When Toronto law student Christina Greydanus signed up for a week on a northern native reserve, she knew it would be intense.

“In fact, it was heartbreaking — to see the conditions and to know the people still struggle with the impact of residential schools,” said Greydanus, one of 43 Canadians who accepted an open invitation in June from Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug or “KI” to spend a week in this fly-in community 600 kilometres north of Thunder Bay.

On the up side, Greydanus was billeted in a four-bedroom house with a family of 10 that spanned three generations.

“I saw how the grandparents care about their grandkids and I’m a grandmother, too,” said the second-year student at York University’s Osgoode Hall law school. “Families may be dealing with so many social issues addiction, teen pregnancy — but they still care about each other.”

Guests went fishing, learned beadwork, gathered medicinal plants with elders. They ate goose, moose and caribou — and they talked and talked some more, said Karyn Paishk, one of the young adults who organized the event with Ottawa filmmaker Andree Cazabon, who made a documentary about the impact of suicide on the community. The Rotary Club of Toronto, Engineers without Borders and intercultural groups such as Canadian Roots Exchange also supported the trip.

“Both groups had lots of questions for each other; it was like we opened a window,” said Paishk, who gave up her bedroom to a visitor. So did KI local Faith McKay.

“Oh my God, I can’t tell you how genuinely happy I am at how it worked out — I had three people staying with us and gave two of them my bedroom and I slept on a mattress in the living room,” said McKay, 24, who hopes to get funding this fall to attend Trent University along with Paishk. Some of the participants recently gathered to share their stories with the Toronto Rotary club.

“Friendship, that’s what happened,” said McKay. “The elders were so proud of how we organized it, they would come up and grab our faces. It’s the first time a community has invited Canadians to come to visit like that.”

Emily Lennon, a fourth-year anthropology student at McGill University, found some hosts surprisingly candid.

“One girl told us about the moment she was about to end her life, but her mother kept calling and she finally picked up and then decided not to kill herself,” said Lennon, 23. “The community has a psychologist come in only once a year; it’s hard to fathom how that could be enough.”

But Lennon also watched the pride of a school graduation and enjoyed the last, unstructured day that “was just pure fun. We played a silly game; feeding each other while we’re blindfolded, and did an egg toss — it was nice just to have a person-to-person connection. That was the spirit of the week.”

Ryerson grad Tamara Pokrupa noticed how freely children roam in the community, where no one is a stranger. “They travel in big packs, playing hide-and-go-seek, running in and out of the forest. And they gave lots of hugs.”

Investment manager John Andras said he brought back mixed, complex impressions.

“On one hand I am in awe of the generosity, sense of community, resilience, the love of children and the love of place,” said Andras, a Rotary member. “But I was also stuck by the poverty, inadequate housing, cost of goods, inadequate federally controlled schools, poor health care and basic infrastructure that is falling apart.”

Ontario Youth Advocate Irwin Elman and Ontario Human Rights Commissioner Barbara Hall took part as well. Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau and Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne dialed in to chat with the group on Skype the last day of the visit, which was National Aboriginal Day.

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Ruth Ann Onley, wife of Ontario Lt.-Gov. David Onley, flew in for the day with Sharon Johnston, wife of Governor-General David Johnston.

“This community not only opened their hearts, but opened their doors,” said Onley, who was delighted to have visited an elders’ meeting, where most elders were women. “They shared not only their beds but their food. It was very special.”