Hello Alberta orienteers,

I realize that many of you will be thinking more of the upcoming holiday season, and winter activities than of orienteering.  But I wanted to let you know of what I consider to be highlights and key developments for Alberta orienteering in 2024. 
One of the best accomplishments this year, which the AOA Executive Director, Bogi Gyorfi, will likely mention, are the thousands (literally!) of children that participated in orienteering this year, thanks to the effort of EOOC, FWOC, and, the AOA.  These efforts were in part supported by a grant from the Alberta government, the ‘Every Kid Can Play’ initiative, which Bogi was successful in obtaining again for the coming year.  
What also supports the school and junior programs are the funds the AOA receives by our members volunteering at casinos.  The AOA casino alternates between Calgary and Edmonton, and this time it was the Edmonton orienteers turn.  Thank you to all of you who braved the less-than-ideal driving conditions earlier this month to stand your shifts.  Not only do these funds help the various junior and school programs, but also help support the creation or updating of (as the case may be) our forest maps.  This has been especially key this year, and for next, because of the upcoming Canadian Orienteering Festival 2025 (COF25).  Calgary orienteers will be hosting the Western Canadian Championship (August 15-18), and Edmonton orienteers the Canadian Championship (August 22-24).  New maps are being created for both events, and will be a legacy for the local clubs to use for years to come.  
For over a year volunteers have been busy with the planning for COF25, from creating the orienteering courses, directing the mapping, planning logistics, running t-shirt design contests, testing the courses (in the heat of summer and bitter cold of November), planning the IT and software needs for the events, working with land owners to obtain permissions, and so on, and so on.  It is a huge and complex effort, especially as two of the races will be World Ranking Events, for which the International Orienteering Federation has stringent requirements.  Hundreds of volunteer hours have already been put in, and even more will be needed, especially as we get closer to the event  - so stay tuned for calls for volunteers. □  Many of the roles do not require an expertise in orienteering, so keep August 2025 in mind if you will be looking for something to do! 
And speaking of volunteers, while the AOA recognises key event officials and club organizers, some of who put in many hundreds of hours, including hundreds of kilometres of travelling to sites and walking through forests and over plains to design orienteering courses, there are so many of you who lend a hand, whether offering to pick up controls on a Wednesday night or register participants or mark them in as they finish, hand out maps to school kids, and more – all of which are so welcome to your fellow club member / volunteer who planned and put on the courses.  Thank you, to you all!  
All of you have my sincere wish for a safe and happy holiday season, and I hope to see you again on the trails in 2025. Map and compass in hand.

Sincerely,
Kim Kasperski
President, Alberta Orienteering Association

A big thank you!

To all our amazing volunteers, your dedication and hard work are the backbone of our orienteering events. Thank you for not only volunteering but for building a welcoming and supportive community. You're the heroes behind the scenes, and we deeply appreciate all that you do. From casino shifts to program coaching, events, and board meetings, every effort contributes to our success. Our gratitude extends to everyone involved—not just those named but all who support orienteering. 
(AOA has an official criteria for which we give special thanks each year.)
The AOA volunteer recognition criteria 

FWOC/ AOA training camp 

      

Alberta Training Camp organized by Foothills Orienteering (FWOC) was an incredible experience! Participants enjoyed challenging terrain, fantastic courses and activities, stunning views, fun group camping, and perfect weather. A huge thank-you goes out to our amazing volunteers: main organizer, event planner and coach Marsha, activity planner and coach Finley and Kitty, and race planner, Teresa.

AOC 2024 - Alberta Orienteering Championship 

A huge THANK YOU to the Government of Alberta and the Every Kid Can Play grant we received, which helped us to provide these amazing programs! With FWOC/SOGO and EOOC/KRW support, and AOA Red Deer & Airdrie outreach, nearly 6,000 participants across Alberta had the chance to connect with nature, build skills, and enjoy the outdoors through 30 programs, 14 schools, and 9 communities through trying orienteering.
We are so excited to receive next year's support to continue the work we've started with our clubs and partners.
Together, we're making outdoor recreation accessible for so many kids. Thank you to the clubs EOOC (Dorothy), SOGO at school (Tiffany, Kim, and Josephina), and the Red Deer coaches (Lisa and Karen) for making this year such a success!

 
 

Albertans were highly active in 2024, attending not only local events but also major ones like the Canadian Championships, North American Championships, and Westerns. We know how much work goes into these events, and nothing is more rewarding for the organizers than seeing participants from across Canada. Congratulations to everyone who made the trip and supported the Canadian orienteering community this year.

Below are some stories from our Team Canada and Junior Athletes.

