May 2021 Newsletter   

What's on in May?

Well, not much... yet.  Unless you're an outdoor enthusiast like all of us orienteers... then you can head out to the forest in and around our amazing city every day for some exercise! 

When things open up, keep your eye on your email for news of upcoming events.

Are you a New Member?

Are you a member but haven't yet tried out the courses available?  You will need an account on ottawaoc.ca and then need to sign the yearly waiver. 

Click on Login, select 'Create an account' from the dropdown, complete the 'User Registration form', watch your email (or even spam) for the email confirmation, complete that and then watch for an email from us to say your account has been activated.  Then sign in and click on 'For Members' and complete the 'club waiver' . 

Login menus   

Each adult will have to have their own account and sign the waiver.  A parent or guardian must sign for a minor (18 and under).  You will then have access to the MapRun, the permanent course and, once we can hold them, our Sunday morning events and any other events we may hold.

Volunteer & Training Committees Members Needed

Our club is run by many dedicated and extraordinary volunteers. Recruiting and coordinating volunteers is currently a job of each of the club's committees. The club would like to put together a volunteer committee to manage and coordinate the volunteer needs of Orienteering Ottawa. The Volunteer Committee would maintain a member volunteer database and support other club committees with their volunteer requirements and recruitment efforts.

The club is also seeking interest for the Training Committee. This committee leads and manages the many programs and activities run by Orienteering Ottawa that involve instruction and training for all ages, members and non-members.

If you are interested in joining one of our dynamic, hard-working committees (or have questions on what's involved) please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..   

We will miss you Na!

Na Lin Collage

Na Lin was an active member of Orienteering Ottawa for many years. Na passed away early in April from lung cancer.

Na was a person who was full of life and full of energy, a person who always had a smile on her face, always had laughter in her voice and always had an engaging story to tell.

At an online Celebration of Life for Na on Sunday, April 25, the photographs and the talks all had something in common. It seems like every photo of Na showed her with a smile from ear to ear, where her eyes crinkled into a grin to accompany it. And everyone who spoke of Na spoke of her smile and her laughter and her love of living. And her love of adventure.

You know those days when you go out and things just don’t go right in the woods, and you come back to the finish with a harsh word or two for the forest, or for the map, or the course, or the world, or perhaps yourself? Well, Na wasn’t one of those people. No matter how long Na was out in the forest, no matter how “adventurous” her route “choices”, Na returned with a smile, and the bigger the adventure, the better the story.

With Orienteering Ottawa Na was always willing to help out. She organized our annual Vampire O at Hallowe’en in both 2018 and 2019. She cooked chili for the Rogaine. She was often on the registration desk with her smile and her laughter. She organized Summer Solstice events. Always willing, always learning, always smiling.

At the Celebration of Life for Na, we learned, as we too often do, much about Na that we didn’t know, and wish we had. Na discovered outdoor adventure after she moved to Canada from China with her young son. Since this addition to her life, she has hiked the Rideau Trail end to end in both winter and summer. She has hiked the Bruce Trail end to end, she is a member of the 46er club having summited all 46 high peaks of the Adirondacks. She has been on hiking trips in Albania, Montenegro, Bhutan, Morocco, China, South America. And who knows where all else. Na studied medicine in China then retrained in Canada to work in the medical field. Na was an amazing craftsperson – if anyone has ever received a card from Na you will know that – she hand-made the most amazing 3D stand-up greeting cards.

When I think of Na I will always think of her smile and her laughter and her stories. Those of us who knew Na, who orienteered with her, who volunteered with her, will remember her fondly and miss her contagious love of life.

We will miss you Na!

Written by:  Anne Teutsch

Sometimes people are looking for an organization to make a donation to in a deceased person’s name. For Na, the Board of Orienteering Ottawa suggests Lung Cancer Canada as one option for a good home for donations. 

Family Orienteering Ideas for May 

Map Walk in Kanata

Map Walk map  Map Walk control

Do you have one child who wants to run and one who doesn't?  One who is ready to try intermediate-level controls on their own?  One who just wants to sit in a tree and skip the orienteering?  The Map Walk in Kanata is the place to go.  There are lots of controls (with actual flags and punches) in a small area which makes it perfect for kids.  Login to the Ottawa OC member website first, then download the map.

Lucy in tree

 

Suggested activity:

  • Make your way to a control on a trail as your gathering point.  Make sure everyone has their own whistle!
  • Send an older child off to get a few controls in the woods.  The shape of the land is obvious without the leaves on the trees and there are lots of little hills on this map, so this is a perfect place to practice reading contour lines.
  • Send a younger child off to get an easy control or two down the trail and then come back to you.  They'll gain some confidence on their own.  
  • Make it competitive and the kids can race against each other.
  • The tree climber can sit happily up in a tree and wait.

Interested in teaching your child about contour lines before heading out?  Try making a map of a potato or taking this contour matching quiz.

 

Burnt Lands Provincial Park

Sarah at Burnt LandsDo you know what an Alvar is?  Head to Burnt Lands Provincial Park near Almonte to visit one.  It's a very unique place that you can read all about here.

Grab the MapRun course (login as a member first) before you head out and your cell phone will beep when you arrive at the control location. Burnt Lands map

New to orienteering?  Don't be scared by the lack of trails - the Intermediate course is all in open areas so you can't get lost here.  If you haven't taken compass bearings before, this is a great place to start before trying it in the forest.  Try to go in a straight line between controls using your compass as shown in this 1 minute video.

Submit your Newsletter Logo Design

Do we have any artists out there?  Maybe some bored kids?  Our newsletter needs a logo. The design should fit in a rectangle that can go at the top of an email, but what is inside is up to you (e.g. image, fancy text, photo).  Submit your suggested designs to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Sample Newsletter Logo

Share your Story

📸 Send a photo or short story of your DIY May orienteering activity to share in next month's newsletter by May 25th to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.