🏕️ Camp joy
Campfires, arts, games, outdoor adventures, laughter and the kinds of memories that make camp feel like camp.
🌈 Rainbow Camp® • Since 2012
A place where your whole self is invited.
Rainbow Camp® creates affirming experiences where 2SLGBTQ+ youth and allies can connect, build confidence, make friends, and discover what it feels like to belong without having to hide who they are.
Founded in Northern Ontario, Rainbow Camp® has grown from a simple idea into a Canada-wide community built around belonging, joy, leadership and connection.
Where Rainbow Camp® is today.
Traditional overnight summer camp sessions are not running in 2026. But Rainbow Camp® is not going away.
We are strengthening year-round connection, preparing for future camp experiences, and actively working toward the return of overnight programming in 2027.
At the same time, we are pursuing something we have dreamed about for years: a permanent home for Rainbow Camp®.
Our story
It started with a simple “what if?”
What if there was a camp where queer, trans, Two-Spirit, questioning, and allied youth did not have to shrink, translate, or hide parts of themselves just to get through the week?
Rainbow Camp® began in 2012. Since then, young people from across Canada have come together through overnight camp, leadership experiences and online connection.
The idea has always been simple: create more spaces where young people can breathe, laugh too loud, try new things, build friendships and remember that they are not the only one.
Rainbow Camp® was founded by Harry Stewart and Chris Southin. In recognition of their work founding Rainbow Camp®, both received the Governor General’s Meritorious Service Medal (Civil Division).
Rainbow Camp® is a program of Welcome Friend Association, a Canadian registered charity.
What makes Rainbow Camp® different
It is camp — with your whole self invited.
🌈 Affirming community
Queer, trans, Two-Spirit, non-binary, questioning and allied youth can connect without leaving important parts of themselves behind.
💬 Real conversations
Space for identity, friendship, family, labels, hopes, worries — and plenty of ordinary teenage silliness too.
🤝 Caring staff
Rainbow Camp® has been supported by staff who are youth-focused, queer-positive and committed to listening.
🌿 Time outside
Nature has been an important part of the camp experience: water, trees, sky, adventure and room to breathe.
📲 Connection beyond camp
Our vision extends beyond one week in summer, including year-round connection and community.
Who Rainbow Camp® was created for.
Rainbow Camp® was created for 2SLGBTQ+ youth and allies. Our core overnight youth programming has generally served ages 12–17, with particular programs having their own age and eligibility requirements.
Our next chapter
We are building toward something more permanent.
For years, Rainbow Camp® has created belonging in spaces we did not own. Our long-term goal is not simply to find another temporary site for another season.
We are working toward a permanent home that can provide greater stability for overnight camp, year-round programming and an intergenerational community built around connection and belonging.
There are viable property opportunities. The challenge is raising the capital needed to acquire and develop the right site.
Friends & advocates
Helping Rainbow Camp® reach farther.
Rainbow Camp® is grateful for the ongoing support and advocacy of international spokespeople Colin Mochrie and Debra McGrath. Their voices have helped amplify the mission and introduce more people to the importance of affirming spaces for 2SLGBTQ+ youth.
“Before Rainbow Camp®, I'd only met maybe two queer people my age. At camp, I walked into the dining hall and thought, ‘Oh. There are a lot of us. Maybe I’m going to be okay.’”— Camper, Rainbow Camp®
Learn more
Rainbow Camp® has a history worth celebrating — and a future worth building.
Explore our programming, follow our plans for 2027, support the permanent-home vision, or open our current fact sheet for a quick overview.
