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OABC 2002 SCHEDULE - February to June See www.oabc.ca for complete schedule.

DATE TYPE EVENT LOCATION CLUB CONTACT PHONE February DUE WEST 17 C DT5, Pacific Spirit Pk. Vancouver GVOC Louise Oram (604) 264-4640 The Newsletter of the Association of 17 C Uplands Park Victoria VICO Carl Coger (250) 592-4944 17 Ski-O Silver Star Silver Star SAGE Randy Benz (250) 545-4991 March 3 Ski-O Stake Lake Lac Le Jeune SAGE Doug Smith (250) 372-3401 BC to host 2003 Canadian Orienteering Championships 3 C Royal Roads Victoria VICO Leigh Bailey (250) 477-4469 17 C Thetis Lake Victoria VICO Steve Chatwin (250) 598-6420 OABC has agreed to host the 2003 COC’s next August, which will be held on a new 23 C DT6, Mundy Park Coquitlam GVOC Bruce Inglis (604) 222-0164 map near Savona in the Interior. In addition, we are going to hold the 2003 Western 24 C Dew Drop UCC SAGE Andrew Tucker (250) 828-7194 Canadian Orienteering Championships the previous weekend at Six Mile Lake, also 31 C Mount Douglas Victoria VICO Debra Barr (250) 360-0819 close to Savona. There will be some midweek events and we hope that all BC orienteers April will take this week off to come and compete and help us make this a first-class event. 7 C DT Final, SFU Vancouver GVOC John Chatwin (604) 430-0176 More details on page 8. 7 C Grasslands SAGE Al Stradeski (250) 374-7018 13 C Spring Ramble Vancouver GVOC George Pugh (604) 261-1075 We need lots of help to organize the events. If you are interested in volunteering, 14 C Camp Thunderbird Victoria VICO Alan Philip (250) 478-3659 please contact Alex Kerr at [email protected] or 604-938-9194. 26 B BC Elem. Schools Ambleside Park GVOC Jackie Slavenova (604) 454-1414 May 4 Training Chartrand Creek Logan Lake GVOC Marta Green (604) 734-1819 Editor’s Message 5 C Hamilton Corrals Kamloops SAGE Frances Vyse (250) 372-8607 The crocuses are blooming in our garden so it’s time to get ready for spring O. To get 12 C Central Park Burnaby GVOC Cris Ivanciuc (604) 708-8387 you in the mood, we’ve got memories of meets past and dreaming material for upcom- 15 LearnO Kamloops Kamloops SAGE Bryan Chubb (250) 989-4350 ing multi-day events in the and . Thanks to all who wrote articles and 18 A Sage Stomp Kamloops GVOC Marta Green (604) 734-1819 submitted information for our first issue of 2002. Thanks, also, to my co-editor (and 19 Rogaine Sage Stomp, 6 hr. Stake Lake SAGE Doug Smith (250) 372-3401 daughter), Jessica Ellis. We’re planning three issues per year, February, April/May, and 20 B Sage Stomp Meadow Creek WLOC Bryan Chubb (250) 989-4350 October, so if you’d like to be published in Due West, send me articles, photos, or news 22 LearnO Kamloops Kamloops SAGE Bryan Chubb (250) 989-4350 of all things O. 25,26 B Newcastle Island Nanaimo VICO Steve Chatwin (250) 598-6420 Margaret Ellis ([email protected]) June 2 C Dufferin Kamloops SAGE Robin Foubister (250) 374-6497 In this issue: 2 Canoe 0 Thetis Lake Victoria VICO Steve Chatwin (250) 598-6420 Page 2 President’s Message Page 8 2003 COC and WCOC Info 8,9 B Brandywine Festival Brandywine Falls GVOC Jackie Slavenova (604) 454-1414 Page 3 OABC and Club Contacts Page 9 APOC 2002 16 C Red Plateau Kamloops SAGE Tim Cole (250) 851-7977 16 C E.Sooke/Aylard Victoria VICO Karen Burns (250) 652-8292 Page 4/5 Course Planning Page 9 Sport BC Update 23 C Campbell Valley Langley GVOC Bruce Inglis (604) 222-0164 Page 5 BC’s 2001 COC Champions Page 10 Club Corner 26 A Yukon O. Champs. YOA Ross Burnett (867) 633-3154 Page 5 Membership Renewals Page 11 Midnight Sun O Festival 27 B Midnight Sun Whitehorse YOA Ross Burnett (867) 633-3154 Page 6/7 The Travelling Orienteer Page 12 Schedule of events 28 Training Long Lake Whitehorse YOA Ross Burnett (867) 633-3154 29-30 A WCOC Whitehorse YOA Ross Burnett (867) 633-3154 Mailing address: OABC 1367 West Broadway Vancouver BC V6H 4A9 p (604) 519-4862 f (604) 737-6043 www.oabc.ca

