This September, 80 women once again gathered together at the Kinark Outdoor Centre near Minden for three days of action-packed adventure in the outdoors. Beginning at noon on Friday, September 11, the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (O.F.A.H.) hosted this event as we marked this point in history as the 15th annual Women's Outdoor Weekend. This weekend long excursion is exclusively for women, and is the only provincial program of its kind. The O.F.A.H. launched the event in response to requests from women who were interested in hunting and fishing but didn't know how to go about getting started.

For a decade and a half, women who love the outdoors have been gathering together to share their knowledge and experiences with other women who may just be getting started. Women make up only about a quarter of the province's anglers and an even lower percentage of its hunters, but if the popularity of the sell out W.O.W. event is any indication, those figures are changing.

"W.O.W. offers women a fun, safe, and affordable introduction to outdoor activities that they haven't traditionally taken part in, and I think that's the secret to its growing popularity," says Alesha Caldwell, O.F.A.H. Women's Outdoor Weekend Events Representative.

"The participants were very overwhelmed with all of the activities offered, and would not stop talking about how enjoyable this experience was for them" says Caldwell. "Our participants come from all over Ontario, many of which do not know anyone else attending. Once everyone gets together, you would think they all knew each other at one point. W.O.W. is like a mosaic of people some skilled in areas of the outdoors, some not, all getting to know each other for the first time and sharing their experiences."

The O.F.A.H. is the leading nonprofit fishing, hunting and conservation organization in Ontario, with over 100,000 supporters including 83,000 members and 655 member clubs. The Federation hosts W.O.W. with the support of Stoeger Canada, Winchester Ammunition, Wilson's Fly Shop, Bass Pro Shops, ThermaCELL, Pioneer Petroleums, Lee Valley Tools, Fish Crisp, Signed Sealed Delivered, Goodlife Fitness and Chapstick.

At the 15th annual Women's Outdoor Weekend you the participants experienced:

• Clean cabins with or closely located to shower house and washrooms
• Gourmet meals made on site
• Large dinning hall, Sauna, Swimming area, and Parking
• Hunting Retriever Demonstration
• Team building and leadership development: featuring Larryland Adventures
• Fishing Tournament
• GPS orientation
• Outdoor survival
• Firearms handling and safety at the Stoeger recreational shooting, 12 gauge shotgun range .22 caliber rifle range
• Fly tying and casting tips
• Archery range: featuring Schneller Archery
• High ropes course and rock climbing wall
• Low Ropes course and team challenges
• Pig Roast
• Comedy night
• Night hike and stargazing
• Social evening campfire
• Friendly and knowledgeable staff and volunteers