A Message from the Camp Gitchigomee Board of Directors
With heavy hearts, the Camp Gitchigomee Board of Directors made the difficult decision to cancel Junior Camp 2026 and initiate a full evacuation of the camp.
As of 10:30 p.m. on July 13, 2026, all campers and staff had been safely evacuated from Camp Gitchigomee due to the combination of extreme heat warnings, poor air quality, and multiple active, uncontrolled forest fires within approximately 6 km of the camp. After carefully reviewing the situation and seeking the best information available, the Board unanimously agreed that the safety and well-being of our campers, staff, and volunteers had to come first.
This was not a decision we made lightly.
We know how much our campers look forward to their week at Camp Gitchigomee. Many count down the days all year, and our staff and volunteers have spent countless hours preparing for what we hoped would be another unforgettable summer. We share in the disappointment and sadness of ending camp after only one day together.
We are incredibly grateful to our dedicated camp staff and volunteers, who remained calm, caring, and organized throughout the evacuation. Their commitment ensured that every camper felt supported during an unexpected and emotional situation.
We would also like to extend our sincere thanks to Students First inc., who responded on very short notice by providing two school buses plus a bus mechanic to assist with the evacuation. Their quick response, along with the cooperation of our camper families, helped make this process safe and orderly.
To all of our parents and guardians, thank you for your patience, understanding, and trust. Whether you travelled to camp or met the buses at our designated location in Thunder Bay, your cooperation made a challenging evening much easier.
At this time, Intermediate Camp, scheduled to begin on July 19, 2026, is still planned to proceed as scheduled. We will continue to closely monitor wildfire activity, weather conditions, and air quality over the coming days. Should anything change, we will communicate updates as quickly as possible.
While this is not the summer beginning any of us had hoped for, we remain thankful that everyone is safe. We ask that you keep those affected by the wildfires, as well as the firefighters and emergency personnel working tirelessly to protect our communities, in your prayers.
Thank you for your continued support of Camp Gitchigomee. Even in difficult moments, we are reminded that our camp family is built on something much stronger than a single week together.
One in Spirit, Fun, and Love.
Sincerely,
Jacob Reszitnyk
Board President
Camp Gitchigomee Board of Directors

Camp Gitchigomee is a Christian, not-for-profit summer camp located at the east end of Sandstone Lake, about a 75 minute drive southwest of Thunder Bay.

Camp Gitchigomee was established in 1945 by the Thunder Bay Deanery Anglican churches, and became a not-for-profit corporation in 2007.

It continues to be administered, maintained and supported by volunteers and local Anglican parishes.

Land Acknowledgement

Camp Gitchigomee is located on the traditional lands of Ojibwe Anishinaabe Peoples. All who live and work on this land have a responsibility to acknowledge and uphold the Robinson-Superior Treaty of 1850. Part of this acknowledgement must include crediting and honouring the many ways that Anishinaabe, Métis, and Inuit Peoples have shaped and continue to shape this land, our institutions, and our communities. This acknowledgment also includes understanding how the process of settler colonialism has sought to disempower these Peoples systematically, hindering them from making these valuable contributions. Our camp, Camp Gitchigomee, was so named after an anglicized variation of the Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwe language) word for Lake Superior which translates to “great sea” or “big water”: gichi-gami (pronounced gitchi-gami or kitchi-gami in different dialects). We also stand with The Anglican Church of Canada to acknowledge and condemn the role that the Anglican Church had in the cultural genocide committed through Indian Residential Schools. Camp Gitchigomee directors and volunteers are committed to moving forward in the spirit of reconciliation and healing based on the principles of mutual trust, respect, reciprocity, and collaboration. We must all work together to disband the oppressive systems that currently exist in order to build a more equitable world where Indigenous Peoples, languages, and cultural practices are rightfully honoured, cared for, and protected.