2026 Spring Newsletter

Orienteering News from across Alberta

AOA News and Events AOA Facebook AOA Website AOA Instagram Notice for the 2026 AOA AGM Please join us at the AOA All General Meeting Wednesday,  March 25, 2026, at  6:30 PM Online Zoom meeting Please register below, and the meeting link will be emailed to you. Register for the AGM or download the Proxy form. AGM voting and meeting information : All FWOC and EOOC club members are also Alberta Orienteering Association members. Every member 18 years and older is eligible to vote at the AGM. If you cannot attend, please send a proxy vote; download it and send it back ( picture or any other form)  to  [email protected]. Membership Drive Campaign WIN PRIZES!□ Renew your membership, or invite a friend to join with you! ALL membership sign-ups before May 31st will be entered into monthly prize draws (March, April, May) for some orienteering gear and outdoor goodies! Already signed up as a member? You're automatically in the draw, but you can help us encourage others to join! We need YOU to help us spread the word and win Prizes!  ​□ Adventure is calling, Alberta! □ By becoming a member, you help strengthen the orienteering community. Even if you can’t attend events, your membership makes a meaningful donation to support programs, mapping, and outreach. Orienteering is a great way to meet active, outdoor-minded people and enjoy nature in a fun, family-friendly setting. Your membership allows you to participate in any orienteering event—local, regional, or national.  Visit our WBSITE for details      ​ Sign-up Options: Edmonton Overlanders Orienteering Club (EOOC) $40/adult, $10/junior Foothills Wanderers Orienteering Club (FWOC) Calgary area: $20 /adult, $15/youth AOA Outreach Membership: limited to outside of club areas — $5 individual Looking back at 2025  From the desk of Bogi Gyorfi, Executive Director In 2025, the Alberta Orienteering Association made significant progress on its 2024–2027 Strategic Plan, offering inclusive programs, hosting major events, and achieving record levels of participation across the province. We recorded over 25,000 participations through club activities, outreach, and school programs, supported by funding from the Government of AB, SPAR, the Every Kid Can Play grants, Casino proceeds, and program revenues. Notable highlights included EOOC hosting the Alberta Championships and the collaboration with FWOC for the Canadian Orienteering Festival 2025, which featured nine high-level races, including world-ranking events and extensive officials’ mentoring, as well as support for the national training camp and more social and fun activities. We also expanded the “Try It” and school programs in various communities and updated maps and permanent courses. Although regular club membership experienced a slight decline, overall participation reached record levels, largely due to the Every Kid Can Play grant, which contributed $57,500 over a two-year period. With 951 regular members and a total of 25,057 participants, along with an expanding social media presence, 2025 demonstrated the strength of our volunteer-driven community and our partnerships with FWOC, EOOC, and provincial supporters, especially from Red Deer. Our next key goal is to transform this participation growth into sustained membership growth across our clubs. A big thank you to our dedicated volunteers, clubs (FWOC and EOOC), and supporters for another impactful year! All of our detailed reports and 2026 plans can be found on our website. Celebrating Our Volunteers, the Unsung Heroes New AOA Community Builder Volunteer Recognition award!     The newly established Unsung Heroes award celebrates dedicated volunteers whose ongoing, behind-the-scenes contributions have quietly strengthened orienteering across Alberta. This new annual recognition highlights individuals whose community spirit, long-term commitment, and positive impact often go unnoticed within traditional recognition categories. The award showcases the inclusive and grassroots nature of our sport by honouring up to two individuals each year whose efforts embody the true heart of the orienteering community. Visit details for the NOMINATION here. CONGRATULATIONS to Garry and Cheryl as the first recipients of the award! Garry and Cheryl Atchison are cherished community builders from the Edmonton Overlanders Orienteering Club (EOOC), celebrated as our first  “Unsung Heroes” for their steadfast, behind-the-scenes support of orienteering events spanning decades. As dedicated volunteers, they’ve taken on countless essential roles — from not only serving as board members, coordinating casino fundraisers and setting up event sites (their familiar grey camper is a sure early-morning sign you’ve arrived at the right spot), to storing the club’s equipment and trailer at their home for many years. Garry is often seen biking out with hundreds of litres of water for the courses or collecting controls, while Cheryl’s friendly smile greets participants at the refreshment table, the camp's kitchens, or at the start line, ensuring everything runs smoothly. Together, they’ve also opened their home to out-of-town orienteering officials and maintained a standing invitation to all orienteers for their beloved annual potluck Christmas dinner. Their contributions to the EOOC are immeasurable — ensuring seamless operations and helping to strengthen the roots of Alberta’s orienteering community. Their quiet dedication truly embodies the spirit celebrated by the AOA’s new award. Celebrating Our Athletes  Alberta athletes continue to make us proud! Last year, with the Canadian Orienteering Festival  (COF2025) hosted right here in Alberta was even easier to claim those bragging rights! Huge congratulations to Alberta’s own Robyn Astridge, Andrew McLaren, Gavan Winn, Grace Mahoney, Gabriel Smith, and Emilia Smith on being named to Orienteering Canada’s 2026 National and Development Teams!  Follow their journeys and meet the full Team Canada squad here: https://orienteering.ca/team-canada/athletes      Officials's Message Officials Are the Heart of Our Events Did you know every orienteering event, big or small, requires certified officials to organize it? Orienteering Canada (OC) offers O100–O400 certification levels, so even with limited experience, you can start your journey by helping with small club events. Join a team, learn, and enjoy rewarding interactions—nothing beats planning a course that others love! Important for Certified Officials !!! Please complete the log and email it to OC to keep your records current. Download the form here and send it back; after 5 years of inactivity, the certification expires. Email it to:[email protected] DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL'S ACTIVITY LOG    AOA Sport Policy Updates AOA has recently updated many of its sport policies to align with current national and provincial standards. The new Air Quality policy has been updated to help with guidance for air quality and orienteering events: Navigating Air Quality Risks. We are also pleased to announce the implementation of the Alberta Safe Sport Complaint Mechanism (ABSSCM) and a third‑party independent mechanism to help keep sport in our province safe for everyone. To learn more about our Safe Sport framework and related policies, please visit the Safe Sport page on the AOA website: Promoting Orienteering  Clubs and Programs Club programs and events are planned and ready to roll—help us fill them up! EVENTS CALENDAR AND ANNUAL PLANNING CAN BE FOUND ON OUR WEBSITE. Mentionable events for upcoming season: March 13-15 - Sprint Camp - Vancouver, BC. GVOC  April 26 - FWOC's Spring Opener at Rumsey May 3 - EOOC's Blackfoot COC Middle revisited May 9 - EOOC's Morningside May 23 - FWOC's Run the Wild at Beaver Lake May 30 - EOOC forest event Brunderheim July 25 - August 2 - COC 2026 - Nova Scotia and New Brunswick August 8-9 - AOC  ALBERTA CHAMPIONSHIPS - Lusk Creek ( group campground booked) Oct 17 - AOA round-up and volunteer appreciation event, Red Deer Please share with your friends and reach out to encourage more participation. Click on the pictures below to find out more!  AOA Casino    Please save the date for the upcoming  AOA casino: August 11-12, 2026,  Pure Casino, Calgary. Thank you for helping orienteering thrive in Alberta — your support means so much! Hope to see you with a compass and map soon! Copyright ©  AOA.  All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Alberta Orienteering Association Box 1576 Cochrane, Alberta T4C 1B5 Canada Do you want to change how you receive these emails? 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