Ontario

Important

Ontario - Community First

• As the Guidelines do not permit content that raises awareness, COVID-19/health related references (even if positively intentioned) should not be included in cache pages.
• Refer elsewhere in this Wiki page for reminder on Event Stacking and Capacity Limit considerations.
• Event venues may have optional vaccination, distancing and/or masking requirements; if an Event/CITO host deems it necessary to have COVID-19 reminders on their cache page, the optional text below is suggested:

Ontario - Adequate GPS Usage

• As per the Guidelines, GPS usage is an essential element of hiding and seeking caches.
• Online maps should not be used to obtain coordinates for cache placement.
• When placing a cache, the cache owner must visit the cache location to obtain accurate coordinates with a GPS-enabled device.
• A cache must require finders to navigate with a GPS-enabled device to a set of specific coordinates necessary to find the cache.
• A cache cannot be found with clues alone (even if it is a Letterbox Hybrid cache) - if written clues are provided, they must be the secondary finding method.
• Image puzzles where a location can only be determined by a photo on the cache page are not publishable.
• If the location in a photo is to be used as part of a puzzle, there needs to be an additional information provided that allows players to determine the location (e.g. coordinates or the name of the park, etc).
• A waypoint projection from a fixed point is often a good method of ensuring adequate GPS usage.

Ontario - Adoption of Cache Pages/Transfer of Ownership  

• Reviewers do not have the ability to adopt/transfer ownership of a cache page from one Player account to another.

• Only the owner of an active cache page can initiate an adoption request to another Player by visiting http://www.geocaching.com/adopt .

• Geocaching HQ will not process an ownership transfer of a cache page without written permission from the cache owner or their estate.
  

• An Archive action is intended to be permanent; once Archived a cache page is no longer a candidate for adoption.

Ontario - Cache Types / Tips for an Efficient Review

• Prior to clicking Submit For Review, post a Reviewer Note including details of your container, the hiding method and/or specifics of where/how the elements of your cache are placed.
• A Reviewer may question Difficulty and Terrain ratings if the details on the cache page (and in Reviewer Notes) do not appear to reflect the circumstances of the hide.
• Geocaching HQ provide reference articles that will assist in the determining the most appropriate Size, Difficulty and Terrain ratings for your cache page.
• When a cache is at the posted coordinates - it is typically defined as a Traditional cache. There may be situations where the Field Puzzle attribute may be appropriate.
• If the posted coordinates need to be visited in order to gain/obtain offset information (used to find the subsequent/final physical elements of a cache) - it is typically a Multi-cache.
• For caches where the posted coordinates do not need to be visited (they are "fake") - or when locating/accessing the cache requires internet access (e.g. using a webpage or "checker" to access coordinates for a redirect) it is typically a Mystery cache.
• If a Mystery cache incorporates/includes a puzzle element, the solution/explanation of how to solve the puzzle needs to be included in a Reviewer Note. 
• A physical cache that contains a stamp may be listed as Letterbox Hybrid cache; text such as "This cache contains a stamp that is not a trade item" should be included in the cache page to assist the Reviewer and potential finders.
• Without exception, if a Wherigo cartridge is used with a cache - it must be the Wherigo cache type - and the cache page must have a corresponding link to a unique cartridge file that is located/hosted on Wherigo.com .
• A Bonus cache is always the Mystery Cache type. Bonus cache coordinates that are revealed by finding clues or coordinates in other caches or (an Adventure Lab).
• EarthCaches in Ontario are not Reviewed by the Ontario Reviewer Team - they are handled by our awesome colleague, geoawareCA.

Ontario - Challenge Caches

• Click here to visit the Geocaching HQ Help Centre Article - "Hiding A Geocache - Challenge Caches"

• Click here to visit the Geocaching HQ Help Centre Article - "Hiding A Geocache - Challenge Checkers"

• Click here to visit the Geocaching HQ Help Centre Article - "Hiding A Geocache - Challenge Cache Subjectivity"

On May 25th 2016, Geocaching HQ announced the end of the moratorium on Challenge Caches in the Geocaching Blog.

Items listed below with bullet points are direct quotes from the Geocaching HQ articles above; text in bold has been provided by the Ontario Reviewer Team as clarification.

• "Challenge cache owners must demonstrate that there are plenty of qualifying caches to meet the challenge at the time of publication."

• "If only a few people can find and log a challenge cache, then it’s almost like a private cache. (And private caches aren’t permitted on the website)."

  If there are a limited/restrictive number of qualifying caches available for a Challenge cache, it may not be Guidelines compliant.