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it makes a significant difference to our Dear Members, PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE sport. Each member also brings his/her own individual “flare” or style to the This is Alison, one of the members Midnight Sun O Festival Orienteering is a small sport in North sport. Our sport will only grow accord- of the Orienteering Club in Williams Whitehorse, Yukon America and this is both an advantage ing to the number of individuals who Lake. I am in Grade Six. When I en- June 26 – 30, 2002 and a disadvantage. take on such leadership roles. As we tered the club it was early September look ahead to 2002 and 2003, we ask for and I wasn't quite sure if I would like it Orienteering North of 60 We all are aware of the disadvan- your personal support in fostering the or not. I started my first orienteering tages of trying to promote a small sport. growth of orienteering in B.C. lesson in Boitanio Park and then moved Yukon Orienteering Association is We have a hard time getting the atten- on to events with more people, and hosting the Western Canadian cham- tion of the media, we struggle with pro- As an organization of member competitiveness in Kamloops. pionships in Whitehorse on the north- moting and advertising our events, we clubs, it is OABC’s responsibility to sup- ernmost O maps in . The Festi- often have too few people to run our port the individuals who are making a I am here to write about the ups val will kick off with the Yukon Cham- events, the same people run the events difference in BC. Our thanks to some of and downs that I learned so far in orien- pionships on Wednesday evening, fol- and administer the clubs year after year, these: to Leigh Bailey and Carl Coger in teering. Well some of the downs that I lowed by a fun event starting at Mid- money is in short supply, membership Victoria, to Bryan Chubb in Williams know of from experience are: night on Thursday on the Hot Springs numbers are marginal, threatening our Lake, to Jennifer Fenton, Mark McMillan, ⇒ Not taking the time for a bathroom Map. (There may be an opportunity to status as a recognized sport, we can’t get Alex Kerr, Ted de St. Croix, Jackie break before you start your course swim or relax in the pool after the into multi-sport events, our programs Slavenova, Marta Green, and Margaret and then having to while the clock is run.) The two day Western Champion- lack the resources to foster athlete devel- Ellis in , to Martin ticking. It adds to your time. ships will be on Saturday and Sunday. opment, and so on. Pardoe in Whistler, to Darcy Lawhead, ⇒ Getting too hot and having to re- This allows ample time to fly or drive Murray Foubister, and Allan Stradeski in move an article of clothing to for APOC. We have to recognize that the size Kamloops, and to the “fledgling” clubs: ⇒ Stepping in cow poop (happens of- of our sport does not allow us to do all to Larry Rozak (Rocky Mtn. Heckawees ten) The Westerns will be held on complex that we would like to do (especially if we as in “where the heck are we” - Cran- ⇒ Getting clothes ripped by barbed glacial terrain of kettles (big depres- try to compare ourselves to other sports), brook), Grant Spelsberg (Sub Zero, Fort wire fences (hint, don't wear good sions) and ridges of varying levels of but then we have to embrace the con- St. John), Daphne Tomblin (mid-Island), clothes!!) detail. There are also many areas of verse - that because of our small num- and Dave Tilley (). very fine detail as well as some pockets bers, each individual can make a differ- Well, enough of the down side and of rock and cliff detail. The forests are a ence. When an individual steps forward Doug Smith, OABC President warning, here are some of the ups: very enjoyable mixture of open pine, to play some part in supporting an orien- ⇒ Sometimes getting free food aspen and natural meadows, with teering club, that effort is meaningful, Note: next OABC Planning (yumm!) thicker areas of spruce. Some areas enriching the orienteering community, Meeting will take place March 16th, 2002 ⇒ Meeting really kind people with a fairly dense trail network, al- but the commitment in itself is also re- at Sport BC at 1367 W. Broadway, Vanc. ⇒ Being in beautiful scenery though the longer courses will go warding. Volunteering and making a ⇒ Good form of exercise and fun. through some real “wilderness”. Lots of difference to the community is an oppor- OABC’s mandate is to promote and support good views of the surrounding moun- tunity for personal