We are so proud of you and excited to follow your successes next year!
We will continue to provide the AOA grants to support these young athletes, enabling them to attend competitions where they represent Canada and Alberta.

Did you know that both clubs are working tirelessly to put on next year Canadian and Western Canadian Orienteering Championships? It will be a very exciting and busy time. Join us as a participant or volunteer to be part of this fun festival. 

Enjoy 9 days of thrilling competitive orienteering races, including the Canadian Orienteering Championships, Western Canadian Orienteering Championships, and World Ranking Events. For more details check out the website. Planning to open registration mid-January!
COF 2025 Website

□ Announcing Our T-Shirt Design Contest Winner! □
We are thrilled to announce the winner of our T-shirt design contest! After much anticipation, the votes are in and the chosen design is the stunning Rainbow Beaver Dam, created by the incredibly talented Amanda Edmunds! Amanda has won a fantastic package for the Canadian Orienteering Festival 2025.

 

 Zoom meeting

Please register below to receive an email with the Zoom link. The link will be also posted on our website just before the event starts.
All participants at the AOA AGM will be entered to win a door prize!  It's a win-win situation!  

• Date: July 5-7, 2024
• Details still being finalized.
• The group campground on-site has been booked!
• Registration opens soon.

Where: Sandy McNabb
When: August 23-25, 2024
What: Classic two-day cumulative race competition + a fun 1980's style evening event!

Join us as we celebrate the  AOA's 50th anniversary with a traditional class race (cumulative results) at one of our oldest maps - first mapped in 1982 by FWOC's own Don Bayly! Awesome prizes to be one and fun times to be enjoyed.  The group campground at Sandy McNabb is booked for the weekend.  Make the AOCs a part of your summer adventures!

 

The IOF (International Orienteering Federation) has updated its map symbol set. You can expect so see some map changes over the ext year to accommodate these new symbols.  OCAD has create a chart to point out the kew changes for regular maps:

There are also changes to the sprint map symbol set.  These changes may be in place for events such as the Canadians and North Americans in Ontario this year!

Area with obstacles could include areas that have multiple planters too numerous to map individually.

 Date to be confirmed for late September/October. Hosted by EOOC in Redwater Natural Area near Edmonton. A  fun adventure and free AOA-sponsored BBQ awaits all levels from beginners to elites! Stay tuned for updates and registration details. Don't miss it!

We are proud to share that Kids Run Wild has been awarded the prestigious Best Children's Outdoor Pursuits & Fitness Programme 2023 - Western Canada by Acquisition International. This recognition is a testament to the EOOC club's passion and dedication to orienteering. Special thanks to coach Dorothy P, amazing volunteers like Peter G, and all the supporting families.
We look forward to seeing the program's positive impact as KRW nurtures children's love for outdoor pursuits and fitness to continue.

 
Western Canadian Training Camp

One of the best training camp locations found!
It took place in Cranbrook, BC, in May and was well attended by 50 people. Eager learners from all clubs in Alberta and BC, as well as from Ontario and Montana. We had 5 coaches (Kitty, Marsha, Magali, Finley, and Bogi) and course planners Andree and Eileen from KOC. Also, we had some great help from Magnus J planning some great activities from Norway. Accommodation at the College of the Rockies was excellent; single rooms with a kitchen to share! We heard many requesting to go back there annually. 

 

 Unlocking Challenges @ Western Spring Training Camp
When I was young, I said to my mom at the dinner table “maybe there’s a challenge inside you need to unlock”.  The details behind why I said this isn’t relevant.  What is relevant is that this statement has become a powerful mantra for me and my family.  
There were a good number of challenges I was able to unlock  at the Western Spring Training Camp. I walked away from the camp more confident in my ability to use my compass and more knowledgeable of map contours and symbols. I also unlocked a fear of being on my own in a forest during a route choice activity. Last but not least, I got quite comfortable being lost knowing that “I am not really lost, I am just bewildered” (as they called it at camp).
What my mom and I loved most about our time in Cranbrook was feeling a part of a community.  The sport of orienteering feels small until you participate in events, like this camp. There is nothing better than like-minded people coming together to share a passion for something important in their lives. The organizers, coaches, and other participants made us feel welcome and we both walked away with not only new skills, but new friends too. I left the three day camp feeling connected, inspired and more confident than ever that orienteering is my sport.  If you are a teen interest in trying orienteering, come join me for some upcoming events!
By Gabriel S, age 14

