Founded and supported by the School of Education at Trent University, Camp fYrefly Ontario has welcomed hundreds of campers, youth and adult leaders to its Peterborough campus since its launch in 2017. A four-day summertime retreat, the camp supports 2SLGBTQIA+ youth in the development of leadership skills and personal resiliency, empowering them to become agents of positive change in their schools, families, and communities.
Serving with Pride presents $13,000 cheque to Camp fYrefly Ontario at Trent University.
Thanks to a generous $13,000 donation from Serving with Pride - an Ontario-based nonprofit committed to fostering inclusive and barrier-free workplaces in policing, corrections, and criminal justice - the camp's impact will continue to grow.
OPP Sergeant Cass Jackson, a self-defense workshop facilitator at the camp and longtime Camp fYrefly supporter, championed the fundraising initiative at Serving with Pride's annual gala with the support of fellow law enforcement officers.
"If you asked me in 2017 if this relationship with Serving with Pride would happen, I wouldn't have foreseen it, but this is essential for us," said Sergeant Jackson. "This is the right thing to do."
"Sharing the Camp fYrefly Ontario experience with Sergeant Jackson over these years has been wonderful," said Dr. Rachael Nicholls 02, Camp fYrefly Ontario faculty liaison. "He is such a warm, welcoming, and longtime supporter of our vision. We are so deeply appreciative of his ongoing care and stewardship, and his position with Serving with Pride to address the barriers between the queer and trans community and the criminal justice system, as well as within the system itself."
Sergeants Henry Dyck and Robert Chevalier of the Toronto Police Service echoed that sentiment, reflecting on what a camp like this would have meant to them as youth.
"It didn't take us very long to convince us of the camp's worthiness," said Sergeant Dyck. "We hope that it can help make a difference at camp. We also want campers to know that there are people like us in policing, trying to make change."
This summer, Camp fYrefly Ontario will take place from August 7 to 10, 2025, and will welcome over 80 campers, youth and adult volunteers, an artist-in-residence, teacher candidates, and community service leaders who provide workshops and resources. Visit the Camp fYrefly website to learn more about the fYrefly experience, and apply to attend the retreat as a camper, adult or youth volunteer, or workshop facilitator. Campers can also be sponsored through Trent University's Campaign for Momentous Change.