development. If a the sport of orienteering through the devel- I hope you have as much fun as I tains and the Yukon River valley. opment of athletes, coaches and officials and member wishes to take on a role in orga- by supporting the organizations associated did starting orienteering. I will nizing a meet, doing a newsletter, offici- with the promotion of orienteering. The be back this year. Hope to see you Information: ating, caring for new members, organiz- elected Board of Directors of the OABC con- there. www.icefield.yk.ca/www/yoa ing equipment, or handling registration, sists of volunteers who are members of ori- enteering clubs within BC. Alison Pickford Page 2 Page 11 Due West February 2002 Due West February 2002

CLUB CORNER OABC EXECUTIVE and COMMITTEE CHAIRS

In this section we hope to shine the spotlight on a different orienteering club in BC each issue. We’re all one big happy “O” family! This issue features excerpts from the Position Name (Club) Email recently-formed Williams Lake Orienteering Club’s newsletter. President Doug Smith (Sage) [email protected] VP/Secretary Alex Kerr (GVOC) [email protected] Treasurer/Membership Leigh Bailey (VicO) [email protected] COF Liaison Alex Kerr (GVOC) [email protected] Sport BC Liaison Jennifer Fenton (GVOC) [email protected] teachers, some of whom have orienteer- Mapping Bryan Chubb (Williams Lake) [email protected] ing experience already. The Esler area, Website Ted de St. Croix (GVOC) [email protected] and the W.L. river valley were also dis- cussed as having potential for mapping Newsletter Margaret Ellis (GVOC) [email protected] and future use. This would require Junior Development Jackie Slavenova (GVOC) [email protected] LOST!in the Cariboosome time to put into place and some Coaching/Officials Vacant people present at the meeting expressed A summary of the first meeting of the interest in assisting with this process Williams Lake Orienteering Club, No- with Bryan using his mapping skills. CLUB MEMBERSHIP CONTACTS vember 21, 2001 Bryan gave an overview of the Greater Vancouver Orienteering Club (GVOC) Subzero Orienteering Club (SUB) The most remarkable aspect of the structure of , their Bruce Inglis Grant Spelsberg meeting for me was seeing the numbers newsletter and how membership with 4009 West 18th Avenue, SS2 S-3, C-1 of people who are interested in orien- W.L. Club entitles members and families Vancouver, BC V6S 1B9. Fort St John, BC V1J 4M7 [email protected] p (604) 519-4862 p (250) 785-5733 (h) teering. With a good turn out, the to participate provincially. www.oabc.ca/gvoc p (250) 785-8580 (w) agenda of the meeting covered a talk by [email protected] Angela Forseille about what orienteering The Officers of the W.L. Club Kelowna Orienteering Club (KO) Dave Tilley VictOrienteers (VICO) is and descibing how it's done, and stepped forward and a bank account #215 – 1421 Sutherland Kris Dartnell equipment and clothing that are useful. will be established at the Williams Lake Kelowna, BC V1Y 8G1 p (250) 763-8559 1667 Yale Street, and District Credit Union. [email protected] Victoria, BC V8R 5N5 p (250) 598-6420 [email protected] Bryan Chubb gave an overview of Rocky Mountain Heckawees www.oabc.ca/vico potential locations in Williams Lake that Many present at the meeting ex- Larry Rozak would be suitable for mapping for ori- pressed interest at learning more about 519 16th Avenue p (250) 426-7785 Williams Lake O.C. (WLOC) Cranbrook BC V1C 5V4 [email protected] Bryan Chubb enteering. Boitanio Park is already done orienteering and trying it this winter R.R.2, S-11, C-24, with ideas for durable, reusable maps either indoors or at Boitanio Park. This Sage Orienteering Club (SAGE) Williams Lake, BC that could be loaned out to groups. will be done with Bryan’s help when his Doug Smith V2G 2P2 p (250) 989-4350 941 Gleneagles Drive, [email protected] Some school grounds have had maps work is completed. Date and Place to Kamloops, BC V2E 4E5 p (250) 372-3401 done already and it would be viable to follow. [email protected] www.oabc.ca/sage do some updating and assist with orien-

Page 10 teering in the schools with interested I'll keep notes next meeting and Page 3 won't have to rely on my hazy memory for the club newsletter.

