Schedule of Activities - View schedule - View meeting locations

COVID-19 Guidelines

  • Participation
    • You must register before the outing. See the Outing registration section in the FAQ below.
    • At the starting point, the leader may ask you that your answers to the health questions are still all "no", to confirm all of your answers and just in case symptoms just appeared.
    • During the outing, if any symptoms appear that might suggest COVID-19, please tell the leader immediately. You will be requested to isolate from the group as much as possible. In addition, you will not be permitted to participate in any OOC outing for the next 14 days. The other participants in the outing will be informed.
    • Dogs are not permitted.
  • Transportation to and from the starting point
    • We are not organizing carpooling. All participants must meet at the starting location. The outing will be finished once the participants have returned to the starting location.
  • During the outing
    • Please maintain a distance of at least 2 metres from each other unless you're from the same "social circle". Distancing is one of the recognized ways of reducing your chance of passing along COVID-19 to others and your chance of acquiring COVID-19.
    • You must have a mask. The leader will indicate when it needs to be worn. If you do not put on your mask when requested, you will not be permitted to join future outings of any type with the OOC. There will be no exceptions.
    • Stay in the group and away from other groups.
    • Supply your own hand sanitizer and / or disinfectant wipes, etc.
    • Since a shelter is an enclosed space where there is a greater risk of being exposed to the SARS-COVID-2 virus, we will not use any shelters. To reduce the risk of potentially infecting other members of the group, please do not enter a shelter.
    • If possible, please take your own first aid kit.
    • If someone is injured and another group member must provide first aid, unless the injured person and the person providing first aid are part of the same "social circle", neither will be permitted to participate in any OOC outing for 14 days. (Unless the medical situation is urgent, we will try to use emergency personnel.)

Information about COVID-19 is available from Ottawa Public Health, Public Health Ontario, Quebec health information, and the Government of Canada.


Answers to Frequently (or Occasionally)-Asked Questions (FAQ)

  • Outing registration
    • Link to activity registration To register for a particular outing, click / tap on the registration icon before the outing's registration deadline, noted in the Register by column
    • The registration icon will remain available until the outing. If you register after the deadline and especially within a few hours of the outing, you reduce your probability of being accepted.
    • For our hikes, our urban walks, and our snowshoe outings, acceptance is automatic after payment of any fees (please see below). For all other types of outings, you will be informed as to whether or not you can participate in the outing.
    • Except for the urban walks and skating on the Canal, there are activity fees for non-members. For everyone, there are rental fees for canoes or snowshoes for those who choose to use this Club equipment. Information about paying the fees is available here.
    • If you need to cancel, please inform the leader as soon as possible so that the leader can open your spot to another person (should space be limited) and so that the leader knows not to wait for you at the meeting location.
  • Non-members may participate. If you are not a member of the Ottawa Outdoor Club, we invite you to become a member. Details are available on our membership registration page.
  • Check the general requirements by selecting the link for the Activity that you choose, e.g., hiking.
  • Meeting and departure times
    • Meet at the specified time and location.
    • The departure time from the meeting location is firm. If you're late (even by one minute), don't expect the leader or the group to wait for you.
    • If you plan to use local transit, use the "map" link in the Meet at... column to determine the transit routing for the day and time of the outing using the "Directions" feature of Google Maps.
  • Completion times
  • Questions? Contact the trip leader.
  • Lyme disease is prevalent in the Ottawa-Gatineau region.
  • Fees for members and non-members (not all apply to each activity or person): carpooling (COVID-19 restriction), equipment rental, non-member activity fees.
  • General: bring
    • sunscreen and a hat for protection from the sun.
    • snacks and your meal with you. When the activity runs through mealtime (usually lunch), we take a break for the meal.
    • plenty of water. One (minimum) to two litres are generally recommended, depending on your specific needs, the weather conditions, and the distance, duration, and intensity of the outing. Bring more than you think you'll need.
    • appropriate clothing and other gear:
      • most times, layers are best
      • if the forecast calls for rain, rain gear appropriate for the forecast conditions
    • a backpack
    • at night, a headlamp (preferred, since it leaves your hands free) or flashlight
    • Cold-weather protocols: with colder, winter weather or snow on the ground, we strongly recommend that you have a hat, gloves, food, and water with you, should an emergency occur during the outing. Even when you're not the one injured, we might be waiting for an extended period.
  • Specific activities
    • Cross-country skiing
      • Gatineau Park trail conditions: map - trail list
      • Gatineau Park trail usage requires a day or season pass (info). Day passes are available at the trailhead; exact cash required.
      • You must provide your own cross-country skis and related items. The Club does not provide skis.
    • Snowshoeing
      • Gatineau Park trail conditions: map - trail list
      • Gatineau Park trail usage requires a day or season pass (info). Day passes are available at the trailhead; exact cash required.
      • The Club has snowshoes available for rent (fee). If you're interested, please request them in the Comments / questions box at the bottom of the registration form during registration.
      • Depending on trail (snow) conditions, many outings designated "Snowshoeing" are easier to do without snowshoes and are essentially hikes.
    • Skating
    • Hiking
      • We strongly recommend wearing sturdy footwear, particularly such as hiking boots or hiking shoes. Footwear should fully surround your feet, e.g., no sandals.
      • When the forecast or current conditions suggest wet conditions, have appropriate clothing and footwear.
      • Bring bug repellent.
      • See the information regarding Lyme disease above. Long sleeves & long pants are highly recommended.
    • Walking (casual walks)
      • The non-member activity fee does not apply for our casual, urban walks, i.e., it's free.

Trip leaders: information, including sign-up forms containing instructions, is here.

Consistent meeting locations
Some of our outings usually meet at certain consistent locations listed here. Check the schedule for each event.
Location Address and notes
Supreme Court (map) 301 Wellington Street. We meet by bus shelter at the road on the west side in front of the building, where there is free parking available in the evening.
Dows Lake Pavilion (map) 1001 Queen Elizabeth Drive. Free parking is available after 6:00 PM on Adeline Street and Norfolk Avenue (map), northeast of Carling Avenue and Preston Street.
Strathcona Park parking lot, Sandy Hill (map) East end of Somerset Street at Range Road, on west bank of Rideau River. Meet by the Strathcona Park sign at the parking-lot entrance. Free 2-hour lot & on-street parking.
Sandy Hill Community Centre [SHCC] (map) 250 Somerset Street East, between Sweetland Avenue and Nelson Street. The actual meeting spot is around the back by the Centre's parking lot, off of Sweetland Avenue.

You can park in the parking lot for free when attending activities at the Centre and temporarily when we are gathering for an outing, but you are at risk of being ticketed if you leave your vehicle there while we are away on an outing. People usually manage to find parking on the nearby streets; ensure that you check the parking duration on the signs.

(This is not the Sandy Hill Community Health Centre, which is elsewhere.)
We usually stop for lunch somewhere along the route for day outings. Bring your own lunch, and bring water.
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Member or non-member, follow our Facebook group to join our conversation and view photos of past activities.


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