Dear amateur and professional photographers, have you ever wanted to see your work published and hung on walls? We are putting together our annual Ontario Crags calendar and we need your help! Please consider donating a photo to help raise awareness and funds in support of the Ontario Access Coalition.
Mark Masley at Lions Head by Jessica Best
The Ontario Crags calendar aims to celebrate and highlight the wide variety of climbing that Ontario has to offer. We want to showcase everything from as many different crags and seasons as possible — ICE, SPORT, TRAD and BOULDERING are all honoured here. Valid photo submissions must have LANDSCAPE orientation (i.e. horizontal), and be of climbers at Ontario crags only (of course!).
Andriy Kolos on Triple S by Pete Hoang
Please send your best shots to submissions@ontarioaccesscoalition.com by TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9th for a chance to have your photo featured and credited in the calendar! Chosen entrants will get a free copy of the 2019 calendar as well as a credit complete with your name and website.
Thanks in advance for your efforts to support the OAC!
The Ontario Access Coalition 2018 Annual General Meeting was held on June 28, 2018. Thanks to Joe Rockhead’s for hosting.
Read about the OAC’s access sends for 2017-2018 and the survey results here:
2017-2018 Access Sends and 2017 Survey Results [pdf]
Here are the highlights from the access sends:
CLIMBING AREAS
- New Niagara Glen portfolio manager
- Halfway Log Dump partnership continues
CLIMBING COMMUNITY
- Organized climber events:
- Beaver Valley Climbing Festival
- Southern Ontario Ice Fest
- screening of “Dirtbag: The Legend of Fred Beckey”
- Deployed new OAC website
- Growing the OAC Facebook page
- Hiring a Fundraising and Outreach Coordinator
CONNECTING WITH OTHERS
- Organized community events:
- Niagara Glen Earth day
- Crag Stewardship Day (Conservation Halton)
- Participated in:
- Ontario Trails Coordinating Committee>
- Building the Niagara Escarpment Biosphere Reserve
- Centre for Applied Science in Protected Areas Conference Presentation and Tour of the Swamp
We welcome new board member Mike Makischuk and returning board members Randy Kielbasiewicz and Patrick Lam, and look forward to a productive 2018-2019 year continuing to advocate for climbing access in Ontario!
The 2018 Beaver Valley Climbing Festival is THIS weekend! We’re excited to celebrate Ontario climbing with you in the year’s biggest party. We have a great line up of clinics, vendors, and raffle prizes in store — all capped off with a night of live entertainment from the lovely Ariana Gillis. What more could you ask for?
Monika Wii on Bear on a Wire by Will Tam
Last year we came close to our 300 person max capacity, and we recommend registering now to secure your spot. Climbers from all over Ontario — and even outside the province — will be arriving to partake in the festivities. Your $44 registration fee covers camping, food, and live entertainment, plus all proceeds go directly toward maintaining open climbing access in Ontario. Help protect the lands you climb on WHILE enjoying them!
Don’t hesitate, get your name on the list now — Sign ups after noon on Friday must be done on-site and the price will be raised to $45.
See https://www.ontarioallianceofclimbers.ca/bvcf-2018/ for more details and to sign up.
Are you interested in helping us run the Beaver Valley Climbing Festival? We’re in need of a volunteer coordinator who can help manage our efforts. If you’re great at directing, have good organizational skills, and are enthusiastic about climbing, we want to hear from you!
Please contact info@ontarioaccesscoalition.com by June 9th if you’re interested in taking on this task — we’re looking for someone who is excited about seeing BVCF continue to be the number one climbing celebration Ontario has to offer.
The OAC invites all members to partake in our 2018 Annual General Meeting on June 28, 2018. It’s a great opportunity to ask questions about the organization and our on-going projects, in addition to sharing your input on the future direction of the OAC. We’ll be holding the election for board membership, talking about the past year’s accomplishments, and discussing what’s on the horizon.
The meeting will be held at Joe Rockhead’s Indoor Rock Climbing Gym (29 Fraser Ave, Toronto, ON) on Thursday June 28th at 7:00 PM. There will be a discounted climbing day pass ($10+hst) for all attendees! OAC membership is required for the discount. Come climb and stay for the evening!
To be eligible to vote at the AGM, one is required to be a member of the Ontario Access Coalition. To allow for the processing of new members, please ensure applications are submitted prior to June 11th. Please visit our membership page at https://www.
The OAC is very interested in increasing its capacity by attracting new ideas, leadership, and energy. At this meeting, we will elect three members to the Board of Directors (for a two-year term each). As always, we are also looking for portfolio managers and general volunteers. While members can be nominated to the Board at the AGM, any nominations submitted by June 11th will have their profiles distributed to the membership in advance. This will facilitate a structured voting process. Interested members are encouraged to contact the OAC in advance.
Potential board members should have:
- An interest in (learning about) outdoor climbing access issues in Ontario
- A varied skill set with a self-starter attitude
- A positive, proactive team-based approach to problem solving
As a board member the individual will:
- Attend monthly board meetings
- Lead projects and/or access portfolios
- Participate in developing and executing the OAC’s strategic goals
Further details will be provided to members 14 days prior to the AGM. If you do not receive notification by email, please send us a note ( info@ontarioaccesscoalition.com ).