Special guests expand Grade 9s’ knowledge of Canada’s Arctic

Grade 9 students in York’s Integrated Canadian Experience program learn about Indigenous peoples living in Canada, the impacts of colonialism, the importance of Truth and Reconciliation, and life in the North. In February, they welcomed four special guests who helped expand their knowledge of challenges and opportunities in Canada’s Arctic:
  • Carol Devine is the Chief Operating Officer of SeeChange, a social purpose organization that supports community-centred solutions in Nunavut (and the mother of York alums Sasha ‘19 and Veronica ‘22);

  • Dr. Grace Liu is an obstetrician-gynecologist in the Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery Centre at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre who does locums in Iqaluit (and the mother of alum Charlotte Yu ‘25);

  • Charlotte Yu ‘25 is an undergraduate student in Literature and Humanities at the University of Toronto (Trinity College) who volunteered at a hospital in Iqaluit; and

  • William Huffman is the Executive Manager of the West Baffin Co-Operative Limited, an Inuit owned and led social enterprise that produces, buys and sells Inuit artworks.

Ms. Devine told the students and teachers about the ways that SeeChange partners with communities in the North to develop Inuit-led solutions to local health crises. One of the initiatives is designed to eliminate tuberculosis (TB) in Nunavut by 2030. From the 1940s until the 1970s, Inuit people who had TB were forcibly removed from their communities for treatment in southern Canada. This practice isolated people from their families, prevented them from speaking their language, exposed them to abuse in sanitoriums, and contributed to present-day suspicion of the health-care system.

“We have medical solutions for TB, but we realized that we had to understand history, we had to understand colonization, and we had to understand that what’s driving TB today is historical stigma and fear,” explained Ms. Devine.

Since the Obstetrics and Gynecology department opened at Qikiqtani General Hospital in Iqaluit two years ago, Dr. Grace Liu has travelled to the North eight times to perform minimally invasive gynecological surgeries.

“I think we owe it to our fellow Canadians to make sure that they have access to the same health care that we take for granted in Toronto,” says Dr. Liu, who plans to continue providing care for women in the North.

Inspired by her daughter, Charlotte ’25, Dr. Liu learned about the history of Indigenous peoples in Canada firsthand. Charlotte, who completed over 2,000 volunteer hours in high school, recently joined her mother in Iqaluit to serve at the local hospital. Sharing her mom’s interest in women’s health, Charlotte conducted a literature review of articles about human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV is the leading cause of cervical cancer, and Nunavut has some of the highest rates of HPV in Canada.

During a breakout session, Charlotte shared a thoughtful list of things people should consider when volunteering in Canada’s North.

William Huffman, who leads national and international programs for the West Baffin Cooperative Limited and its not-for-profit foundation, participated in the event virtually. He was at the organization’s printmaking studio in Kinngait, Nunavut. Mr. Huffman gave the students a tour of the studio and talked about the role the co-operative plays in creating enhanced opportunities for the Inuit artists the co-op represents.  

Students and faculty in the Integrated Canadian Experience program would like to thank Ms. Devine, Dr. Liu, Charlotte and Mr. Huffman for sharing their experiences and insights with us. Your memorable visit expanded our knowledge of Canada’s Arctic and its people. 

To learn more about our Integrated Canadian Experience program – a unique academic course developed by York School faculty – please visit our website.
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