"It was a heavy week, but I’m beyond grateful. It’s about teaching the next generation the history through a broader lens, so they grow up knowing more than I did."
When Christopher Richardson started working at MCC Thrift in St. Catharines, he never imagined it would lead him to Northern Ontario. Five years later, as the receiving team lead, Christopher found himself representing Niagara on an MCC Learning Tour to Timmins. This journey would deepen his understanding of Canada, reshape how he sees his own history, and inspire new ways of connecting MCC’s mission back home.
"I feel pretty passionately about the Truth and Reconciliation subject as a whole," Christopher explains. "So I thought it would be a really powerful learning opportunity for myself. I’d never been out that way to Timmins, and I knew it would open my eyes."
Learning the Land
The first lesson came before the group even arrived. Driving the 10 hours north gave Christopher a new appreciation for Ontario's sheer size.
"I think some of the highlights to me were one, the depth of Northern Ontario—the broadness of it," he recalls. "I felt like going all the way to Timmins was a long stretch, but then I realized Timmins is still just a hub, halfway up Ontario. Beyond it, there are communities only accessible by train, ice roads, or flight. For me, that concept was very foreign. I had no idea in my ignorant brain that there were thriving communities out that way."
This discovery was humbling. It underscored the resilience of Indigenous peoples who have lived on this land for thousands of years and the challenges of access, resources, and connection that MCC partners are helping to address.
Listening and Witnessing
Over the next several days, the group was welcomed into learning and healing spaces. They visited the Timmins Native Friendship Centre, where they connected with Indigenous leaders and community members. A highlight was meeting virtually with Mike Metatawabin, Deputy Grand Chief of Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN), who spoke candidly about the intergenerational trauma caused by residential schools and colonial policies. They learned about the Meechum a Wat hunting bundles that MCC provides to NAN to share with remote First Nations to help get their youth back on the land and learn their traditional food gathering skills.
City councillor Kristin Murray led a walking tour through downtown Timmins. Murray championed a mural project that brings suppressed teachings and Indigenous history into public spaces.
"Each mural carried powerful teachings," Christopher says. "It showed how knowledge that was once hidden is now being lifted up again, right in the heart of the city."
Another deeply moving moment came through the Blanket Exercise—an interactive learning activity that takes participants through the journey of colonization in North America—facilitated by fellow MCC staff member Mim Harder. "For me, it really struck a chord," Christopher remembers. It takes you from early history to the present day, and as a non-Indigenous person, it allowed me to see it clearly through that lens."
Quilts for Survivors: Warmth and Healing
Perhaps the most tangible symbol of hope was found at Quilts for Survivors, an initiative that offers handmade quilts to residential school survivors across Canada. Founded by Vanessa Genier of Missanabie Cree First Nation in northern Ontario, the movement has grown into an international effort with quilters sending love and solidarity one stitch at a time.
"Being in that space was powerful," Christopher reflects. "At first, it felt a little awkward—it was an Anglican church, and of course, there’s a lot of hurt in the history between the church and Indigenous peoples. But they had intentionally covered some old decorations and replaced them with quilts. You could feel the intention in the space."
He continues: "A quilt is not just symbolically giving someone a warm hug—it literally is that. They are beautifully handmade and intended to bring comfort. It doesn’t make everything right but is a step toward healing."
Wrestling with Identity
For Christopher, the week was not just about learning facts. It was also about looking inward.
"As a fifth-generation Canadian, I’ve always been patriotic. But hearing the Indigenous perspective made me reflect on my ancestors—likely early settlers—and the negative impact that colonialism had on Indigenous communities. There’s disappointment in that. It’s made me rethink what it means to be Canadian, and it’s something I’m still working through."
Christopher gives a lot of credit to MCC’s Indigenous Neighbours team, who created a safe space for participants to wrestle with these tough questions.
"They also allowed us to be vulnerable, wrong, and confused," remembers Christopher. "That set up the environment for us to thrive. They did a really, really good job supporting us."
What’s Next?
The trip didn’t end when the van pulled back into Niagara. For Christopher, it sparked new ideas and commitments.
"I suggested maybe having a mural on our thrift store building by a local Indigenous artist," he shares. "How cool would it be to have St. Catharines be the first thrift shop to do that? I’ve also connected with an Indigenous professor at Mohawk College and hope to attend local powwows or sweat lodges. These are ways I can keep learning and building relationships."
Most importantly, Christopher sees his role at MCC Thrift as a chance to be a bridge.
"As the receiving lead, I see hundreds of people daily—donors, customers, volunteers. That’s an opportunity to share about MCC’s work, like Indigenous Neighbours and reconciliation initiatives. People often ask, ‘Where does my donation go?’ Well, it supports things like this. And I get to say that with pride, because I’ve seen it firsthand."
An Invitation
Christopher’s journey reminds us that learning and working for Indigenous justice is not a one-time event but an ongoing process of listening, unlearning, relearning and building relationships. It can sometimes feel heavy, but it is also filled with hope.
As Christopher says, "I want to be a bridge for MCC in Niagara. I want to help build a better future by making sure the next generation understands this history. That’s what reconciliation means to me.”
Calls to Action
Listen to Ep 27 - Spiritual Covenant with Adrian Jacobs. Six Nations elder Adrian Jacobs presents churches with an opportunity to invest in land justice.
Organizing for Repair Learning Series. If your church is ready to take concrete steps toward land justice with Indigenous communities, join this hands-on six-part online learning series with Tewa author, decolonizing advocate and scholar Sarah Augustine.
Hearts Exchanged is a learning and action journey designed by our friends at the Christian Reformed Church of Canada to equip Christians to go beyond the headlines into deep work that wrestles with how our churches can become places of belonging and embrace God’s call to reconciliation with Indigenous neighbours.