LGBTQ adult summer camp all booked up in Faro, Yukon

Roger Bower says he wasn't sure how much interest there would be in a summer camp for LGBTQadults in Yukon but within days, all 20 spaces were booked up.

He's even started a waiting list.

"Word of mouth in the Yukon is fantastic," Bower said.

Bower is the recreation manager in Faro, where the event is plannedat the Johnson Lake Campground from July 13 to 15.

"Unless you live in Whitehorse, where there are bars and social groups like Queer Yukon ...you don't have access to that.So being able to provide a space for queer folks to come and actually socialize with one another is kind of a huge thing," Bower said.

Faro was a naturalchoice, he said, and not just because he lives there.

"It's to show that you don't always have to go to the city communities are accepting, communities can be welcoming."

'There really wasn't much going on'

Bower said he had the idea for the camp after moving to Yukon and seeing that "there really wasn't much going on" for the LGBTQ community, outside of Pride Week.

"I kind of got the idea that I would like to do something to help the community join up," he said.

Bowereven managed to get some grant money from MEC Outdoor Nation, so campers will get some money to help cover travel costs.

The camp will involve some typical summer camp activities, such as hiking, fishing, and making s'mores. Bower saidthere will also be golf packages available.

He said summer camps for adults are becoming more popular all overCanada.

"I knew there might be an interest for folks to basically reclaim their youth and have some fun," he said.

"I'm very happy and very impressed about how open Faro is, and how excited folks are about this camp coming to town."