Northern Edge Algonquin Becomes Rainbow Registered

We are pleased to share that Northern Edge Algonquin has officially been recognized as a Rainbow Registered business through the Canadian Queer Chamber of Commerce (CQCC).

Rainbow Registered is a national accreditation program that recognizes businesses and organizations that meet established standards for 2SLGBTQIA+ inclusion. Developed by the Canadian Queer Chamber of Commerce and Tourism HR Canada, the program evaluates organizations across four key areas:

What Does Rainbow Registered Mean?

Rainbow Registered is designed to help 2SLGBTQIA+ travellers, guests, employees, and community members identify businesses that have taken meaningful steps toward creating welcoming and accountable environments.

Importantly, accreditation is not about perfection. Instead, it recognizes organizations that have demonstrated a commitment to inclusive practices, ongoing learning, and continuous improvement.

As the Rainbow Registered program describes it, accredited organizations are accountable spaces — places that are actively working to foster belonging, respect, and inclusion through their policies, training, leadership, and culture.

Why Pursue Accreditation?

At Northern Edge, we have long believed that meaningful retreat experiences begin with feeling welcomed, respected, and able to show up authentically.

As a retreat centre, we host people from many different backgrounds, identities, life experiences, and communities. We know that wellness and retreat spaces have not always felt accessible or welcoming to everyone, and we believe creating a respectful environment requires ongoing effort, reflection, and learning.

The Rainbow Registered process gave us an opportunity to take a closer look at how we communicate, how we train our team, how we respond to concerns, and how we support guests, facilitators, staff, and community members.

It also helped us identify areas where we could better document and formalize practices that have been part of our culture for many years.

We are also grateful that participation in the Rainbow Registered program was made possible through support from FedNor, which has helped tourism and hospitality organizations across Northern Ontario access the accreditation process. As a small independent retreat centre, this support helped us dedicate the time and resources required to document our practices, complete the review process, and continue strengthening the guest experience.

What Did We Share?

As part of the accreditation process, we submitted evidence from across our organization, including:

• Workplace anti-discrimination and anti-harassment policies
• Team inclusivity and accessibility policies
• Staff and facilitator training history related to anti-racism, trans inclusivity, trauma-informed leadership, and belonging
• Examples of our guest communication practices, including respectful language and optional pronoun sharing
• Diversity & Inclusion Scholarship initiatives
• Examples of partnerships with organizations serving diverse communities
• Internal leadership development and continuous improvement practices

We also reflected on the culture we strive to create every day — one rooted in kindness, curiosity, accountability, community, and respect.

Inclusion at Northern Edge

At Northern Edge, inclusion is a necessary part of our social retreat experiences.

Unlike a hotel or restaurant, many of our programs bring together a group of individuals for several days of shared experiences. Guests may participate in wellness practices, creative workshops, nature-based adventures, leadership programs, campfires, community meals, and reflective conversations together. The sense of connection and belonging that emerges from these experiences is central to what makes them meaningful.

For that reason, creating a welcoming and respectful environment is not separate from our work—it is part of our work.

Inclusivity at Northern Edge explicitly includes 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, Black, Indigenous, and racialized communities, people of different ages and abilities, and others who have historically experienced barriers to participation in wellness, retreat, leadership, and outdoor spaces.

We are committed to creating a welcoming and supportive space for all of our guests, regardless of race, religion, nationality, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, or age. We also recognize that retreat and wellness spaces have not always felt accessible or inclusive to everyone. Fostering a respectful environment requires ongoing effort, reflection, learning, and active response.

Over the years, this commitment has shown up in a variety of ways, including our Diversity & Inclusion Scholarship program, partnerships with organizations serving diverse communities, staff and facilitator education, accessibility planning, and the development of policies and practices that support respectful participation and belonging.

We have collaborated with and welcomed a range of organizations and communities whose work supports inclusion, wellbeing, and access to retreat experiences. These have included Men’s Retreats, Wild Women Expeditions, the Black Coalition for AIDS Prevention (Black CAP), Indigenous Leadership DSBN, the Anishinabek Nation WESHKINIIJIG Youth Program, the National Aboriginal Council of Midwives, Horizons for Youth, and others.

We have also participated in training and learning related to anti-Black racism, trans inclusivity, trauma-informed leadership, Indigenous history and reconciliation, and other equity-focused topics.

Like sustainability, stewardship, and community-building, inclusion is not a destination but an ongoing practice—one that continues to evolve as we learn from our guests, facilitators, staff, and community partners.

Looking Ahead

We are grateful to the Canadian Queer Chamber of Commerce, FedNor, and the many organizations, facilitators, guests, staff members, and community partners whose experiences and perspectives continue to shape our learning.

Becoming Rainbow Registered is an important milestone, but it is also an invitation to continue growing and documenting that growth.

As Northern Edge evolves, we remain committed to creating experiences in nature that help people reconnect with themselves, one another, and the world around them — while fostering a retreat environment where everyone is treated with dignity, respect, and care.

To learn more about Rainbow Registered, visit the Canadian Queer Chamber of Commerce and explore the Rainbow Registered directory.