Courses

Want to learn how to make orienteering maps? We offer an ever-expanding catalogue of introductory and professional development style courses. Check out our calendar and catalogue below.

Can't find what you're looking for or want a specific course offered for your club? Email jeff@navigationsports.ca

Upcoming Offerings

Thursday, December 4, 2025

Zoom | 7:30 PM ET | 2.5 hrs

Using Ocad

In this course, you will learn how to use the Ocad drawing tools. Participants will spend the majority of the class practicing using the software.

Details

Tags: Introductory | OCAD | practical | PRIVATE

Thursday, December 11, 2025

Zoom | 7:30 PM ET | 2.5 hrs

Karttapullautin

In this course you will learn how to use free software (Karttapullautin) to generate smoothed contours you can import and use directly in your map projects.

Details

Tags: Intermediate | PRIVATE

Tuesday, January 20, 2026

Zoom | 6:30 PM ET | 2.5 hrs | $67.50 CAD

Intro to Mapping

This 2.5 hour online module will teach participants what you need to know to set up your first mapping project to modern mapping standards.

Details

Tags: Introductory | OOM | practical | theoretical

Thursday, January 22, 2026

Zoom | 6:30 PM ET | 2.5 hrs | $67.50 CAD

Intro to Mapping

This 2.5 hour online module will teach participants what you need to know to set up your first mapping project to modern mapping standards.

Details

Tags: Introductory | OCAD | practical | theoretical

Tuesday, January 27, 2026

Zoom | 6:30 PM ET | 2.5 hrs | $67.50 CAD

Using Open Orienteering Mapper

In this course, you will learn how to use the Open Orienteering Mapper drawing tools. Participants will spend the majority of the class practicing using the software.

Details

Tags: Introductory | OOM | practical

See full calendar

*Times shown are in your local time.

Course Catalogue

Intermediate

Duration: 3 hrs Cost: $80.00 Level: Intermediate

This 3 hour class teaches participants how to use OCAD's DEM Import Wizard to turn lidar data into useable base map layers and contours. Participants will learn how to set up the various outputs along with the various information you can get from them:

hill shade
slope gradient
contours
feature map
vegetation height map
vegetation base map

Upcoming dates:
Thursday, March 5, 2026 | Zoom

Introductory

Duration: 2.5 hrs Cost: $67.50 Level: Introductory

theoretical practical

This 2.5 hour online course is part 1 of Navigation Sports' Introduction to Orienteering Mapping course. In it, you will learn what you need to know to set up your first mapping project to modern mapping standards.

This module is mix of learning about foundational topics and tutorial-style practice. You will learn about a variety of topics that will make your first project (and all future projects) better, easier, and more rewarding while assembling your first project! Topics include:

Basic mapping concepts: Working with data, drawing maps, fieldwork, base map layers / templates, etc.
Common orienteering mapping software; OCAD or Open Orienteering Mapper (OOM)*
Georeferencing
Declination
Sourceing and using Open Data
How to get aerial photos using SAS Planet

* Instances of this course will focus either on OCAD or OOM.

The Using Open Orienteering Mapper or Using OCAD, Introduction to Fieldwork, and Laying out Your Map modules will allow you to take the project you start in this course to completion. See our course catalogue for more.

Upcoming dates:
Tuesday, January 20, 2026 | Zoom
Thursday, January 22, 2026 | Zoom

Introductory

Duration: 2.5 hrs Cost: $67.50 Level: Introductory

practical

This 2.5 hour online course is part 4 of Navigation Sports' Introduction to Orienteering Mapping course. In it, you will practice adding new colours and symbols in the mapping software while adding key map elements to prepare your map for printing.

This module is set-up as a tutorial-style practice. Participants will also be provided with a take-away reference to use in future projects.

* Instances of this course will use either OCAD or OOM.

Upcoming dates:
Tuesday, February 10, 2026 | Zoom
Thursday, February 12, 2026 | Zoom

See full catalogue