Discussion: Venue Change
in: OOC B-meet, South March Highlands (Apr 28 - Kanata ON, CA)
Apr 24, 2024 1:13 PM
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Due to permitting issues, the location for this Sunday's local meet in Ottawa will be South March Highlands. Great Canadian Shield terrain without big hills, leaves or annoying insects. On-site registration at the SW end of Klondike Rd. from 10-11am Sunday April 28.
Apr 25, 2024 2:40 PM
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I don't know any of the details of this permitting issue but it is Spring in the Ottawa area. If there is a time for the park authorities to be skittish about off-trail actiivty it is now when new plants will be pushing their way through the ground surface and reptiles and other animals will be coming out of their winter slumber, birds will be nesting, etc. It is an absolutely beautiful time to be in the woods particularly before the mosquitos and blackflies make their appearance, the trilliums and wild garlic are abundent. But... at what cost, they think.
The ground is also fragile. Last I checked the authority controlling the Gatineau Park where the Ottawa event was originally going to be held also banned ALL biking ON non-paved trails in their park until late May each year.
As it makes some sense for those authorities to protect these habitats in the Spring it makes no sense for them to have the same regulations in the Fall, after the first frosts when the frogs and others have retreated to their depths, the plants are counting on their roots underground to bring them back next year. Whether or not those plants get stepped on- by an orienteer or ornithologist - every Fall the plants are dying back to protect their lives.
The ground is also fragile. Last I checked the authority controlling the Gatineau Park where the Ottawa event was originally going to be held also banned ALL biking ON non-paved trails in their park until late May each year.
As it makes some sense for those authorities to protect these habitats in the Spring it makes no sense for them to have the same regulations in the Fall, after the first frosts when the frogs and others have retreated to their depths, the plants are counting on their roots underground to bring them back next year. Whether or not those plants get stepped on- by an orienteer or ornithologist - every Fall the plants are dying back to protect their lives.
Apr 25, 2024 7:02 PM
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For many years we have secured a single year-long permit to cover our multiple orienteering events on lands managed by the NCC (National Capital Commission). But this year they are requesting a separate permit for each event. This would significantly increase our costs and administrative burden over the year, so we trying to negotiate with them. The NCC is a large bureaucratic organization, so this will likely take some time and considerable patience. To allow time for this negotiation, this weekend's event will be held at South March Highlands and thus avoid NCC land.
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