Napanee is hosting Canada’s largest geocaching event this weekend
If you are in the Napanee area this weekend, do not be alarmed if you see a lot of people walking around searching for something you can’t see.
The region is hosting a huge geocaching event, which is kind of like a great big treasure hunt.
Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunt game played by adventure seekers and outdoor enthusiasts. It uses GPS devices or smartphones to find hidden containers called geocaches.
It can be done on land, or on water, and people can find geocaches in trees, on the ground, or along the shoreline. There are different levels and difficulties, so that everyone can do it.
Emmy Hendrickx picked it up during the pandemic and says she loves getting out on her canoe.
"I can see places that I’ve never been," Hendrickx says of the games. "I can try things I have never done before."
This weekend the county of Lennox and Addington is hosting the largest geocaching event in Canada. It’s called The Discover L&A County Mega Geocaching event. More than 1,000 people will visit the county, and search for more than 1,500 caches placed around the region.
Here’s how geocaching works: You upload the Geocaching app, or use a GPS to find the locations of the caches. Then you follow the coordinates and start looking.
They can be out in the open, or well hidden.
When you find them, you open the box, sign your name and date to prove you have been there, and leave it behind for the next person to find.
Eastern Ontario is popular for Geocaching. Areas near Bancroft, Ont., are known as the geocaching capital of Canada.
But Joe Tisdale, who is the founder of the Lennox and Addington Geocachers, says it can be done anywhere, anytime.
"I bet, in your lifetime, you’ve probably walked by a thousand of them and probably not even know it," he says. "They’re hidden in plain sight, in our towns, in our communities, on our trails."
For Rose Anderson-Duvall, who has been an avid geocacher for more than a decade, she says it is just fun.
"I feel like you’re on a secret spy mission any time you go geocaching," she explains.
In its 10th year, this is the first time since the pandemic began that this event is being held, and it has her excited to meet people.
"I’m so excited, I really like meeting other geocachers," she says. "I think it’s a really fun thing to connect with other people on."
The mega geocaching event is on until Sunday, with the big hunt set for Saturday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Friday that Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
More than half the Canadians once detained in Syrian camps for suspected ISIS family members have returned home
A total of 29 Canadians have been freed from detention camps in northeast Syria and brought back to Canada since human rights advocates began lobbying for their release years ago.
Rare severe solar storm Friday could bring spectacular aurora light show across Canada
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Canada abstains from Palestinian UN membership vote but supports two-state solution
Canada was one of 25 countries that abstained from a United Nations vote on Palestinian membership that passed with overwhelming support on Friday.
Amish youth experience a rite of passage called Rumspringa. It’s not what you might think
The idea of “Rumspringa” has a specific spot in the American imagination. A rite of passage for young people in some Amish communities, Rumspringa is seen by most outsiders as a wild time away from strict Amish rules, when teenagers can experiment with the modern vices of the world.