Rainbow Camp® is a summer camp for 2SLGBTQ+ teens ages 8-17.

We offer three different camp programs:

1. Rainbow Camp (ages 8-17)- For more information about Rainbow Camp click here. 
2. Adventure Week (ages 12-17)- For more information about Adventure Week click here.
3. LIT Program (ages 17-18)- For more information about the LIT program click here.

Rainbow Camp is our in-person summer camp program for 2SLGBTQ+ youth ages 8-18. For more information about Rainbow Camp click here!

Rainbow Online Connection (ROC) is our online program that allows participants to connect throughout the year virtually through at-home activities and staff-led programming. ROC is an entirely virtual program which participants can join in from wherever they are! For more information about ROC click here!

ROC Programs include Youth Drop-in programs, Dungeons and Dragons campaigns and a Parent Support Group!

YES! Rainbow Camp® is accredited with the Ontario Camps Association (OCA). The OCA is an organization that ensures all accredited camps achieve high safety standards and employ best camping practices. To learn more about the OCA, check out their website HERE.

The well being and safety of our campers and staff is of the utmost importance to Rainbow Camp. We are accredited by the Ontario Camps Association which ensures we meet the highest standards for safety, leadership, programs and administration. 

We are located in a remote location and only authorized people are allowed on site. Campers are supervised at all times and all of our staff have all participated in a full week of camp specific training which includes camper safety and emergency procedures. We have a trained medic on site and many of our staff have first aid training. All waterfront activities (swimming and canoeing) are supervised by a qualified lifeguard. 

Rainbow Camp offers camps for ages 8-18 including Rainbow Camp, Adventure Week and an Leader in Training (LIT) Program.

Registration is done online.

Camp fills up quickly so register early! If camp is full, you may register on our waitlist and we will notify you if a space opens up at camp. 

As part of the registration, there are required forms for both parent/guardian and campers. Please read and follow the registration instructions. Health forms and medical information will be collected closer to Rainbow Camp.

Many campers on our waitlist are able to attend Rainbow Camp each year. Our ability to open up space at camp is based on funding as well as campers who are no longer able to attend. Don’t be discouraged if camp is full! Get on the waitlist ASAP! 

If you are on the Waitlist and a space opens up at camp, you will be notified by phone and by email. Please ensure that you have accurate contact information on your online registration so that we can reach you! 

Yes. Many of our campers come from across Canada and the United States. Registration fees include travel from a number of convenient locations across Ontario, if you live outside of this area travel costs are not included but we can assist with booking travel and you can apply for a travel bursary to assist with travel costs. Rainbow Camp has a limited amount of funding available and may not be able to fully fund travel (depending on your location). If you have specific questions about funding, please contact our office at registration@rainbowcamp.ca

I am an American, can I attend Rainbow Camp®?

YES! We have many campers who come to us from the United States. You are also eligible to apply for campership (camp scholarship) funding and travel bursaries. While we can help organize and book your travel, we CANNOT be responsible for American campers as they cross the border. We encourage you to contact registration@rainbowcamp.ca for more information. 

All campers under the age of 18 require parent/guardian consent to attend Rainbow Camp. However, the registration form can be filled out by a supportive adult as long as we are able to confirm registration with the legal guardian(s).

The well being and safety of our campers and staff is of the utmost importance to Rainbow Camp. We are accredited by the Ontario Camps Association which ensures we meet the highest standards for safety, leadership, programs and administration.  All of our staff have received training on supporting the mental health of our campers and themselves.

Campers requiring additional support is done on a case by case basis, please contact us for more information. When you fill out the registration form, please be as specific as possible so that we are able to ensure we have adequate support in place. Rainbow Camp does not offer 1:1 support or provide personal support workers.

Campers must be able to live in a group environment including sharing a cabin, communal meal times and large group activities. While there are many opportunities throughout the week for smaller group activities or more quiet spaces, everyone at camp needs to be able to comfortably share space with others.