See you in the New Year. -Lynn McLeod Due West February 2002 Due West February 2002 COURSE PLANNING For an E or A event, course planning should start at least 24 months before the Part 1: Getting Ready to Plan event, and 36 months is more practical. APOC 2002 Canada B events need 18 months lead time, and An International 6 Day Welcome to a four-part series about C events, 6. The shorter times are needed course planning. The parts are: for B and C events, not because of the Competition

lower level, but because there will be The 12th Asia-Pacific 1. General over view and getting the fewer control sites. planning started. Orienteering Championships 2. Course requirements and skills to As the map is updated, the new edition July 4 – 14, 2002 be tested. should be forwarded to the course plan- Alberta, Canada 3. Starts, finishes, and leg planning. ner(s). Make sure that each new version 4. Competition day, and after the has a unique filename. In communica- This six-day international competition also event. tions, use the complete filename. This is includes the North American and the Cana- harder to do, but it greatly reduces the dian Championships. Entries received by Feb In a burst of enthusiasm, your club de- opportunity for error. 28 2002 will be included in a draw for 1 cides to put on an event. After discussion FREE RACE ENTRY for every 100 entries re- within the club, you select the level of ceived to date. First select the start, finish, parking, and the event (Elite (E), A, B, or C) and the assembly areas. These are limited on For more information visit our website at www.apoc2002.com, or call 403-262-4457. map to be used . You are picked as the most maps, and everything else depends planner! upon them. Multiple start locations are SPORT BC UPDATE Sport BC is a non-profit society whose members include 82 OK, but there should be only one finish. provincial sport and related organizations (PSO’s) including Many things in the organization of an OABC. Sport BC is responsible for allocating the provincial funds of the event can be minimized at the A, B, and Review course design specifications, and Sport and Physical Activity Branch to the PSO’s. The Branch is now housed C levels, but course planning and reali- rough out the general flows of the in the Ministry of Community, Aboriginal and Women’s Services. zation shouldn't be one of them. Too courses. Look out for areas of the forest many of our E- and A-level events have where competitors will be running in The Provincial Sport Organizations 36th Annual Athlete of the Year Awards will be tak- poor courses, incorrect descriptions, and opposite directions (counter flows), dog ing place on March 13, 2002. Congratulations to finalist Maureen de St.Croix, nomi- controls in the wrong place. The fact that legs, and controls common to two or nated in Athletics! OABC will also be presenting a President’s Award at this event. most course setters use lower standards more courses. These may generate diffi- when planning for B and C level events culties. Provincial Sport Organizations will receive notice after Feb 19 regarding funding cuts is part of the reason for this. Established for 2002-03. Because of the 2010 Olympic Bid, the cuts are expected to be modest this habits are difficult to change. Now start to select the sites. I strongly recommend that at least two year and larger in subsequent years. If the Olympic bid fails, sport organizations may be If you need to create a new map, count persons, operating separately, check the in serious danger of losing all funding. on a minimum of 12 months from the sites, descriptions, map, and courses, to Jennifer Fenton, Sport BC Liaison time of that decision to the point when ensure that no differences exist between course planning can begin. You can start the site, course, and descriptions. A com- course planning using a base map. Final plete check should be done several times, map preparation can be completed after particularly whenever anything about the course planning is underway. the course changes. It is surprising how often an early mistake gets overlooked,

