Life-changing experiences for Canadian youth through exchanges 

Aubrey Hawton, a retired elementary teacher, chokes back a tear when recalling a conversation between some of his Ontario students and their exchange partners in the North. He’d asked the northern students what they looked most forward to when they arrived to Ontario. Niagara Falls, perhaps. Taking in a Jays game. Instead, a student said he looked forward to finally knowing what a tree smelled like. 

Experiences Canada is a national registered charity that for 90 years has facilitated youth travel exchanges, conferences, and educational forums for young Canadians. Hawton has personally organized over 20 experiences to date. 

Hawton joined the organization at first as a way to show unilingual English students that French existed beyond their textbooks, and most recently, his exchanges have expanded north, to Inuit communities in Nunavik and Nunavut, Inuvialuit communities in the Northwest Territories, and a Dene community in the Yukon. Almost all the regions, he explains, are reachable only by plane.  

Hawton shares that the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s calls to action on intercultural understanding was a primary reason for his interest in northern communities, explaining that “we try to present cultures interacting with each other.” Because Ontario families host the visiting students, parents and siblings are able to take part as well.  

Sue Heddle came to Experiences Canada through a different route. A former CBC news editor, Heddle founded Hockey Cares in 2017. Alarmed by the number of youths dying by suicide up north, she wrote to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, whose aide told her about the non-profit organization. “Everyone told me that flying a whole team (up north) was impossible,” says Heddle. At $3,500 a child, they weren’t wrong, but Heddle says Experiences Canada’s financial support made the impossible possible. 

A recent Hockey Cares trip brought a team to Kugaaruk, a hamlet of a thousand people. It took two days of flying from Toronto. Getting there took three tries, as the trip was cancelled twice, once after a death in the hamlet. Experiences Canada took on rebuilding the travel itinerary with each change. 

At the welcome dinner, a northern teen who’d lost a friend to suicide just weeks earlier rose to say a few words about how the games felt like a celebration of the life of his friend. “It just goes to show you how this is life changing,” says Heddle. “For both sides.” 

“It is absolutely inspiring to see the transformative impact these exchanges have had on young people for 90 years,” says Gail Bowkett, CEO of Experiences Canada. “Giving Canadian youth the opportunity to explore new communities, experience different cultures and connect with peers across the country helps build a stronger Canada.” 

Schools and youth groups can participate in Experiences Canada exchanges with groups of 10 to 60 participants aged 12 to 17. While applications are open year-round, apply by October 31, 2026 for exchanges taking place before May 31, 2027. Visit experiencescanada.ca/exchanges. 

This story was created by Content Works, Postmedia’s commercial content division, on behalf of Experiences Canada.