About FOXY

Who We Are

FOXY (Fostering Open eXpression among Youth) is a totally new way of talking with young women about sexual health, sexuality, and relationships. By putting the decision making back in their hands, no one is being told what to do, or what is right or wrong – everyone is being given the tools they need to make the best decisions for themselves.

FOXY uses traditional beading, theatre, digital storytelling, photography, and music to help teenage girls express their knowledge, opinions, and questions about health and love (and everything in between). With a strong focus on sexual health and empowered decision-making, young women and gender-diverse youth across the North get to know themselves a little bit better and learn through the arts.

Since January 2012, FOXY has reached over 6495 youth in more than 41 NWT, Nunavut, and Yukon communities through over 433 workshops and 21 Peer Leader Retreats that have brought together over 546 Northern and Indigenous young Peer Leaders.

FOXY’s mission is to enhance the knowledge, health, and well-being of Northern and Indigenous youth
through the arts.

FOXY’s vision is that by 2025, FOXY is innovative, well-resourced, and adaptive to the needs of Northerners. Our youth
are resilient, informed, and engaged in healthy relationships with self and community.

FOXY’s core values include:

  • Safety
  • Shared Knowledge
  • Intersectionality
  • Connections
  • Northern
  • Openness
  • Culture
  • Self Determination
  • Trauma-Informed
  • Trust
  • Strengths-Based Trauma-Informed Lens

FOXY will fulfill its vision by reaching 6 goals:

  1. Access ongoing, long term funding.
  2. Maintain public awareness and engagement.
  3. Expand within and into Northern communities.
  4. Enhance and maintain high quality trauma informed sexual and mental health education and leadership training programs
  5. Build capacity for organizational sustainability.
  6. Maintain a trauma informed lens for the organization that is rooted in culture.

For more information, check out our Community Reach and the Frequently Asked Questions.

How is FOXY Research?
 FOXY is a participatory action research project, which means youth are involved with all aspects of the project, from its development to its implementation and the evaluation. The research component of FOXY involves looking at the effectiveness of FOXY for empowering NWT youth and facilitating dialogue about sexual health issues in the North. Please contact the Executive Director, Candice Lys, for more information about the research component of FOXY, and check out our published research!

Our Team

Dr. Candice Lys (SHE/HER), Executive Director


Candice Lys grew up in Fort Smith in a very large Métis family, and has lived all over the world, including a brief stint on a ship in the Pacific Ocean. Candice has a Masters degree in Health Promotion and holds a PhD in Public Health. She is an Ashoka Canada Fellow, a mom to Luca & Mira, dog mom to Maple, and an avid almost-gardener.

Amanda Kanbari (SHE/HER), Director of Programs


Amanda was born in British Columbia and moved to Yellowknife after completing a B.A. with Distinction in Criminal Justice. She is an advocate for self-propelled travel and prefers to get around by canoe or bicycle. Amanda once cycled the Pacific Coast from Vancouver, B.C. to Tijuana, Mexico! She has created several youth-focused programs that encourage young people to address inequality and to pursue healthy relationships with the land, with others, and with themselves.

Kiera BR (All Pronouns), Program Coordinator







Kiera is a francophone Canadian who was born in northern Alberta and grew up in Hay River, Northwest Territories. Following a brief stint down south to complete their B.A. in Women’s and Gender Studies and Sociology, Kiera decided it was high time to head home to the North! Kiera now resides in Yellowknife working and traveling with us at FOXY and SMASH. Kiera loves working with FOXY and SMASH because it gives them the opportunity to use both creativity and theory as well as to connect with and empower youth all over the North.  When not at work, Kiera is a serial hobbyist, an aspiring botanist (alas all her plants keep dying) and self-proclaimed nerd.  When asked what they want to do when they grow up, no specific career aspirations came to mind; however, Kiera strives to be the kind and informed adult she needed to turn to for questions as a child for the next generation.

Cassi Atamanenko (They/Them/She/Her), Program Coordinator

 

 

 

 

 
Cassi is a queer, multidisciplinary artist who grew up in Yellowknife before moving to Edmonton in 2015 to attend the University of Alberta. They completed their B.A. with a major in Drama and a minor in Women’s and Gender Studies in 2020, and has since worked in arts-based non-profits as a youth support worker. Cassi is thrilled to be moving back up north and to be working with FOXY, as she is incredibly passionate about education surrounding sexuality and gender identity, as well as both sexual and mental health! 
 