Blackfoot Score-O Recap
EOOC hosted the Blackfoot Score-O on May 28.  There were three options for time: 1, 3 and 6 hours!  Interestingly the event was held on a new map some of which had not been field checked, so participants had their work cut out for them if they chose to venture there!  Another interesting feature was the combination of regular SI controls and maprun controls (no si, sometimes flags, ribbons or nothing!) Three orienteers braved the 6 hours of cruelling navigation.  Wise participants went after the regular controls in mapped terrain, but some of us more adventurous types (needless to say less-wise?) decided to go for the big score controls in the green terrain with only ribbons or the maprun beep to tell us were at the control!  We found the controls we went after ... as well as more spanworm caterpillars than we care to recall. We had to de-caterpillar after leaving the forest!
Thanks to the amazing volunteers who put on this event!
by: Marsha F

2023 Run the Wild
FWOC's much-loved navigation race returned to the picturesque location of Sandy McNabb after a decade, and it was nothing short of spectacular! Sheep Valley boasts vast, untamed landscapes with rolling hills and a trail system that can either guide you or leave you bewildered, testing your navigation skills to the core. The event featured a Rogaine-style score-O, a trail run component, and some exciting secret bonuses, courtesy of the amazing Run the Wild team.
Designed to cater to both beginners and seasoned orienteers, this 6-hour challenge allows you to create a route that perfectly aligns with your skills, fitness, and mood. It's all about having a blast and pushing the boundaries with your team.
 

Blackfoot map

2023 Western Canadian Orienteering Championships 
Thank you to Sage Orienteering for some amazing races!  Participants came off both Middle and Long events feeling they had given it their all and had fun while they did it! Congratulations to all the participants and podium finishers!  Alberta showed off their competitive side, taking the podium in several classes in both events. (Fwoc submitted results listed.) In the Middle event: Andrew (2nd M21E), Ewan (1st Western Canadian M20), Gavan (1st M18), Finley (3rd Western Canadian M35), Tim (3rd M45), Teresa (1st Western Canadian F45), Christin (2nd F65) In the Long event, Robyn (3rd F21E), Gavan (1st M18), Alexandru (1st M10), Finley (2nd Western Canadian M35), Tim (2nd M45), Don B (3rd Western Canadian M65), Izabela ( 2nd Western Canadian F10), Teresa (2nd F45), and Christin (1st F65).


FWOC at Westerns
 

Robyn and Andrew, have been chosen as members of the National Junior Team Canada Program. We are so proud to see these young and skilled FWOC athletes representing Canada at various international events. Their passion for orienteering shines brightly, and we wish them the best of luck in their endeavours. Go Team Canada!
Robyn's summer updates
Earlier this season I started off with the FWOC spring training camp, and shortly after raced WCOCs. At the end of June, I made a short trip to Eastern Washington for the Spokane 4 Days, where I participated in the Pig War. This weekend was NAOCs in Truckee, California. I had a strong sprint (where unfortunately I mispunched), and consequently had a rough time on the middle and the long, but recovered enough to run a mostly clean 2nd leg for the senior women’s relay team on the last day. Up next is COCs, where I’m looking forward to racing in the senior category, and hopefully end the summer on a high note.
Submitted by Robyn A

Andrew's summer updates
My bigger events started out with WCOCs in the dense and technical forests of Kelowna where I got to experience some of the coolest terrain I have ever run in, as well as the least amount of deadfall I have seen anywhere in North America. Shortly after I headed off for Europe and stopped by the Hungarian Middle Champs on my way to JWOC (Junior World Orienteering Championships) for a little training and to see what these European forests are all about. The races were fun but jet lag and the new terrain prevented me from making it into the A-final so I had to settle for first place in the B-final. Following that I did a bit of traveling around Croatia and then headed over to Romania for JWOC. My results at JWOC weren't great (about middle of the pack), but it was still a great time participating in such a high-level competition as well as talking to people from all over the world. Then after more traveling around, I made my way down to California to meet up with the Canadian team to do a bit of training around Tahoe to acclimatize to the terrain and elevation. Seemingly this paid off as I got gold in all my races in M20E. Additionally, I would have placed second in the M21E sprint since they were on the same course (just 13 seconds away from qualifying for the automatic spot at WOC next year in Edinburgh). Next up I have O-fest and COCs in Quebec in which I will be running up to M21E. Given my recent results at NAOC I am hopeful that I can come home with a medal or two but we'll just have to wait and see.
Submitted by Andrew Mc.

 

Red Deer Community Events
Upcoming 
5. July 31st - Bower Ponds
6. August date TBD- Barrett Park
7. September 13 - RDP
8. September 27 - Bower Pond
9. October 4- Kin Canyon
10. October 18 - Heritage Ranch

Crowsnest Pass Permanent Courses:
We set up three permanent orienteering courses at Pass Powderkeg, which you will be able to try on your own time.