Page 4 Page 9 Due West February 2002 Due West February 2002 2003 CANADIAN O CHAMPIONSHIPS (continued from front page) because everyone presumes it has been MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS checked and is OK. The tentative schedule is as follows: When field checking, avoid the tempta- It’s that time of year again, time to fill Date Event Location Host Club tion to socialize while out on the map. in the forms and get out the cheque- books. Sat./Sun. Drive to the site together, start together, WCOC Six Mile Lake Sage Aug. 17/18 or finish at the same time, but move through the forest as individuals. Many Each year we have to report our mem- Mon. Aug. 19 Relay TBA VicO errors occur when you are socializing in bership numbers to Sport BC in support of our provincial sport funding so it’s High Performance the field. Do not meet at each control! Wed. Aug. 21 TBA TBA important to keep our numbers up and, Fundraiser Review things after your checking is fin- ished for the day. ideally, growing. So, don’t delay, sign Thurs. Aug. 22 Model Event, COC TBA Williams Lake OC up! (If you’ve already renewed, ignore the request!) Fri. Aug. 23 COC Short Course Savona GVOC In the next of the series, I will cover the general skill levels expected in each Sat./Sun. You may wonder what happens to your COC Savona GVOC course, and how to test these skills. Aug. 24/25 membership fees. Each club sets its own Scott Donald fees but is required to pay a set amount An event of this magnitude could not Several positions are left to be filled. To to OABC (Juniors $15, Seniors $30 and succeed without the dedication and volunteer, please contact Alex Kerr at Families $39). In turn, OABC pays COF expertise of a great number of people. [email protected] or 604-938-9194. about $20 per member. Note that this is Some of the key personnel are: a per member figure, which includes each and every member of a family. So, Event Coordinator: Alex Kerr for a couple with two children, OABC Registrar: Margo Mactaggart would collect a family fee of $39 but Mapping Coordinator: Bryan Chubb WANTED: would pay COF $80. Ouch! To make COC CHAMPIONS up this shortfall, clubs have contribut- WCOC Meet Director Canadian Championships Relay Meet Director Congratulations to BC’s 2001 ing a ‘membership levy’ to OABC each year. Meet Director: Charlie Fox Relay Controller Canadian Champions! Planner: Ted de St. Croix High Performance Fundraiser You may have noticed a proposal in O Controller: Scott Donald Meet Director Shirley Donald, F65 Short Course Model Event: Bryan Chubb High Performance Fundraiser Planner Canada that deals with a new way of Brian Ellis, M55 Classic funding COF. This will start in 2003 High Performance Fundraiser Controller Alex Kerr, M65 Short Course Canadian Short Course Championships and will require Provincial Associations Publicity Coordinator Megan Rance, F15 Classic and Short Meet Director: Charlie Fox to pay a levy based partly on member- Planner: Alex Kerr Course ship and partly on meet attendance. The Controller: Adrian Zissos new approach is probably a more equi- table basis for funding but will require Western Canadian Championships Full results are available a lot of thought as to how we structure Planner: Alan Vyse online in the Fall 2001 our future membership and meet fees. Controller: Leigh Bailey newsletter of the COF at Relay Planner: Leigh Bailey www.orienteering.ca Leigh Bailey, VICO

Page 8 Page 5 Due West February 2002 Due West February 2002 small but active terrorist organisation features, and the landscape was golden The TRAVELLING ORIENTEER linked to that in Afghanistan. She won- in the late October sunshine. In fact the dered why there weren't many people on beauty was so blinding that it entirely ob- In this section we invite OABC’ers to write about your orienteering travels, whether it’s our flight. Once in San Francisco, we scured control number 5 on my course. to a local meet or somewhere farther away. made our way to Livermore and met up Brian took full advantage and my only with a sizeable B.C. contingent …. Marg consolation was the fact that we wal- O in the Oaks ester like me would care). and Brian Ellis, Leigh and Gill Bailey, loped the Americans once again. The B.C.

