Blog

July 10th, 2025

Millie’s summer in Windsor, Ontario

Hello my name is Millie-Anna Aaruaq. I am from Baker Lake Nunavut, Baker Lakes population is just under 2,500 people. I am here in Windsor Ontario with a population of 422, 630 people, that is a lot of people but I am here because of the the Northern Youth Abroad program, I was lucky enough to get selected as an alternate last year and got a chance to go this year.

I was placed in Windsor Ontario for this summer and oh boy do I love it. Windsor is by the border to the US, so I got to see Detroit that is across the river. What I love most about Windsor is where my host parents live, they live near a golf course so when the sunset comes I just sit in the backyard and watch it. There are many places to see here in Windsor and I’m not done exploring the city.

My job placement is at the downtown Windsor Community collaborative (DWCC) and I love it! I work in the Good Hood kitchen for 3 hours then I work with the summer camp with kids for 4 hours. I love this placement because I am indoors and outdoors, my co-workers from both the kitchen and the camp are awesome, my favourite part of the job is working with the kids.

My placement buddies name is Edie and she is from Behchoko NT. Edie and I get along very well, we joke around a lot and tease each other. I realize when she not around that I get bored and miss her, We have some things in common.

My host parents are amazing!!! They would do anything for Edie and I. They have taken us to Niagara Falls the first weekend with them, I loved every moment there. They provide so many wonderful things for us and I love them so very much, it’s home away from home when I am with them.

This experience is beyond words! I am so grateful to be here, there are so many things that are available to me here in Windsor. I’ve been swimming, I’ve been to point Pelee which is the most southern part of Canada, I’ve been to many new restaurants, tried a lot of new foods and many more to explore while I’m here.

If you are looking for a life changing experience then I would highly recommend this program! NYA is all about what you can see and do in your life, I was so nervous to come and be away from home for this long but there are wonderful staff and great people to help you get through this. It may seem like a long time but trust me it’s not long enough for me, NYA helped me find the person I want to be in the future. NYA has helped me step out of my comfort zone and live my life without being nervous or scared about anything.

June 23rd, 2025

2025 Canadian Program Orientation

We have just finished our 2025 Canadian Program Orientation! 20 young people from across Nunavut and the NWT came together to get ready for their summer placements. We learned about what to expect from the summer placement, how to deal with homesickness and adjusting to new places, First Aid and Workplace Safety, culture, leadership, and much more!

The Participants have now travelled out to their Host Families in Ontario, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Manitoba, where they will volunteer and experience being in a new place.

Wish them luck! Check back in on the blog throughout the summer to hear more about their adventures.

September 18th, 2024

Applications opening soon!

Applications and recruitment materials are on their way to schools, hamlets, and recreation coordinators across the North! We will be opening applications to our 2025 programs on October 2nd.

On October 2nd we will open our online application and will start accepting applications by email and fax. Any youth living in Nunavut or the NWT who will be 15-20 years old on July 1, 2025 can apply. There will be one application for the NYA Canadian and NYA Next program, which will be due November 13th.

August 13th, 2024

Ili’s summer with NYA Next

Hello, I am from Behchoko and my name is Ili Gon. I am 18 years old this year and the reason I joined the NYA NEXT program is to prepare for college, experience new things, and meet new people. Before going to Ottawa, where the NEXT NYA program was held, I was feeling nervous and had many thoughts.

‘Am I even able to go?’

‘Am I too late with my fundraising assignment?’

‘What if being somewhere else at the beginning of the program made me not able to go at all?’

Were some of the thoughts I had. Before leaving for Ottawa, I was somewhere else other than where I had intended for me to be picked up from, but it didn’t matter in the end as they easily accommodated for me just changing the location I left from.

When I met the group who were all going to Ottawa with the chaperones, I felt shy and nervous. I have been dealing with personal issues in maintaining relationships, and I had become somewhat of a hermit. However, those concerns did not matter in the end, as I was able to form friendships within a week.

So, imagine you’re an 18-year-old who’s used to being independent and doing your own thing. But now, you’re in a situation where you have to follow strict rules and have a buddy system. It’s not easy, right? You feel frustrated and upset sometimes because you want to be more independent. But you know that the rules are there for your safety and the safety of others. So, you try to adapt and make the best of it. You learn to let go of the negative emotions and just enjoy the moment. Some people might think that’s not a healthy way to deal with things, but it works for you.