Strathcona Wilderness Center Permanent Courses:
EOOC created some fun courses for Strathcona Wilderness Centre. The maps are ready for download from our website. Courses also can be done with the Map Run App or by picking up a map from customer service, onsite at SWC.
The longest challenge is a 24 controls Score O.

Edmonton Club ( EOOC)

• Club news

• Upcoming events

Outreach: Red Deer events

• Red Deer 

$$$ GRANTS $$$

Great New Provincial Government Grants!

 

Alberta’s government investing $8 million to help make sports, physical activity and recreation more accessible through the new Every Kid Can Play program.  Every Kid Can Play (EKCP) Program is designed to address affordability and accessibility challenges to sport, physical activity, and recreation (SPAR) programs for Alberta kids and their families. Alberta families can apply for up to $350 per child to offset registration fees, through funds directed to KidSport Alberta.

ADDITIONAL for non-profit sport organizations to make sports more affordable.
 2 grant application processes with the Government of Alberta, for Provincial-Scope organizations and Community-Level non-profit organizations, funding is available  to reduce costs associated with the delivery, expansion, or enhancement of existing programs.
We will work with the clubs to apply for these grants.

Our Annual Grants :
1. AOA Grants for Alberta Clubs:
The AOA Grants Policy and application form can be found on our website.

• AOA Grant Policy for Clubs ​​updated 2023​​​​
• AOA has three grants available to support the clubs.
•  To apply contact the AOA office.​

​​2. Application for AOA Members: 

• The Leadership Grant will encourage AOA members to attend or present courses, clinics, workshops, training camps events and conferences.
• The High-Performance Grant supports athletes who are named by Orienteering Canada to Canada's National Teams. It also supports Alberta coaches and team leaders of National Teams.
• For members, the application deadline is December 1st.  Please download the application form below and send it back to  [email protected] .

• AOA High-Performance Grant​  application​​

• AOA Leadership Grant​ application

Kim Kasperski

 Zoom meeting

Please register below to receive an email with the Zoom link. The link will be also posted on our website just before the event starts.
All participants at the AOA AGM will be entered to win a door prize!
It's a win-win situation!  

Edmonton Club ( EOOC)

• Club news

• Upcoming events

Outreach: Airdrie and Red Deer events

• Red Deer and Airdrie 

 

 $$$$ GRANTS $$$$

AOA Grant Policy for Alberta clubs :

• AOA Grant Policy for Clubs ​​updated 2023​​​​
• AOA has three grants available to support the clubs.
• For clubs, the application deadline is April 1st.  To apply contact the AOA office.​

​​Application forms for AOA members : 

• The Leadership Grant will encourage AOA members to attend or present courses, clinics, workshops, training camps and conferences.
• The High-Performance Grant supports athletes who are named by Orienteering Canada to Canada's National Teams. It also supports Alberta coaches and team leaders of National Teams.
• For members, the application deadline is December 1st.  Please download the application form below and send it back to  [email protected] .

• AOA High-Performance Grant​  application​​

• AOA Leadership Grant​ application

We are happy to announce that we have received $2500 from the Government of Canada ParticipAction Grant to organize 5 events in 5 communities and invite underrepresented populations to try orienteering. If you have ideas for Crowsnest Pass, Red Deer, Cochrane, Calgary, or Edmonton or know someone who can we contact to invite, please let us know.

Mapping Update 
We are excited to say that the mapping activity is growing in our province. New maps are being planned for the 2025 Canadian Championships and the 4 new outreach maps are in the works.

Thanks to our seasoned mappers Don B, Don R and Geraint who are always busy updating maps and helping some of the new mappers get hooked on making maps.

The club volunteers will never run out of jobs with map updates and finding new areas to map in the cities.  Thanks to David, Teresa, Marsha, Stefan, Tim, and Dorothy for supporting this important work.

AB Park permit update:
FWOC is excited to share news that AB Parks, Kananaskis Region, in consultation with FWOC and AOA, has developed an excellent Orienteering Directive that should facilitate getting permits in the Kananskis region! Once our maps have been reviewed by the ecological lead on that AB Kananaskis team (the last step in a multi-year process), we should be able to offer more forest events on some of our favourite maps! Stay tuned! The Directive also makes it easier to create and use new maps! We can't thank Kitty Jones enough for devoting years to spear-heading this effort.

Hello Alberta orienteers,

Well, I am feeling somewhat wistful about the end of the regular orienteering season, but also encouraged that the events that were held in 2022 show that Alberta orienteering is coming back from the disruptions of the past few years. And with the behind-the-scenes planning for future events, getting new officials trained to develop and run those events, map making and training mappers, trying to improve land access, training coaches, and so on, the “off-season” looks to be just as busy for our
core of hard-working volunteers.

