Recreational Park Series 

The Toronto Orienteering Club (TOC) invites you to orienteer in Toronto city parks. These informal, recreational events are for everyone – both beginners and experienced orienteers. Come and see how easy it is to start orienteering and enjoy the outdoors this summer. You’ll discover how interesting our many beautiful city parks can be while getting some good exercise.

In-person registration will start at 6:15 on the Wednesday. The meeting place will be marked by an orange and white orienteering flag. Participation is FREE for TOC members, non-members will be asked to pay $5. After getting your course map you can run/walk the course at your leisure. The course will close at 8:00pm. There will usually be a begiiner and an advanced course. You will also be able to receive informal orienteering instruction from TOC members at the registration area.

The controls to find on the course will be marked by short orange ribbons.  The ribbons will be in place for 1 week, so you have a  week to do the course. NOTE there is no guarantee that a ribbon will remain in place. Especially in busier areas of a park, other users of the park may remove them.

If you can't make it in person on the Wednesday, you can get a pdf copy of the course: 

  1. Sign up as a club member, if you are not already a TOC member
  2. AFTER MAY 1, send a signed waiver to [email protected] . Note - you only need to send ONE waiver per season. Once we have your waiver you will have access to the courses for the Park Series from May to Sept. You will be able to download the course in PDF format from here
  3. The course map for a particular park will be available for download starting on the Wed  for 1-2 weeks. 

 

GPS COURSES OR MAPRUN6 COURSES 

Some Wed courses may indicate that they also have a virtual (GPS) version, this allows you to find the controls using the MAPRUN6 app on your smartphone (you don't need to see the ribbon). In this case first follow the waiver procedure above, then you can use the app on your smartphone to do the course.

Here is how it works:

  1. Starting on the Wed (and for 1 week after) you can find the course by selecting “Events Near Me” in the MAPRUN6 app.
  2. Go to the park and when you are near the start location click on “Go to Start”. 
  3. The app will ‘punch’ the start automatically and the timer will begin.
  4. You will hear a beep at each control as you go through the course.  Continue to the finish and you will be able to see how you did by clicking “Show Results”

To complete the virtual course, the pdf map is not required (but highly recomended), you can just use the map on your phone (it's a less accurate Open-Street Map) but the pdf map, since it's more detailed will help with your navigation.

If you are new to Maprun6 watch a short video on how to set it up and use the first time HERE.

 

Past GPS/Maprun6 Courses

ALL of our past GPS/Maprun6 Courses are available to club members that provide a current waiver. The PDF files of the maps are available HERE.  If you have questions on the software please contact us at [email protected]

For more information, you can contact the meet director of the event by e-mail (click on the name), or email Park Series Coordinator

Park Series Schedule

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    High Park

    Aug 28th

    High Park is an intricate park with lots of interesting features. Great for both advanced and beginner orienteers. And it's IMPOSSIBLE to get LOST! Please join us for our LAST Wed night event of 2019.

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    Earl Bales Park

    Aug 14th

    You can 'reflect' at the HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL, or take in some entertainment at the BARRY ZUKERMAN amphitheatre. OR participate in the great sport of ORIENTEERING - we'll have BEGINNERS, MEDIUM and LONG courses for you to try.

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    Ramsden Park

    Jul 31st

    Hosted by the UKR Orienteering Club. Meeting place: across the street from Rosedale subway.

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    Etienne Brule Park

    Jul 24th

    By the Humber River. Close to the OLD MILL subway station. We will have: BEGINNER, MEDIUM and LONG courses. While you're orienteering, you can re-trace the trade routes of the Anishinaabe peoples along the Humber River and visit their scared burial ground - but be respectful and please don't enter.

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    Glendon College

    Jul 17th

    Glendon College connects to the Sunnybrook Park system, making for GREAT orienteering. You can try our BEGINNER, MEDIUM or LONG courses.

     

    BONUS: SMART PHONE ORIENTEERING

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    High Park

    Jul 10th

    High Park is an intricate park with lots of interesting features. Great for both advanced and beginner orienteers. And it's IMPOSSIBLE to get LOST! Please join us for this event. For upcoming beginner clinics please check out our schedule here.

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    Warden Woods Park

    Jun 26th

    Your hardest task will be to find the meeting place! If you succeed, you can go on either the: BEGINNER, MEDIUM or LONG courses and enjoy the sport of ORIENTEERING.

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    Intermediate Clinic

    Jun 23rd

    Completed the beginners clinic and want to take your orienteering skills to the next level? Join us for an intermediate clinic to learn about more advanced concepts and prepare yourself for the next adventure race or feel more confident on your next hike.  

    There is limited space, so please register in time.

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    E T Seton Park

    Jun 19th

    You can challenge your MIND and visit the Science Centre, then come and challenge BOTH your mind and your body on one of our Orienteering courses.

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    Trinity Bellwoods

    Jun 12th

    A brand new map of a beautiful park in downtown Toronto. Scale is 1:4000, so experts can test their sprint skills, while beginners can learn to orienteer in familiar surroundings.

    The meeting location is the wooden platform down in the dog bowl. See the map below.

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    Etienne Brule Park

    Jun 5th

    By the Humber River. Close to the OLD MILL subway station. We will have: BEGINNER, MEDIUM and LONG courses. While you're orienteering, you can re-trace the trade routes of the Anishinaabe peoples along the Humber River and visit their scared burial ground - but be respectful and please don't enter.

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    Taylor Creek Park

    May 29th

    A long park with lots of difficult, technical ravines. But you can also stay on/close to the paths if you're less experienced.

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    G Ross Lord Park

    May 22nd

    An amazing park with: ravines, wetlands, a large reservoir, a mausoleum, and horse stables. See if you can find the amazing tree consumed with burl deformities right on the main path in the N part of the park

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    SunnyBrook Park

    May 15th

    We will re-use the score-o course from the school-meet held in the morning. So you can test your orienteering skills against the best kids in the GTA.

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    Earl Bales Park

    May 8th

    You can 'reflect' at the HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL, or take in some entertainment at the BARRY ZUKERMAN amphitheatre. OR participate in the great sport of ORIENTEERING - we'll have BEGINNERS, MEDIUM and LONG courses for you to try.

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    High Park

    May 1st

    The FIRST event of the 2019 Wed Night Park series. High Park is an intricate park with lots of interesting features. Great for both advanced and beginner orienteers. And it's IMPOSSIBLE to get LOST! Please join us for this event. For upcoming beginner clinics please check out our schedule here. NOTE - High Park will be closed to vehicles for the cherry blossom festival. So if this coincides with our event, you won't be able to drive into the park.

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    UKR Gators O-Cup 2019

    Feb 23rd

    The UKR Gators are excited to welcome Ontario’s orienteering community to Heart Lake Conservation Area, just north of Brampton with easy access from the city and surrounding areas.