  Similarly, Challenges that rely on one-time Events and Awards (such as Souvenirs that can no longer be acquired) may not be Guidelines compliant. 

• Challenge cache owners must show that they have met the challenge".

• “A challenge cache needs to appeal to and be attainable by a reasonable number of cachers. Your reviewer may ask for a list of cachers from your area who qualify."

  The Ontario Reviewer Team consider the "reasonable number of cachers" to be 10 (in addition to the cache owner); they should be based within Ontario.

• "The container must be placed at coordinates on the listing, either as posted coordinates, or as a visible additional waypoint."

  The coordinates of a container for a Challenge cache must be visible on the cache page; Challenge caches cannot have a puzzle element or hidden waypoints.

• "Difficulty rating (should) be based on the challenge, the terrain rating on the challenge cache location."

  The terrain rating of a Challenge cache should be rated as if it were a Traditional cache in the same location.   

• "Challenge caches published after April 21, 2015 must include a link to a web-based challenge checker. At this time, Project-GC is the only website approved to host challenge checkers."

  All Challenge caches must have a unique Project-GC challenge checker, even if qualification can be verified by visiting the profile page/statistics of a Player.

  Proof of qualification in a log (e.g. GC codes or bookmarks of qualifiers) should not be requested for a Challenge cache published after April 21, 2015.

  The onus is on the cache owner to verify those who log the cache as found have met the qualifying requirements, using the Project-GC Challenge Checker.

• "Challenge caches are sometimes difficult to review for publication due to the subjectivity involved. Meaning, one person’s opinion can differ from another's, which can cause issues in the review process.

   One of the goals of the 2016 guideline update for challenge caches was to reduce some of that subjectivity. However, we can’t completely remove subjectivity from the process."

  The Ontario Reviewer Team strives to be consistent with Reviews for cache pages in Ontario. 

  The approach to Reviews is considered to be "provincial", not "regional" - as the arbitrary definition of a region/area can be subjective.

• “Please do not submit a challenge cache in an area where a very similar or identical challenge cache already exists.”

  Challenge caches may need to be relocated if another Challenge cache is noted to be within 50km, as measured by Google Maps shortest driving route.

• “Challenge caches must be listed as Mystery caches, must have the English word "challenge" in the title, and must include the challenge cache attribute."

From the Geocaching Blog announcement:

• "Challenge cache owners are integral to the success of this framework. It’s important that they work within these guidelines in order to reduce the burden that reviewers felt prior to the moratorium. If after a period of evaluation, we find that a lot of the pre-moratorium issues are still causing problems, then we’ll know that this new framework isn’t the answer. We don’t have a backup plan. The only remaining option would be to not permit challenge caches as they currently exist."
  The Ontario Reviewer Team are optimistic with regards to working through the revised Challenge Cache framework, alongside the Ontario geocaching community.
  

  The Geocaching Guidelines are revised by Geocaching HQ from time to time. With your constructive feedback - the Ontario Reviewer Team can not only provide Geocaching HQ with information for future Geocaching Guidelines consideration - we can hopefully improve our own approaches and processes, also.

Ontario - Determine If Your Coordinates Are Available

• It is recommended you determine the coordinates for your intended placement(s) before you hide any physical containers/items.

• Ensure that your proposed placement(s) follow the current Geocaching Guidelines (don't forget the 161m saturation rule!).

• Review the Geocaching Help Centre and Getting Your Cache Listed Quickly page for other placement and cache page considerations.

• Create a "placeholder" cache page; enter your intended placement coordinates (don't forget Additional Waypoints), and then post a Reviewer Note such as "Cache not in place, please check coordinates".

• Ensure you have clicked Submit For Review on your cache page only when you wish your cache page to enter the Reviewer queue.

• If there are any Geocaching Guidelines issues with your intended coordinates you will be notified and your cache page will be Disabled by the Reviewer. 

• Coordinates that are unavailable cannot be reserved.

• If you relocate your placement, use the Edit link on the right of the cache page to update your coordinates.

• Submit For Review again - the Reviewer will again check to determine if everything is Geocaching Guidelines compliant.

• If a Land Management Policy is on record for your cache location, the Reviewer will refer you to the appropriate Land Manager Permission Process.

Ontario - Event and CITO Cache Pages

Cache pages should not include recommendations, refer to venue features or emphasize available menu items as this could be interpreted as being promotional/commercial.
A simple sentence such as "Food and drink are available" will ensure Attendees know when there are options.
(Note: If Attendees have questions regarding an Event or what is offered at a venue, they always have the option to contact the Event Host via their Profile Page). 

