Vanderhoof opening doors for northern youth

It's not a common belief, but Dene Coey-Simpson has encountered at least a couple of central BC residents who think people in the Northwest Territories still live in igloos.

Part of the Northern Youth Abroad, a charitable organization that provides travel and skills development opportunities to young people from Nunavut and the Northwest Territories, Coey-Simpson and Cole Loutit are in the midst of a month-long trip to Vanderhoof, where they've been working as full-time volunteers.

"I know a couple other students who tried this program and they told me I should try it," said Coey-Simpson. "It's one of the greatest opportunities for a student in the north.

"I'm liking it so far. I like the open space here and Prince George is pretty nice [for shopping and entertainment]. It's like Yellowknife for me."

Coey-Simpson is astounded at the cheaper prices of food and most goods in Vanderhoof as compared to his home, where territorial residents pay more due to the cost of shipping and the great distances involved. "There are a lot of good deals in the stores," Coey-Simpson said. "Business up here must be great."

Now in its 15th year, the NYA program encourages participants to develop leadership skills, cross-cultural awareness and career goals. Loutit and Coey-Simpson will each give at least two presentations to community groups in Vanderhoof, speaking about their culture and their lives in northern Canada.

Coey-Simpson is part of the T'licho First Nation in What, N.W.T. an isolated, mostly aboriginal village of about 500 people built on the shores of Lac La Marte, 164 air kilometres northwest of Yellowknife. An ice road connects to Behchoko, which allows ground transportation in the cold-weather months. Once construction of a bridge over the Mackenzie River is finished next year, there will be a year-round road link to Highway 3. A better transportation network should help the Grade 11 student find work in one of the Northwest Territories' diamond mines once he's acquired trades training. A new diamond mine is opening up near What in the next year.

He's an avid hunter and fisherman and teams up with his father to hunt cariboo to provide a year-round meat source. He's working in Vanderhoof as a volunteer labourer at Rona hardware store, helping with deliveries and stocking shelves.

Loutit is from Hay River (population 4,000), a 481-km drive from Yellowknife in a letter-C shape. A member of the Slavey First Nation, Loutit travels to Yellowknife or Edmonton several times a year and has an even bigger city in his future. Once he graduates high school next year he plans to enrol in Humber College in Toronto to study music. He's a huge heavy-metal fan and brought his guitar with him to Vanderhoof.

"I like it here, it's a friendly neighbourhood, the people are laid back and there are a lot of things to do," said Loutit, 16, who admits he's missing his flat-screen TV, his XBox and his girlfriend.

"A lot of people have been asking about what the weather is like and I tell them it's not that cold because my community is further south than a lot of communities. One person thought it was exactly north of B.C. That's where the Yukon is. They also don't know about some of the delicacies we eat, like beaver tail."

Loutit is working as a volunteer at the Vanderhoof Community Museum.

The boys are living with Steve and Katie Bylsma, who own an acreage in Vanderhoof with several dogs and horses. Coey-Simpson has made it his goal to ride a horse for the first time before they leave Vanderhoof Aug. 8. The Bylsmas were host parents for three years in the Katimavik volunteer youth program and this is their second year hosting NYA students.

"Vanderhoof is big for them, the lifestyle is completely different," said Steve Bylsma. "They like to walk and they walk a lot more than typical people. Our house is about a five-minute drive from town and sometimes they turn down rides, just to get some exercise."

Loutit and Coey-Simpson flew to Ottawa to prepare for their Vanderhoof trip and will return to the nation's capital for a debriefing session before they go home. Each will earn up to nine high school credits for fulfilling the program's commitments.