’ because of all the industrialization here, having a lot of manufacturing buildings. So far, I am loving it here. I have learned how to use the bus and train system, how to have more tolerance of the humid, hot weather, and how to plan things ahead of time. I have also learned how to distinguish the difference between trash, recycling and composting.
My work placement is Niwasa Kendaaswin Teg, and I love it here. Everyone is so kind and understanding, and I get to spend time with children by playing with them and having lunch with them while also supervising them. I have learned some new recipes in the kitchen while also keeping it clean, how to cook and cut certain things, and how to organize them for the children. In the classrooms, I usually spend time with the preschoolers and toddlers. They are so adorable, always so curious and little. I have learned how to talk with and treat children, and how to prepare food properly for them to eat, and what to do when they have their meltdowns. I have also learned about other Indigenous cultures, languages, and ways here in Hamilton, especially because of my workplace.
So far, I have gone to Niagara Falls, London, Manitoulin Island, and Crawford Lake, and Toronto. I have had fun in all places, having been shopping, swimming, and long car rides.
Niagara Falls, Ontario London, Ontario Manitoulin Island, Ontario Toronto, Ontario Crawford Lake, Ontario
In the end, I am hoping to build long-lasting friendships and connections with others and have had some cultural exchange during my time on the program. So far, it is going well, so I am very excited to see how it goes.
Hi, my name is Rebecca Black. I’m from Gameti, Northwest Territories. Gameti is located in the North Slave Region, specifically between Great Slave and Great Bear Lakes.
I’m forever grateful for the opportunity to participate in Northern Youth Abroad (NYA) in 2025. This is my third time being here. I completed the Next program in 2023 and also participated in the Youth In-Service. Over the years, I’ve met past and present participants, whom I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to meet.
This summer, I was placed in Halifax, Nova Scotia. It’s my first time being here in the city, experiencing new things and stepping out of my comfort zone. I got to explore a little bit while walking to my workplace. So far, it has been great! I’ve travelled to other Provinces before, but never in Nova Scotia.
My host mom, Michelle, has been amazing from the start, when I arrived. She supported me during these past weeks and helped me work on my assignments. She has three cats that are now mine for the summer. Their names are Gracie, Mango and Taro. Taro was a menace from the start. I’m volunteering at Parker Street, the Food and Furniture Bank. Where I learn from staff members and organize the food and bagging items. The people of Parker Street are truly kind and supportive of me while I work there. I didn’t get lost while riding the bus, only once, at the beginning when I started my placement.
These past few weeks have flown by so quickly that I can barely recall the time I spent here. I’m glad I got to spend this time with my host buddy Cadence Arnatsiaq, who is from Igloolik, Nunavut. We went mini-golfing at Halifax Putting Edge with my host mom’s friend’s daughter, who was very kind to take us. And so far, we’ve gone to Peggy’s Cove, where we met up with other participants, Mitchell and Joey. We also attended a Powwow together with an alumnus and a past participant. And went on a few BBQs. I went Kayaking in a lake. It was fun, but not when I dropped my paddle in the middle of the lake.
We went on a road trip to Prince Edward Island (PEI). Michelle took us to the Sandspit amusement park, where we met up with other participants. I really enjoyed going on the rides and having a great time there! I tried lobster and oysters for the first time at Fisherman’s Wharf Lobster Suppers. I gotta say, oysters are not my favourite.
We recently took another road trip to Cape Breton. I got to see the Atlantic Ocean while hiking on the Skyline Trail, located at the top of a mountain. We also went whale watching, but didn’t really get to see any, but I did see seals. It was an amazing experience to have seen it in real life! Back home, we really don’t have any.
Cadence and I got to drive the boat for a little bit. It was overwhelming because of the waves, but it was kinda fun! I’d like to go back someday.
If it weren’t for my mentor, who has been helping me to prepare for this program. I wouldn’t get to experience my summer living on the east coast of Canada. One of the best memories I’ll cherish forever.
Hi! My name is Catherine Pudlat. I am 15 years old. I am from Kinngait, Nunavut. For the past five weeks, I was placed in Milton, Ontario. I was placed with my host buddy Ava Qaunaq; she’s from Grise Fiord, which is really cool. I get along with her very well. And I’m very happy to have met her and consider her one of my friends. Sometimes we talk for a while without even realizing it. And laugh a lot when everyone is sleeping. My host parents are very nice people and very welcoming. Their names are Lisa and Michael. (My dad’s name is also Michael lol).
They have 2 sons who are also very nice people. They also have a very adorable dog named Roo. But I call her rhubarb. Ava nicknamed her that. I had lots of fun down here. Mostly in Toronto. I went to the CN Tower for the first time. It was so cool. But I was a little nervous at first. We also did some shopping in our first week here. Ava, my host mom Lisa, and I have also been watching the Star Wars movies; it’s fun to watch, and I highly recommend it. I also rented a guitar and had 2 lessons at the House of Chords. I had an awesome teacher named Cameron, who is so cool. She is the best teacher and friend, even though we only met twice. We are also planning to go to Canada’s Wonderland, which is exciting. I volunteered at the Art Center’s day camp, and it was a lot of fun. I get to play games, learn and talk to the kids.
