Rainbow Camp® is a summer camp for 2SLGBTQ+ teens ages 12-17.

We offer three different camp programs:

1. Rainbow Camp® (ages 12-17)
2. Rainbow LEAD Program (ages 16-17)
3. Rainbow Quest (ages 12-17)

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. Click here to learn more about the OCA.

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 12-17 including Rainbow Camp®, Rainbow LEAD, and Rainbow Quest.

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. Click here to learn more.

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 $2000/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 be 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. 

LEADers spend two weeks at Rainbow Camp®. During the first week, they work on leadership skills and team-building as well as participating in camp activities. During the second week, LEADers are placed in a cabin with an experienced counsellor to use their leadership skills and assist in leading programming.

LEADers also have the opportunity to participate in an overnight out-trip!

We have one Rainbow LEAD session running for Summer 2025. Check Dates and Rates

We offer a tiered payment system which allows families to choose the level of payment that suits their needs. When you register for the Rainbow LEAD Program, there is also the opportunity to apply for a campership fund which can cover a portion or all of the registration costs. Registration includes the cost of travel from a number of locations across Ontario, and travel bursaries are available if you are traveling from far outside of our arranged pick-up locations. For a detailed breakdown of the payment tiers and how the tier system works, visit our Dates and Rates page. For more information about our arranged travel, please see our Location and Travel page.

Participation in the Rainbow LEAD program is not guaranteed. We have a limited number of spaces and want to ensure that everyone is a good fit for the program.

If you are interested in becoming a LEADer at Rainbow Camp:

1. Complete your online registration form. Registration for the Rainbow LEAD program will open at the same time as registration for Rainbow Camp.
2. After your online registration is complete, we will contact you to set up a time for us to meet virtually with you (through Zoom). This is not a formal interview but it is a chance for us to get to know you and to hear about what you want to get out of the program.
3. We will confirm registration and acceptance into the program with you by email.

The Rainbow LEAD Program is a small program with a maximum of 8 LEADers per session. If the program is full, we encourage you to register on our wait list. Each year we are able to move people off our wait list as space opens up and we will do our best to bring you to camp as a LEADer.

If you have further questions, you can contact us by email or by phone!

Email: registration (at) welcomefriend.ca

Phone: 888-909-2234

Rainbow Quest 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!

Rainbow Quest 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.

Rainbow Quest 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 Rainbow Quest, 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 two sessions of Rainbow Quest for Summer 2025. Check Dates and Rates.

We offer a tiered payment system which allows families to choose the level of payment that suits their needs. When you register for Rainbow Quest, 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®)!