It was exciting for me that the first fun activity here was a movie night, even though I was the only one who went. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to watch a scary movie, while everyone else went to the mall. I thought it was great that they provided options for everyone and still accommodated my desire to go to the movies, allowing everyone to do what they wanted. This was definitely the most enjoyable experience I’ve had since arriving here.

After that, I embarked on a journey of self-discovery, seeking knowledge and understanding of what would be beneficial for me if I were to reside in a new location on my own. This involved learning about the city’s transportation system, the proximity of grocery stores and other essential establishments, and the general layout of the area. However, it was not all about practical matters; we also engaged in enjoyable activities together. Among my favorites were an acting workshop, a group outing to the movies (which also had an arcade), and a particularly memorable trades class that proved to be the most entertaining of all.

I would highly recommend this experience to anyone looking to gain valuable skills and knowledge. You will learn about college life, navigate the city, and meet new friends who can guide you on your journey to becoming the most confident and capable version of yourself. Additionally, you will have the opportunity to engage in enjoyable activities that will contribute to your personal growth and create lasting memories with new friends and acquaintances.

August 12th, 2024

Megan’s Summer in Halifax

Hi, my name is Megan Rose Noolook. I am from Arviat Nunavut. I am a participant in the Canadian program by Northern Youth Abroad (NYA). I am placed in Halifax, NS for the summer. Halifax is a beautiful place with wonderful and friendly people. I volunteered at the Parker Street food and furniture bank. While I was volunteering at the food and furniture bank I have helped with the food for the community, my co-workers were so supportive and helpful when I needed help with things, they were so kind, funny and most fun people I worked with over the summer. I enjoyed my time working with the food and furniture bank over the summer.

The things I find difficult in the south was having to pack lunches for work as back home we would be going home for lunch. What I also find difficult is finding jobs back home but in the south you can find a job a lot easier then you can back home. Another thing I found difficult was going to other places in the city but it gets a lot easier once you get use to being in the south for a while.

My second weekend me Angela our host mom and one of her friends went to P.E.I for the weekend on Canada day. While we were in P.E.I we went to sandspit amusement park and we also went to a museum called Ripley’s Believe it or not and wax museum. We also went to Cape Breton, in Cape Breton we went for a hike at the skyline trail. It was foggy when we made it the the skyline but it was also nice and windy while going for a hike but I also wished I saw mountain’s. Afterwords we went for a drive on the Cabot trail.

I have been enjoying my time in the South and I am thankful to NYA for helping me have this experience.

August 12th, 2024

Angela’s Summer in Halifax

Hi my name is Angela Tassugat and I’m from Pangnirtung Nunavut. This year I’m living in Halifax Nova Scotia, my host mom is Michelle Martin and she has four cats. My placement buddy is Megan Rose Noolook and she’s from Arviat Nunavut.

So far I have liked it here in Halifax and I am going to miss being in the city. My placement work is at the Discovery Centre where I help all of the camp workers with the kids that go to summer camp. Some of the camps that the kids did is make slime, planting tomato seeds, go to the park that is close by the Discovery Centre.

My fist time taking the bus was okay but I had the get used to the crowd that also take the bus. One time I had an anxiety attack, but now I got used to the people and I’m happy that I got used to it. Some of the things I’ve seen and went to is we went to Peggy’s Cove and we saw the famous light house. The next day after going Peggy’s Cove we went to the Dartmouth open street event.

On our second weekend we went to PEI for the weekend we went to Cavendish and we were staying at cottages. Megan and I went swimming a lot, also we went to a wax museum and I liked it there after it we went Ripley’s believe it or not. We also went to Anne of Green Gable’s, went on a walk at the beach, we went to Sands spit Amusement park. We were in three provinces in one day, we went from Nova Scotia to New Brunswick and then PEI. Big thank you to NYA for allowing me to have these experiences that I never thought i would ever experience

August 12th, 2024

Sheena’s summer with NYA Next

Hi my name is Sheena Bonnetrouge I am 16 years old and I’m from Fort Providence NWT. I wanted to join NYA to experience what’s outside of my small community and what opportunities are waiting for me. The first 1/2 weeks I wanted to go home and didn’t think I would make it to the end of the program, I wasn’t used to getting up early, always being on my feet, and just always being busy it was all new to me. I came into the program not really knowing what to expect, with only knowing it would be challenging. After a while I realized it was good to have a schedule and be busy. I would still apply for the program if I know what I do now cause it helped me be more open minded and productive, having more emotional control, how to be a better leader (even if I choose not to be one someone will always look up to me), and also helped me with social and communication skills which I set as one of my goals for the summer. NYA helped me realize I can set goals and achieve them, I also decided I wanted to go to Algonquin collage after I finish high school.

