enteering Ottawa has a number of permanent courses in Ottawa.  With these, our members and others are able to get out into the woods and city parks, enjoy the out of doors and discover new areas to run,  hike or walk.

These permanent courses are set in both Kanata and Orleans.  They have been created to introduce the sport of Orienteering and provide a simple outdoor activity where you can practice some of the basic skills.

Orienteering is a sport practiced worldwide at all age groups and skill levels. Participants use navigation skills using a map and compass to navigate between points shown on the map, usually as a timed competition. It can be done in small teams or individually, on foot, by ski or bike. There is no GPS use.  It does not need to be a race.

 It can be like a family hike or a simple challenge. 

Locations :

• In Orleans 
  •  the  Cairine Wilson Course is bounded by Orleans Blvd, the Ottawa River, Bilberry Drive and Jeanne D'Arc Blv
  •  St.  Matthew HS & Bilberry Park Course is bounded by Jeanne D'Arc Blvd, Bilberry Drive, the Queensway and Bilberry Creek
• In Kanata 
  •  Kanata Highlands PS Map Walk is bounded by Innovation Drive, property of  Kanata Highlands Public School, Terry Fox and a railway line. 

Conditions of Use :

Any Orienteering Ottawa logo and/or website address must NOT be altered or removed from the maps.

The users of any of these maps waive all responsibility from Orienteering Ottawa ((OOC), Orienteering Ontario (OOA), Fédération québécoise de course d’orientation (FQCO), and their agents from any loss of property or personal injury that may occur during the use of any of these maps.

Possession of the maps does not imply permission to be on the land. Permission must always be obtained from the private and/or public landowners.

Important Safety Precautions : 

Be sure to let someone know where you will be, or do this in a small group.  They are not remote but if you slip and injure yourself, you may be there a while before someone comes by.    If you stay on the trails, ticks should not be a a problem but we recommend long pants that are tucked into your socks.  

You are responsible for assessing risks and managing your safety. Obey all government and local regulations.  See our Safety page for more safety advise.

How to use a map :

A map is an overhead or birds-eye view of the area, but it only represents the area properly when it is oriented correctly : 

• it is held flat in front of you as the world is basically flat around you and not vertical like a book, 
• the top of the map is always pointed North.

Orienteering maps use magnetic north and the North direction is shown on the grid lines.

See more information about Orienteering maps at https://ottawaoc.ca/learn/our-maps

Go to this link to download the maps (the .pdf files). Print the map in colour or bring it with you on your tablet. A compass is not needed but you can bring one if you have it, or use the app on your phone. Allow ½ hour to 45 minutes to walk all or part of the course. You can visit the controls in any order and visit as many or as few as you wish.  You will also find a file with detailed instructions for the Kanata Highlands PS Map Walk

Note that online maps may be out-of-date and may not have been recently field-checked. New hazards may exist that are not shown on the map. If you have any concerns about the safety of an area, please let us know and do not go out on the course or map

If you wish to know more about the club and our activities go to our membership page to see how you can join us.

1. If you enjoyed the permanent courses, we have other 'on your own' courses (for members ony) using an app on your phone to find virtual controls.  See more here.

The Controls

The controls that you will be visiting are marked as circles on the map with a number beside it. Each Control is at a feature like a trail junction, a small cliff, a bourlder (at least 1 m. high) or another geographic feature.

The map may have a list on the side which shows you some information about the control such as what feature it is near (e.g. a trail junction, end of a fence, large bourlder) This may be in English, in symbols or both. To understand such a list in symbols, refer to this All about Orientering.pdf or for more deetail download this British page.

The Course :

Start the course from any street or park on the map. You can visit the controls in any order.

Ho;lding the map flat in front of you and oriented north, look around and try to match what you see on the fround to the symbols on the map. Identify the closest control to where you are and walk towasrd it noting, along the way, each identifiable symvol on the map. So, if you encounter a fence, find it on the map - a building - find it on the map. As you do this, move your thumb to near that spot to identify and retain a maerker of where your are now. Always stay 'in touch' with the map. Try to select some of the eaasier controls first. Once you have success at that, you can try some controls further off the trails or deeper into the woods.

When you finish :

Please let us know how things went for you and your thoughts on this activity at Outreach@ottawaoc.ca