The Ottawa Outing Club is gearing up for another busy season.
Staff members are rushing to mail out brochures and are hastily preparing for the year’s inaugural information presentation later this month.
Founded in 1981, the club organizes various outdoor activities for its members, such as hiking, cycling, canoeing and kayaking.
Over 50 outings have already been lined up for this year, ranging from day-long trips to weekend or week-long excursions.
The club also doubles as a travel agency and organizes various activities around the world.
Run by a staff of 11 — three office staff and eight guides — the club provides transportation to and from the various events as well as expert consultation and detailed instruction.
According to club director Dean Hammill, most club members are single people in their 30s and 40s, though some families have joined.
Last year, the club had about 450 members and Hammill says he expects the same this season.
Outings are priced at member and non-member rates. Members pay less and get free admission to the several social events organized by the club throughout the season.
Membership costs $60 for the year.
“We offer the opportunity for people to get some fresh air and make some new friends,” says Hammill.
And that’s exactly what some Centretown residents are looking for this summer.
Now that warmer weather is here, Louise Hunt has started walking the two kilometres to and from work. She takes part in an aqua-fit class and is planning her first hiking trip of the year in Italy next month.
Hunt has been a member of the Ottawa Outing Club since she moved to Ottawa from Halifax in 1984.
She’s participated in most of the activities offered over the years, including trips to the Dominican Republic, the Caribbean island of Dominica and Vietnam.
She says the club is especially important to her because of its social aspect.
“It’s a major part of my social life,” she says.
“It’s given me a lot of social contacts. I’ve been to operas and jazz festivals and other such things with people I’ve met through the club.”
Hammill says his clients also appreciate the convenience that comes with participating.
“People, with their busy lifestyles, can just pack a bag and show up at the pick-up spot,” says Hammill.
“We supply the transportation, the accommodation, the guides and the instructors.”
Bernie Dipman, 71, has been a member for several years.
He skis at least twice a week during the winter, and he recently pulled his bicycle out of storage, cleaned it, and went for his first ride of the season.
He also belongs to the Ottawa Cycling Club and the Ottawa Sailing Club.
Dipman says he enjoys the Ottawa Outing Club activities in particular because they’re hassle-free.
“I like the simplicity and the instant social package,” Dipman says.
“You just go to the pick-up and from there on you don’t have to worry about a thing. And you meet a really congenial group of people.”
Hammill says he expects kayaking will be the most popular activity this year. Last year, he had to set up additional instruction sessions to keep up with the demand for the sport.
The club will present its first information session of the season on April 15 at 7:30 p.m., in the basement auditorium of Ottawa Public Library on Metcalfe Street.
The presentation will include a slide-show of pictures taken from past outings and a discussion on what’s planned for this year.
For more information, call 729-0507.