We also did some volunteer work at the Mission which is a place that feeds homeless people. We prepared condiments in containers for them and a couple of them from the group got to serve with the cooks. We also went to a garlic farm, who donates the money they make to a local hospital. We helped them pull, clean, and cut the garlic over a few days which was such an amazing opportunity getting to be apart of that.

I would also like to take a minute to appreciate all my new amazing funny and energetic outgoing friends I met over the summer. They helped me step out of my comfort zone and encouraged me to do the best that I can do. When they see someone is stepping out of line they let them know what they are doing wrong and what they should be doing and that’s a really good group skill we developed over the summer and I’m really gonna miss them all, we had a lot of fun over the last few weeks.

I also got to experience a Chinese cooking class and it was such an amazing opportunity to learn how to cook a couple different meals I wanted to learn. Cooking is something I discovered I want to continue learning more about when I get home and further in the future. Lastly I would like to thank the NYA staff who helped us over the summer I know it wasn’t easy but they did their best to understand each and everyone of us. A big group of 14 for only a couple group leaders at a time can be a lot, so thank you for that and also helping me understand myself more and not giving up.

August 3rd, 2024

Pat’s summer in Windsor

Hi, I’m Pat Nadli-Gargan and I am from Fort Providence in the NWT. I’m a grade 10 student and I’m spending the summer in Windsor Ontario with NYA working at an auto body shop. This is what my workplace looks like. This is an experience I will not regret taking.

This is my buddy Jacob he is from Kugaaruk and we spent the summer together and now he feels like my brother – we got along so much. I want to say thank you to my host family for taking me, and for taking us to all the places that we have never seen, even though Darren works so hard all of the time.

Thank you to NYA for selecting me and showing me this experience. I am so happy that I applied for this program because I changed so much during this time. My future goal is to travel the world and try to find a good job. I also plan to graduate high school.

My favourite things this summer was going to Canada’s Wonderland and Re-Orientation. I want to say thank you to Darren, Adam, NYA, and Lois for encouraging me to apply.

August 3rd, 2024

Mackenzie’s Summer at NYA Next

Hi my name is Mackenzie porter, I am 17 and I am from Gjoa Haven, Nunavut.

So far it has been more than 2 weeks in Ottawa with 14 other participants. Everyday NYA next gives us the chance to experience things we seen only on the tv, and challenge us to gain more knowledge about the city and real world. But from my own experience and how I feel, I have been loving it a lot! People say that Ottawa is very boring but I personally think it has a lot more than my whole territory. And a whole lot of opportunities, and places to explore. Being able to finally fly out this far from Gjoa Haven has been incredibly rewarding after the work me, my mentor and family had to do in order to be many miles out of my comfort zone, I appreciate them a lot.

This program has been teaching me from scholarships, how to build a dog house in trades, leadership, responsibilities, self love, expressing myself, using the bus and door dashing lol including the importance of my roots and culture, also learning the challenges and stress of post secondary life can be. But truthfully, the true lesson of all is how connected you are to yourself & your community can really uplift you.

I have never been able to work myself this hard until I had the support of my funny, beautiful friends here, especially the leaders here I truly appreciate Hayley, Mahasi and Shantel(etc). Community and helping one another is beneficial for everyone to grow. But still at the end of the day it’s who you want to be, the choices you make that can shape you. The path you choose for yourself, and how far your welling to work in order to get somewhere you want to be ,and who you let in your circle. But yeah, my time here has been so exiting, I love the big trees but the heat can get so intense sometimes.

Also I went paddle boating one hour out of Ottawa with this one family owned company referred as ‘mad river paddle company’ they made me feel very welcomed and I had such a great time. I went to a festival for the first time and tried the rides so many times to the point were I got very sick with my friends. We have been to the Garlic farm for volunteering at least 5 times with Haileigh and Lekesha, we now call it our second home now, as a joke. Many more places in such a short period time I can’t even count everything on my fingers.

I also want to mention that I met this one crazy girl, she taught and motivate me to have self love, make money, and obviously have fun. This friendship is one of a kind, and she is literally the best, she has the ability to make me laugh until I grow abs, and has the most entertaining stories and energy, she truly is beautiful. And I consider us to be two peas in a pod, I am beyond grateful for her and everyone in this program.

That being said NYA has been such a well rewarding educational program, I could never replace this for anything, I will continue to improve and grow as a women. NYA helped me open my eyes, and proved to me that I’m capable of working towards anything I desire.

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