The well being and safety of our campers and staff is of the utmost importance to Rainbow Camp. We are accredited by the Ontario Camps Association which ensures we meet the highest standards for safety, leadership, programs and administration.  All of our staff have received training on supporting the mental health of our campers and themselves.

Within the 2SLGBTQ+ community, there is much higher rate of mental health challenges. We have a number of policies in place to support the physical and emotional safety of our program participants, staff and volunteers.

Campers must be able to live in a group environment including sharing a cabin, communal meal times and large group activities. While there are many opportunities throughout the week for smaller group activities or more quiet spaces, everyone at camp needs to be able to comfortably share space with others.

Specific accommodations for mental health can include headphones for noisy environments, offering quiet program options throughout the day, cabin meals outside the dining hall, daily check-ins with our mental health medic and/or other accommodations on a case by case basis. If you have specific mental health concerns, please contact us in advance.

At Rainbow Camp, it is up to you how much you share about your identity. You can use whatever name(s) and pronouns you choose, name tags will be provided daily.  You do not have to be out at home and when speaking with parents/guardians, we will use the name indicated on your registration form unless you give us permission.

Rainbow Camp welcomes all identities, including allies!

Rainbow Camp® is located near Sault Ste Marie (Ontario). Registration includes bus travel from several locations across Ontario. If you are not taking the bus or live outside of Ontario, campers may choose to fly directly to the Sault Ste Marie airport or be dropped off directly at camp. 

We offer a tiered payment system which allows families to choose the level of payment that suits their needs. When you register for camp, there is also the opportunity to apply for a campership fund which can cover a portion or all the registration costs. For a detailed breakdown of the payment tiers and how the system works click here to visit our Dates and Rates page.

Registration Fees include travel from a number of convenient locations across Ontario! For more information on locations and travel options, click here. If you are not taking the bus or live outside of Ontario, travel fees are not included. We have travel bursary funding available if you require financial help with booking flights! When you register online, there will be space to indicate if you are applying for funding. Rainbow Camp has a limited amount of funding available and may not be able to fully fund travel (depending on your location). If you have specific questions about funding, please contact our office at registration@rainbowcamp.ca

The actual cost of camp is around $1500/camper however we fund raise year-round to make camp accessible. Donations can be made online here!

Payment for Rainbow Camp can be done through e-transfer, cheque or credit card. You will select how you will be paying for camp when you complete your online registration. Cheques can be mailed to: Rainbow Camp, 76 Dawson St, PO Box 242, Thessalon, ON P0R 1L0. E-transfer payments can be made online and you will be emailed instructions after registering for camp. Credit card payment can be made as part of the online registration. 

Final payment is due by a minimum of 21 days before your session starts but you are welcome to pay anytime up to that date! Payment plans are available to select when you register and/or upon request.

Nobody knows your financial situation better than you. The tier you select is entirely up to you and will in no way impact your camper’s experience. We believe in being as financially accessible as possible and will not question or judge your tier choice. We also happily offer payment plans, travel bursaries, and camperships (camp-scholarships) to help make camp accessible regardless of your financial situation. Financial information is kept confidential and is only available to our office staff.

We have many people who generously donate money to specifically cover camp costs for those who need them. While funds are limited and are dependant upon how many donations we receive, we encourage you to fill out the Campership and Travel Bursary forms during online registration so that we clearly understand your needs and we can do everything possible to help meet them.

Once you have filled out the Campership Application form during registration, we will get in touch with you about available funding and how we can best help get your camper get to Rainbow Camp. All campership and travel funding will be confirmed by email.

We do our best to ensure that everyone can attend Rainbow Camp regardless of financial circumstances. We use a tiered payment system for camp, allowing families to choose the level of payment that suits their needs. We are also able to set up a payment plan upon request, contact us to arrange a payment plan.

As part of the camp registration, you can also apply for a travel bursary or a camp funding request (campership). Our travel bursaries can cover up to $350 in travel expenses and our campership program can cover a portion or all the registration fees. Fundraising is done year round to allow us to offer this funding.

For more information on travel options and bus locations, click here!

If you are taking the Rainbow Camp Bus: 

This will be a private (Rainbow Camp only) bus and will be supervised by Rainbow Camp staff.