Pyper Rehm (She/Her/They/Them), Program Facilitator


Pyper is a Métis person from Fort Smith, NT now living in Yellowknife, NT. She is currently a student at UBC Okanagan for their Bachelor of Arts degree. When Pyper isn’t working, she spends a lot of time with her family while making and eating amazing food. Pyper loves working for FOXY & SMASH because it helps people learn about their own bodies and how to know when their bodies are telling them what they need. Pyper loves when the participants reach out to say how meaningful their FOXY/SMASH experience was for them. Fun Fact: Pyper has been a FOXY school workshop participant, a FOXY Peer Leader Retreat Participant, and a PEER Facilitator before becoming a Program Facilitator!

Treiva Plamondon (She/Her), Program Facilitator

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Hello, my name is Treiva Plamondon. My pronouns are she/her. I was born and raised in Hay River, NT. I consider myself a traveler, finding my joy in meeting new people and experiencing the things the World has to offer. I thank FOXY for giving me the foundation for being bold and finding what makes me happy.
In 2013 I attended the first ever FOXY Retreat. The whole experience was life changing for me. I remember the realization I had at just 14 years old how uneducated we all were. Sexual health and wellness was not something many teachers are keen to talk about. Thankfully FOXY is a very comfortable and inclusive space to learn. Even though sexual health is their main goal FOXY also helps youth understand relationships and wellness. My journey with FOXY continues, I was given the opportunity to attend the 2015 retreat as a Peer Facilitator and currently I am working with FOXY/SMASH as a Facilitator. I look forward to educating and inspiring youth.

Ziggy Allerton (They/Them), Peer Facilitator (Foxy & SMASH)













Ziggy is an Inuk who grew up in Edmonton, AB; Wolfville, NS; and Iqaluit, NU. They currently live in Iqaluit. Ziggy loves figure skating, photography and filmmaking. They also love to hunt, harvest, and fish! Ziggy enjoys travelling and socializing! Ziggi would like to become an airline pilot who also competes in figure skating competitions! Ziggy wanted to work for FOXY and SMASH because they wanted to help other youth. After their experience in the Call of the North: FOXY & SMASH Leadership Summit, as well as their time at the SMASH Peer Leader Retreat, they knew this was an experience they could share with others.  They love that youth from every Territory in Canada have the chance to learn about Mental/Sexual health through Peer Leader Retreats and Workshops! 
 

Anna Ashoona-Seagrave (She/Her/They/Them), PEER Facilitator


Anna is a Kinngait Inuk who lives in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. She is a student at École St Patrick’s High School. She has been working for FOXY since 2018 as a PEER Facilitator.  In her spare time she like to study philosophy, the evolution of human experience, culture, and she likes to sew. She is trilingual and speaks English, French, and Inuktitut. As an Inuk who is adopted, they are in the process of reclaiming their identity. They believe FOXY is a great opportunity to see the North while gaining work experience. Anna enjoys working with youth and loves walking through this journey beside them.

Shayla Moore (SHE/HER), PEER FACILITATOR

Coming Soon!
 
Lana Sanders (SHE/HEr), PEER FACILITATOR

Coming Soon!

LEX Banksland, PEER FACILITATOR

Coming Soon!
 

Katelynn Gaudet, PEER Facilitator


Katelynn Gaudet was born and raised in Deline, NWT, later moved with her family to Norman Wells and now goes to high school in Yellowknife. She loves being part of the amazing team that delivers FOXY retreats and workshops all over the North. Katelynn believes FOXY helps bring information and resources to teens who need it. In her spare time, she enjoys hanging with her friends and attempting to bead, but can also be found watching Netflix or on her phone.

Savannah Elias-Beaulieu, PEER Facilitator


Savannah Elias-Beaulieu is a proud Inuvialuit/Cree individual from Inuvik, NWT. She likes working with FOXY because it gives her an opportunity to meet girls like her all over the North and to travel to places she’s never been before. Savannah says being involved with FOXY has boosted her confidence and she is thankful to have a chance to work with such a great team! Savannah is a former pageant queen and enjoys hanging out with her friends, visiting with family and going out on the land whenever possible!

Aubrey Slugget (SHE/HER), PEER FACILITATOR

Aubrey is Cree Métis young woman from Yellowknife, NT. She loves being outdoors and being with her two dogs. She also wants to be an OB/GYN when she’s older, so FOXY is an amazing fit for her. Aubrey loves working with FOXY because she gets to learn so much and gets to meet so many amazing new peoples. She started as a Peer Facilitator in November 2021. Aubrey has been to two Peer Leader Retreats so far.