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Orienteering Canada Newsletter Dec 2020 / Jan 2021, Vol 35
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Dec 2020 / Jan 2021, Volume 35

Hello

Welcome to the Orienteering Canada newsletter. Submissions for the next newsletter are welcome. Please send them by the 15th of each month to newsletter@orienteering.ca. We aim to get the newsletter out by the end of each month.

News from Orienteering Canada

Calling all Provincial and Territorial Orienteering Associations
There will be a Club Connect Call in January to give Provincial/Territorial Orienteering Associations (PTOAs) an opportunity to compare notes and learn from each other about financial structures, membership, administrative strategies, etc. Some PTOAs are very interested in hearing from others about how their organization works. We hope representatives from each of the PTOAs will be able to join the discussion. More info, with date and time will be coming soon.

Volunteer Profile - Tim McLaren

Tim McLaren is the President of Foothills Orienteering in Calgary. Tim is relatively new to the sport. We wanted to talk to Tim to see how he got involved with the Board of Foothills Orienteering. Thanks for your contribution to orienteering Tim!

How did you get into orienteering?
My kids tried FWOC's SOGO Adventure Running program at their school in Calgary and later signed up for SOGO programs. I would go for runs while they were at SOGO and eventually figured out it was far more fun to run with other people and a map.
 
What is your favourite map?
I don't really like maps all that much - they all seem to lie to me about something. But one of my favorite courses so far was the Long course at the 2019 Alberta Orienteering Championships near Sheep River Provincial in Kananaskis Country. The course climbed some big ridges, crossed rivers and swamps, and led me through some really interesting terrain that I otherwise would never have run through. And there were plenty of challenges and mistakes made that made for some great times comparing routes after the race.
 
What are your favourite things about the sport?
I've always enjoyed trail running, but as a famous website puts it "Why Just Run?". I love how orienteering involves energetically exploring new terrain while dishing up a constant stream of new puzzles and challenges for the brain. I also like the very flexible and encouraging mode of competition that at my level is mostly about competing with yourself and limits of your oxygen starved brain, but still providing enough comparisons with other people's performance to provide valuable feedback on how to improve.

How are you involved as a volunteer?
Not long ago, I started with helping set up or take down controls and I was soon interested in learning how to plan courses and serve on our club's junior committee. From there I moved on to helping out with the technology on our club's Board and am now serving as the President of the club. I love learning new things which is why the sport and practice of orienteering is so interesting to me. Unlike other sports that have gatekeepers and fussy hierarchies, orienteering seems to be very welcoming and encouraging of newcomers. I like being able to learn from the highly experienced orienteers that surround me while still feeling welcomed and appreciated as a newcomer to the sport.

Volunteer and Author Profile - Malin Hansen

We are thrilled to tell you about a new orienteering booked written by Malin Hansen. We are also excited that Malin has been busy getting kids orienteering in Saskatoon, SK and helping to formalize the sport in Saskatchewan. Malin grew up in Sweden, but currently lives in Saskatoon. She is a lecturer in Biology, a scout leader, and an orienteering coach. She enjoys teaching children and adults about the natural world. Don’t Get Lost is her first novel. It is inspired by her love for outdoor adventures and her goal of getting kids outside.

About the book
"Don't get lost!" is a novel that aims to inspire children to get outside and learn how to read a map. It also teaches them what to do if they get lost. The book is self-published and is available online through
o-store.ca, McNally Robinson and Amazon.ca. The book is suitable for ages 7-11. The book is about Annie and her best friend, Leah, who cannot wait to head out on an adventure after learning how to read a map and use a compass at school. During a family camping trip they get the opportunity to practice their skills. But when bad weather hits and they are looking for a shortcut home, will they remember what they learned?
 
About Malin's orienteering program in Saskatoon - in her words
When my family moved from Alberta to Saskatoon this fall I was determined to start an orienteering program in Saskatoon, where orienteering has not been an option for families for over 10 years, perhaps more. I contacted SaskOutdoors (the Saskatchewan Outdoor and Environmental Education Society) and it turned out to be a perfect match. We decided to start small to "test the waters". However, it turned out that Saskatoonian families were eager to try this new activity. Soon I was coaching four groups per week for a total of 50 children and youth. We were thrilled!

 
The fall sessions focused on map reading skills and cardinal directions. We started off in Buena Vista Park, a small city park, and moved on to Gabriel Dumont Park by the river once the children felt more comfortable reading maps. This naturalized park added lots of new challenges and a fun complex terrain. I was impressed with how quickly the children's map reading skills improved! In November we were faced with a new challenge: A foot of snow! This did not stop us, but demonstrated just how flexible this sport is. In fact, I think some of the most fun and rewarding sessions we had were when the kids ran through the forest in deep snow.
 
We are already planning for the spring sessions, which will start in April. This second time around we will likely offer a variety of levels and age groups to better reach children and youth with different background skills and interests. In addition, we are in the process of incorporating the Saskatchewan Orienteering Association to be able to be able to offer orienteering programs throughout the entire province.

Your donation to Orienteering Canada will be matched 100%

It has been an unusual year, the most unusual since the early 1920s when waves of pandemic had such a profound effect on humanity globally. In these times, we all look to help in our own unique ways. Part of that helping, for those who are financially able, is to give to registered charities for specific purposes. Many of us have chosen to help more charities this year than usual, to assure the continuation of the good works and activities which are necessary.

While there are many ways to help, and many of us do help orienteering in multiple ways, a donation to Orienteering Canada's Endowment Fund will ensure continuation of our activities for the longer term. Any donation, large or small, will earn interest income every year. Increasing the Endowment Fund through donations will allow our sport to have a larger portion of a guaranteed source of revenue. This interest revenue will be used to encourage the growth of our sport nationally. Charitable tax receipts are provided.

Thanks to an anonymous donor, donations up to $1900 will be matched dollar for dollar. Now's a great time to donate and double your impact.

 
Donate

Contacting Orienteering Canada

Are you wondering who to email at Orienteering Canada with your questions, comments and ideas? Orienteering Canada's email directory is handy. You can also find this on Orienteering Canada's contact page.
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