If you are flying to camp: 

Flights are unsupervised and must be coordinated with Rainbow Camp staff to coordinate arrival and departure times. We will have a staff member at the Sault Ste Marie airport to pick up your camper and will arrange transport from the airport to camp.

Campers flying to camp MUST have a piece of government-issued ID that matches the name on their ticket. Campers travelling from the US must have a current, valid passport in order to cross the border which matches the legal name on their ticket. Legal names are used only for travel bookings and will kept confidential.

Campers will participate in a wide variety of activities including arts and crafts, outdoor camps, swimming, canoeing, educational programming and more! Most of our programming is choice-based, allowing campers to choose the activities that interest them the most. More details about programs can be found here.

A typical day at camp might look something like this:

Rainbow Camp® is located near Sault Ste Marie, Ontario. Our facility has camper cabins, dining hall, medic station, and gender-neutral washrooms with private showers. We are located on a lake with a beach area, swimming, and canoeing. We have outdoor areas for hiking and outdoor games. 

A sample packing list can be downloaded here: Rainbow Camp Packing List. A complete packing list will be emailed to registered families prior to camp.

Yes. Staff sleep in the same cabin as campers to ensure their safety and well-being. Each cabin sleeps between 6-12 people (including staff) and cabin groups are determined by age regardless of gender identity.

Cabins are sorted by age, regardless of gender identity and expression. You may request to be in a cabin with a friend on your registration form and we will do our best to accommodate these requests. Due to the volume of camper requests and limited cabins, we cannot guarantee that all requests will be met. 

Adventure week is an outtrip-based experience where campers will get the opportunity to participate in a multi-day backcountry canoe trip! This once in a lifetime opportunity will allow campers to gain a deeper understanding and sense of ecological integrity and stewardship for the land, and connection to one another. We will sleep under the stars (in tents), learn about the natural environment, cook on camp stoves, swim in the lake, learn camping skills (knot tying, shelter building, water purification, site setup, orienteering) and paddle to our sites!

Adventure Week campers will spend the first two days at our main Rainbow Camp location where they will have the opportunity to learn basic canoeing and camping skills as well as participate in traditional camp activities with our larger camp group. Following that, they will set out on their outtrip before returning to main camp at the end of the week for chance to shower, rest and enjoy the final day of camp together.

Adventure Week is an amazing opportunity to explore backcountry canoe routes with an incredibly supportive group! Prior camping and canoe experience is NOT required, we will be covering everything you need to know during our first two days on site before we leave on our outtrip. If you want to fully prepare for adventure week, make sure you read the packing list and information pages!

In order to participate fully, you will need to pass a swim test before we leave on our outtrip. The swim test will consist of swimming a short distance fully clothed (hoody and pants), keeping yourself afloat and being able to put a lifejacket on in the water. A video of the swim test will be provided in advance so you can see what it will look like. If you do not pass the swim test or are a weaker swimmer, you will be placed in a canoe with a certified lifeguard during the canoe trip instead of being able to choose your canoe partners.

We are offering four weeks of Adventure Week for Summer 2023:

We offer a tiered payment system which allows families to choose the level of payment that suits their needs. When you register for Adventure Week, there is also the opportunity to apply for a campership fund which can cover a portion or all the registration costs. For a detailed breakdown of the payment tiers and how the system works click here to visit our Dates and Rates page.

Registration includes travel from several locations across Ontario. If you are coming from outside our bus areas, we can assist with booking flights and you are able to apply for a travel bursary to assist with travel costs. For more information about travelling to Rainbow Camp, click here!

A detailed packing list will be sent out closer to the date along with videos to help you pack. All items must be scentless and packed with intent to camp. We will provide all canoe equipment (including lifejackets) and shared equipment (tents, cooking gear, first aid kits, etc). You will need to provide personal gear including a sleeping bag suitable for camping, and personal clothing and toiletries.

YES! Camping in the backcountry can start at any age and skill level, it is best to go into the backcountry for the first time with a trusted guide (staff at Rainbow Camp)!