 Event/CITO cache pages should:

• Be listed with a Difficulty rating of 1.

• Be listed with a Terrain rating of 1 if they are wheelchair accessible.

• Be listed with a fixed start time and end time that appears in the descriptive text.

• Be listed with a minimum duration of 30 minutes (if an Event), 60 minutes (if a CITO) or 120 minutes (if a Community Celebration Event).

• Be submitted for review at least 14 days prior to the event date (21 days is preferable).
  

• Include a social element, coordinated by the cache owner (who will also maintain the cache page and logs).

• Be open to all who can attend - if there is a limit to the number of seats/space is limited, those who wish to simply drop-in at the Event coordinates to be recognized by the host (and not stay) are also eligible to log the event.

• Be static and listed with fixed ice surface/land based coordinates.

Event/CITO cache pages should not:

• Require a log book - if a log book is mentioned, it should be clear that it is optional as there are no requirement to sign a log book at an event.

• Contain commercial, promotional or agenda implied content.

• Endorse or provide opinions regarding the quality of a venue or its offerings.

• Purposefully restrict the number of attendees who can Attend the event.

• Promote the finding or placement of caches.

• Be created to bring cachers to an existing event/gathering that would already be occurring if the event was not published on the Geocaching website.

• Imply the requirement to participate in extra activities (other than being at the event coordinates during the time window of the event) to log the event as Attended. 

• Be scheduled on the same day as a local/regional Mega/GIGA event.

• Be held near transportation centres such as airports, cruise ship terminals or train stations.
  

• Include recommendations, suggestions, menu items or links to websites considered to be commercial and/or promoting products or services.

Event/CITO cache pages may:

• Mention the name of the event location (e.g. restaurant name) in the descriptive text of the cache page, not the cache page title.

• Include non-specific text indicating that food/beverages are optionally available at an event location.

• Include a link to an ad-free webpage or geocaching profile page where additional event information is provided.

• Include references only to trackables being available for sale if the trackables are specifically created for the event and they are trackable on the Geocaching.com website.

• Focus on teaching opportunities for the specific Geocaching API partners, GSAK and Project-GC.
  

A CITO ("Cache In Trash Out") event should focus on the improvement parks and cache-friendly places; appropriate CITO activities include:

• Removing garbage from a designated area.

• Tree-planting.

• Trail-building.

• Removal of invasive species.

If local laws/guidelines require that attendee information be collected, please refer to Geocaching HQ's "Collecting Event Attendee Information" Knowledgebase Article. 

Ontario - Event Stacking  

"Event Stacking" occurs when an attempt is made to host multiple events/CITOs in relative proximity (in location and time).

• If an Event is scheduled within 2 hours of another Event, there should be a distance of at least 32km between them (measured as the crow flies).

e.g.  If an Event runs from 4PM to 7PM, any other Event less than 32km away should end no later than two hours before (2PM) or begin no earlier than two hours after (9PM).

• It is recommended to check the upcoming Event Caches in Ontario by clicking here.

With the likelihood of there being more promoted Event opportunities from Geocaching HQ, the Ontario Reviewer Team wish to make it easier for Players to host Events without them being considered "Stacked". 

For this reason, the 2-hour window and 32km crow-flies approach has been implemented. In comparison, the UK Reviewer Team approach to Event Stacking requires at least 10 hours between different Events.

Ontario - Event Promotion and Caches Associated With Events

As per Geocaching HQ guidance:

• Only Event (not CITO) Caches may promote other geocaching events.

• If a cache page is promoting another Event Cache, it cannot encourage the logging of Will Attends; this includes references such as "Don't forget to log your Will Attend".

• "Any mention of an event in a non-Event cache must be limited to one singular sentence similar to: this cache has been placed for the [insert name of Event here], placed at the bottom of the long description"

  The Ontario Reviewer Team currently considers exceptions to this guidance by specifically allowing the singular sentence to include the name, date and start time of an event in a non-Event cache page with text such as "This cache was placed with the intention of being found for event/occasion on date/time". There should however be no implication of there being any penalty for those who choose to find/log a cache as soon as it has been Published as Published means ready to be found. It is also possible to make a Future Publish Request so that a cache is Published on a specific date.

Ontario - Future Publish Requests

• Cache pages that are requested to be Published on a specific date should be Submitted for Review at least 14 days in advance with an explanatory Reviewer Note.

• If a series/multiple caches are to be Published concurrently, be sure to include the GC codes for ALL caches in the series along with each cache in a Reviewer Note.