John Rance and Karen Lachance, and, of contingent brought home 8 medals Friends often ask me Did you know that California is home to course, our peripatetic O ambassador, (Marg, Frances, Karen , Gill, Brian, Alex why I like orienteering. at least 20 different kinds of oaks and Alex Kerr, who arrived in what looked Leigh and Alan) and gigantic ones they Besides the usual macho some botanists say there are 30? Did you like a land yacht. are. The only thing bigger in the event ever wonder why Oakland was so masculine reasons, "I The meet didn't disappoint. It was held in were the 26 oz steaks they served at the like a sport where you named? No they didn't have a mayor banquet. We gave named Oke and then spell it wrong, al- the grasslands and are never expected to oak woodlands The running was easy, the map the steak a miss, ask a woman for direc- though anything is possible in California. except Alex, who East of the Bay Area there is a huge area about 100 km accurate, the oaks gave shade but tions … indeed you are south east of Oak- later informed us actively discouraged from doing so" …I'll of grassland, punctuated by groves of didn't obscure the features, and in his inimitable oaks, with displays of astonishing wild- land by the Bay sometimes tell the truth. The real reason Area OC. These the landscape was golden in theScottish burr that is I that enjoy the pleasures of the flowers. This ecological type arose be- we had chosen cause the land is sheltered by the coast folks know how to "place". And orienteering takes one to run a meet so the wisely since those some pretty weird places: from Hartney, ranges from the rain and fogs of the late Octoberattending sunshine. had had to pay extra for des- California coast. The garry oak meadows technical details were flawless. We used and the Harvest Festival pa- Sport Ident to general satisfaction. How- sert. rade to the horrors of salal at Camp of Oak Bay, Ruckle Park on Saltspring Island, and Hornby Island are the north- ever, the courses on the first day were Would we do it again … you bet! Quite Thunderbird. So of course a chance to go tough on all of us. The climb was hor- to California for O in the Oaks was a ern-most extensions of this unique land- apart from the running and the scenery, scape. However, modern man has been rendous! Indeed we thought the course we were given the opportunity to watch natural. We could visit the Livermore setter had been to a meet in Kamloops Valley and see where the hydrogen bomb busy, having taken a liking to the Medi- a normally sane John Rance try to chug- terranean climate, and now there are and was taking revenge. Much to my se- a-lug some ghastly quasi chocolate drink was invented and then get really bombed cret pleasure, Brian Ellis decided (quite on the local wines, if the orienteering few, if any, of the oak savannahs that that was made from entirely genetically haven't been altered in some major way, without prompting from me other than modified soy beans and I'm convinced didn't go well … or maybe we wouldn’t the odd pin or two in my voodoo dolls) to care how well it went. The oaks were an either in California or B.C. Fortunately, that’s why he didn't get a medal. And Californians have had the good sense to add to the climb. Frances, too, went on then we all drove through the maze of attraction too. The last two occasions we walkabout for some eminently logical were in California for orienteering, we preserve some small portions as state or Californian freeways and survived. We reason, which she couldn’t quite recall in went for the trees. O in the Redwoods regional parks, and O in the Oaks was even took advantage of free trade and was great fun, clambering over fallen held in one of those outposts of a former the post mortem. Since the rest of us had added to the nation's metal stocks. But to world. followed this Australian custom at other top it all, we ate good food, drank good redwood giants that were so big their full length was marked on the map, and vis- meets, we gave them the full benefit of wine, and cemented old friendships. Isn't Our trip to California was uneventful that what O is all about? iting controls in the midst of groves of despite the security precautions, and de- our smug and dubious sympathy. magnificent trees. And then we went to spite the fact that my dear partner in life Lake Tahoe to run in the Ponderosas Next day the courses were a delight. The Alan Vyse, Sage OC had been wise enough to find a cheap which turned out not to be ponderosas at flight on Philippine Airways, which has a running was easy, the map accurate, the all, but Jeffery pines (but then only a for- oaks gave shade but didn't obscure the Page 6 Page 7