And speaking of volunteers, this year the AOA held a one-day event last month to celebrate the people who make such a difference for Alberta orienteering. I think the event at the Red Deer Polytechnic on October 15 th was a great success. The sprint courses designed by David Campden of FWOC and Greg Yarkie of EOOC were a lot of fun – of course the fabulous weather helped – and that led to a very tasty (free) lunch and a chance to recognize the volunteers who had been so key to Alberta orienteering in 2021 and 2022 (check out the names in this newsletter). 

While the AOA recognizes key event officials and club organizers, some of who put in many hundreds of hours, including hundreds of kilometres of travelling to sites and walking through forests and over plains, there are so many of you who lend a hand, whether offering to pick up controls on a Wednesday night or register participants or mark them in as they finish, hand out maps to school kids, and more – all of which are so welcome to your fellow club member / volunteer who planned and put on the courses.

I would like to extend a heart-felt thank you to all of you who help Alberta orienteering in whatever way you can. This is how we keep orienteering thriving in Alberta.

Sincerely,
Kim Kasperski
President, Alberta Orienteering Association

Canadian Rockies Orienteering Festival
 

      

The big event of the year for Albertans was the Canadian Rockies Orienteering Festival (CROF) which included the Western Canadian Orienteering Championships held in Kananaskis, a Barebones event on a new map in the Crowsnest as well as the Canadian Orienteering Championships in Kimberley. This series of events had been planned for 2020 and had to be postponed for two years!  It was exciting to see it finally happen.  The WCOC Forest Sprint held on the new Banded Peak map was exciting!  The Middle and Long events for the WCOCs were held on a new map near Barrier Lake which had very interesting and, at times, extremely challenging terrain! From an organizer's point of view, it was nice to see our hard work of course planning and control site checking come to fruition! Despite the logging that made this map difficult to cross, most finishers said they really enjoyed being out on a new map!  Sunday's WCOC Long Event had an extra challenge thrown in by rain and cold weather.  Most orienteers made their way to Barebones down south to enjoy a more laid-back orienteering event before moving on to the COCs in Kimberley.  These events, too, were held on some very exciting maps! Participants of CROF raved about the orienteering. Congratulations to all the podium finishers and participants! Three Albertans swept their age class in every event: Geraint, Nicki and Grace (pictured above), and seven Albertans made the podium for every event in the 2022 COCs: Lada K, Greg Y, Mark G, Jack M, Tori O, Danny R and Ewan W!

Regular club events!

      

Alberta orienteers were also very excited to see the return of regular orienteering events!  Both FWOC and EOOC held about 20 regular Wednesday events.  Calgary had four forest events, including Run the Wild 2022 and an exciting Team Score-O, while Edmonton hosted 4 forest events which included a Score-O at Blackfoot.  Both clubs held successful Halloween events: Spook-O at Confederation Park with about 340 participants feasting on candy around the course, and the 3rd annual Rosenthal Haunted House with 941 participants (584 youth), plus 11 volunteers! In addition, EOOC hosted a Sprint Series, a competition designed for Team Canada time trials but open to orienteers of all skill levels. 

Red Deer Sprint 

To top off a great year, the AOA hosted the sprint event in Red Deer (mentioned by Kim in her letter).  This was also the first time on this map, intended for use in 2020! Thanks to Don B for such an awesome map to run on, and to David C and Greg Y for terrific courses. For those of you who missed the event, check out the long course:

We had two juniors from Alberta attending JWOC this year! Congrats to Robyn and Andrew!  It's been quite a different JWOC - with the forest races being rescheduled for the fall, because of the forest fire risk and heat wave in Portugal.

This JWOC was all about the Sprint races this summer. In the Individual Sprint race, Robyn Astridge was 81st and Andrew McLaren was 91st; other Canadian team members included Isak Fransson from Hamilton (121st) and Lukas Raz from Ottawa (139th). In the Sprint Relay, Canada was 7th in the B final. 

The Forest events were held November 4-6, and Alec Le Helloco (from Ottawa) represented Canada in the forest disciplines.

Kim Kasperski

 Zoom meeting

Please register below to receive an email with the Zoom link. The link will be also posted on our website just before the event starts.

 

Please SAVE the DATE!

AUGUST 21-22 , 2022 Sunday and Monday. 
 

We need your help!

AOA received a CASINO draw in Calgary Pure Casino. The AGLC Casino fund is a main operational support for AOA. We use it for creating maps, developing programs and supporting events. If you can help us with a shift it would be greatly appreciated.
Please sign up below.