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