I met many nice people during my work placement. And I’m very lucky to call them my friends. I had the pleasure of working with them. Lastly, I would like to thank NYA for providing me with the opportunity to participate in this program and for believing in my abilities. And to my family for allowing me to go down south for the summer, and for helping me with the fundraising. And to people who donated in my community. And to my mentor, Peter, for helping me with my winter assignments. And my host family for welcoming me and Ava, two strangers to their home. And to my supervisor, Sherry, for taking me in. And thank you all for reading my blog/reading my yapping. Bye 🙂
I don’t know where to start, but here’s blog #1 today. Mitchell (my placement buddy) and I, with Natalie, went to the waterfront and saw the blue nose off the bat. It was pretty cool, and we also touched the Atlantic Ocean for the first time! It was cold, but a pretty good experience. We saw ferries and we saw a “battleship” while we were at it! We also went to Peace by Chocolate, it’s a chocolate store from Syria, saw new places, Mitch and I were astonished, mesmerized, plus I was really warm the first day, we couldn’t stop sweating.
Blog #2, it’s our second day here, and I slept so long, which was weird. We also went to Peggy’s Cove to see new things, we went with Michelle, Cadence and Rebecca. We were all amazed, and we took so many pictures. It was Cadence and my dream to go here; we were overjoyed about it. The view was honestly amazing – we couldn’t stop smiling about it! After that, we went home, and I played games to chill. We saw cool old-school cars and modern supercars; our jaws dropped out of amazement.
Blog #3 once upon a day we had a lazy day cause it was a Sunday lol, it was also rainy so we didn’t know what to do, easy day honestly, actually felt rested and relaxed, me and Mitch also did the dishes, also had a self-care day, I couldn’t wait for what’s to come tomorrow, think this is it for the day, I’ll come back tomorrow!
Blog #4 eeeee so excited for today!!! Our first Monday here!! Our first day as volunteers, and so we also made plans for what we’re gonna do for the next few days, SEEING MARISA TOMORROW!!! I CAN’T WAITTT, AHHHH, but today was fun overall. Mitch and I watched a show called North of North, and it had a lot of drama. Natalie went to her son’s baseball game, and Mitch and I took care of the house, getting used to waking up early.
Hey, today’s day 5 for blogging. Today at work, I had fun sorting flashcards. I saw Marisa! Anikan and Mackenzie, too, and we went ziplining! It was so much fun. I myself went to the Halifax shopping centre, bought things with my personal money, and we also went to McDonald’s. We had fries and a drink. We also saw a Corvette (which is my dream car), a Mustang, and a Tesla. It was really warm cause I was wearing all black. Today, I missed my Cousin (Peyton) and some of my friends from Iqaluit, too, but overall, it was fun! I also went roller skating and went biking at the oval!
#6 Today, I went shopping and thrifting with my buddy, saved some money, and it was a fun day. However, I woke up feeling sluggish and went to bed like a zombie. Today, Mitch, Natalie, and I saw a Lamborghini in person; it was really cool.
Today marks blog #7. During lunch, I visited the Halifax Shopping Centre and Dollarama, where I bought a few things as usual. Thought of Ryan today, had lunch after work, we went thrifting. I really enjoyed today, the weather was cool too, which I was happy about. We also did some inventory at work; it was fun, but confusing for me, as I got mixed up here and there. I really admired the weather; sometimes I would think, ‘How would the people see me?’ Some would think of me as a bad influence, or someone they can look up to and rely on, who was really thinking about life, but ultimately moved past it; that’s all for the whole thing. P.S. Joey Simonie, take care!
Hi, my name is Leanne Panika. I am from Whale Cove, Nunavut. The population is about 450. I could say I enjoyed every bit of the trip. There were ups and downs, but I knew I could do it. One thing I want to say is that I’m incredibly proud of myself for overcoming this experience. And most of all, this journey is for you, Steven, and I hope I’m making you proud.
My buddy’s name is Trisha; she’s from Pond Inlet, Nunavut, and I have to gush about her. She’s been my rock, my confidante, and my partner-in-crime. Whether we’re exploring new places or just hanging out, she always knows how to make me laugh and feel comfortable. Her support means the world to me, especially when I’m missing home. She’s always there to lend an ear, offer a hug, or just be a comforting presence. Our adventures to the Sandspit and glow-in-the-dark mini golf are memories I’ll cherish forever, but it’s her unwavering support that truly stands out.
Stepping into my host family’s home felt like stepping into a warm embrace. From day one, their welcoming nature turned a potentially scary experience into an amazing adventure. It’s more than just a place to stay; it’s a home filled with laughter, shared stories, and genuine connection. I’m so thankful for the love and connection I’ve found here. My host family has shown me the true meaning of hospitality, and the memories we’re making will last a lifetime. This isn’t just a chapter in my life; it’s a story of finding a home away from home.
Prince Edward Island with my host family was an absolute blast! Sandspit’s rides and games were a ton of fun, but the mini golf was where the real competition started – lots of laughs and cheers made it unforgettable. Also, seeing Katrina Dagon and her kids was a highlight, but running into my old teacher made the trip even more special. Catching up in a new place added so much joy, as we shared stories and reminisced about old times. It reminded me of the impact teachers have on our lives. The bravest of all, my host parents and I went into the haunted house, which was terrifying, but we laughed.
Nova Scotia was an incredible experience from start to finish! The ferry ride over was so scenic and relaxing, the perfect way to kick off the trip. The fresh sea air and beautiful views made it a journey to remember. Peggy’s Cove was absolutely breathtaking. The iconic lighthouse perched on the rugged coastline was even more stunning in person than in photos. I spent hours exploring the rocks and snapping pictures, trying to capture the magic of the place. The quaint village nearby was also charming, with its colourful houses and friendly locals. The boardwalk was lively and full of energy. With great views of the harbour, cool shops, and plenty of tasty treats, it was the perfect place to spend a morning/afternoon. The most unforgettable highlight is seeing Brad Marchand’s old house in NS! lol
