When Aliya lived in Ontario, her daily commute could take 4 hours.
Living in Niagara Falls and working in Mississauga, she'd spent two hours behind the wheel each morning. Then, another two in the evening. The pressures of city life began to affect her health.
“I was going to different doctors, I didn’t know what was happening, I couldn’t sleep,” she recalls. “Eventually we figured out it was all the stress. And I thought, ‘This is not worth it.’”
Today, Aliya’s commute is about 5 minutes drive, or a short walk.
In 2018 she moved to Whitehorse with her family after accepting a term position with the Yukon Children’s Dental Program.
What began as a temporary opportunity became a new life for Aliya, her husband and their three daughters.
Let’s learn about Aliya’s career and life in the Yukon.
Could you introduce yourself?
My name is Aliya and originally I am from Pakistan. I moved to Canada about 18 years ago and studied here. At first I was a stay-at-home mom. Then I went to school to become a dental assistant and later a dental hygienist.
I started my career in Mississauga, Ontario.
What first interested you in dental care?
At the time my children were younger and I wanted something flexible where I could set my own schedule.
Nursing was out of the question because of the hours! I was interested in becoming a paramedic for little while but thought I couldn’t do that.
I started as a dental assistant and I loved it.
Then I went back to school to become a dental hygienist
Why did you move away from Ontario?
Living in a bigger city I was spending 4 or even 5 hours every day in traffic.
For a few years, we lived in Niagara Falls, but I worked in Mississauga because the pay was better in bigger cities.
We could not afford a house in Mississauga and I was stuck in traffic for hours every day.
At the time, my health was getting worse. I was going to different doctors. I didn’t know what was happening. I couldn’t sleep.
Eventually, we figured out it was all the stress and the driving.
And I thought, “this is not worth it.”
I applied for a term position in the Yukon. Some people in my family thought moving to the Yukon was crazy, but my husband was more open to it.
He said, “if you really like it, then maybe we can think about it.”
I really liked the Yukon and we all ended up moving here.
That was 8 years ago.
What's your commute like today?
5 minutes! That was the biggest change when I moved to Whitehorse.
I drive in the winter and in the summer I can walk to work.
What's unique about working in the Yukon?
With the Yukon Children’s Dental Program, we travel a lot. I work mainly in Whitehorse but I also visit communities.
When that happens, we mostly drive. And I actually love that.
In the summer you can see all the beautiful landscapes and wildlife. There are no traffic jams on Yukon highways.
Sometimes, especially in the winter, we we fly to communities like Dawson City.
What is challenging about your job?
A lot can happen when you are in a community!
One time, when I was in Dawson City, the temperature outside reached –50 C. At that point, the propane in the heating system became a gel and we couldn't work.
Sometimes there are these type of challenges. You can be working alone and if a piece of equipment stops working or needs a software update, you have to deal with that.
You have to be very flexible and adaptable.
What do you like about your work?
I like that we can take our time with children.
For example, if a child is nervous, we can bring them in many times. Maybe at first they just sit in the chair.
We get them used to visiting us.
You might not see that as much in a private clinic.
I also like the connections I have made working here.
When I go to Ross River, for example, everybody knows who I am.
I get to see the children growing up.
And it’s nice to connect with people and know them.
What do you like about the Yukon?
I am glad I brought my children here. I wanted them to live in a smaller place.
I feel like it's better for children here. It’s a good lifestyle here in the Yukon.
My daughters are learning more things outdoors. They're more connected to nature.
And we’re spending more time outside rather than being focused on brands and the lifestyle you might have in a city.
I have loved seeing how my daughters have evolved living here.
I love the Yukon.
It’s less chaos. And less traffic.