Diocese of Qu’Appelle Bishop Rob Hardwick has reached Ottawa on his mammoth cycle journey across Canada to raise funds supporting indigenous ministries within the Anglican Church of Canada, and to promote healing and reconciliation. His journey, beginning in May in Victoria, British Colombia, will take him through the summer to St. John’s, Newfoundland, a distance of over 4300 miles.

It’s the 10^th anniversary of Canada’s official apology for its residential school system and 25^th anniversary of the Anglican Church of Canada’s apology for its part in the schools. This inspired Bishop Rob’s journey. His diocese, the Diocese of Qu’Appelle, located in the Canadian West in the territory of Saskatchewan, managed the longest running residential school from 1886 to 1946. The school, Gordon’s School in Punnichy, Saskatchewan, was eventually shut down in 1996, and was the last residential school in the country to close.

Bishop Rob says the bike ride is partly “an act of penance” for him and his diocese. “It’s not been asked for, but I just feel it’s an offering,” He said. “In some way, the pain of the journey, the efforts of the journey, will bring about greater unity, healing and reconciliation.”

Over this journey, Bishop Hardwick hopes to raise $800,000 to support indigenous ministries within the Anglican Church of Canada and $1.2 million for evangelism and mission work in the Diocese of Qu’Appelle, including funding a medical centre in its companion diocese of Muyinga, in Burundi.

ACNS formerly reported on Bishop Rob’s plans for his journey in December 2017. You can read that article here.

Bishop Rob is documenting his journey on Living the Mission: Bishop’s Ride Facebook page. Donations can be made through the Anglican Church of Canada’s website.