• Requests for morning/afternoon/evening Publish on a particular date may be possible - however timing cannot be guaranteed.

Ontario - Health Score

• To help improve the overall caching experience, Geocaching HQ created an algorithm to calculate a hidden Health Score for each geocache.

• A low Health Score provides an indication that the cache may need attention from the owner.

• The goal is to improve the overall geocaching experience and avoid frustrations due to missing or broken caches.

• The algorithm isn't perfect; it cannot read and interpret the text within a cache page - however it does take the following aspects of a page into consideration:

1.    Did Not Find logs(DNF)

2.    Needs Maintenance logs (NM)

3.    Needs Archived logs (NA)

4.    Last find date

5.    Difficulty and terrain rating

• If the Health Score of a cache is calculated below a dynamic threshold, an automatic alert email is sent to the cache owner by Geocaching HQ.

• A Community Volunteer Reviewer may follow up to perform further actions on the cache page.

• Neither Geocaching HQ or the Community Volunteer Reviewer can assess the status of a cache; it is the responsibility of the cache owner, as part of cache maintenance.

• If there are a multiple DNFs logs on a cache - the community may not know if the cache is missing or is simply hard to find.

• If a cache page has posted DNFs - and the cache owner knows that the cache is in definitely in place - they should reassure the community by posting a Note log.

e.g. "There have been a few DNFs, however it is a clever hide! I checked on it this morning. Check the hint!"

• If a Community Volunteer Reviewer does not see a response from a cache owner on their cache page after DNF/Maintenance Requests, it may be Disabled.

• If a cache owner knows with certainty that their cache is in place and ready to be found, they may Enable the cache page, with an explanatory note.

• If a cache owner is unable to definitively confirm the status of their cache, the cache page should remain Disabled and a Maintenance visit should be scheduled.

• An Owner Maintenance log should only be posted after a maintenance visit has occurred.

• Only when a cache is confirmed to be in place and ready to be found should a cache page be Enabled.

The number of "false positives" flagged with this process are minimal compared to the number of abandoned caches that this process will remove from the game.

Ontario - Land Management Permission Process

• Before requesting permission from a Land Manager for a cache, check with a Reviewer who can confirm if your coordinates are subject to policy, permission or proximity constraints.

• To obtain permission for placements in the area/site/properties listed below, refer to the appropriate site/contact/policy resources.

• Be sure to provide the coordinates of your physical placement(s) and your listing GC code to the site/property/land manager.

• Coordinates should be provided in DD MM.MMM or "GPS notation" - they should look similar to N??° ??.??? W0??° ??.??? (where ?s are digits from 0 to 9).

Need help converting your coordinates to DD MM.MMM GPS notation? Click here to visit an external/3rd party site that may help; click here to see an example.

• If permission is granted, request that the authority providing permission send a confirmation e-mail to cachedrone@gmail.com :

  • The permission e-mail must originate from the authority or agency responsible for the site/property.

  • The e-mail must contain the GC code of the relevant cache page.

  • The e-mail must include coordinates of ALL physical placements (e.g. permission is needed for each physical stage of a multi-cache).

  • To avoid typographical errors, scanned images and photographs of permits should be avoided.

• Once permission confirmation is received, CacheDrone will paste the text of the permission e-mail on the cache page in a Reviewer Note.

• At this point you should make sure your cache is in place and the details on the cache page are accurate and ready to go!

• When your cache page is ready to be seen by a Reviewer click Submit for Review.

• A Reviewer Note can help increase the efficiency of your Review; tell your Reviewer... How is the cache hidden? What type of container was used? Is it ready to be Published?

Ontario - Land Management Policies* 

Ontario - Land Management Policy Revocation 

• If a cache is Archived due to a permissions issue, ongoing logging of the Archived cache may be viewed negatively by the Land Manager/Property Manager.

• If a Land Manager/Property Manager does not provide permission for a cache placement, the cache owner should arrange to retrieve all elements of the cache as promptly as possible.

Ontario - Off-Limits Locations  

• Natural gas tanks/meters, hydro-electric transformers, electrical substations, transmission towers and equipment with warning signage should be considered off-limits locations for cache hides.

• Canada Post Mailboxes, Super Mailboxes and all Canada Post properties should be considered off-limits locations for cache hides, unless written permission can be provided by the Postmaster.

• On/off ramps and roads/highways that only permit emergency stopping are not intended to be accessed by pedestrians; they are off-limits locations for accessing and hiding caches.

• Schools, playgrounds, daycare centres, airports and other locations where unexplained objects and/or visitors may be misinterpreted as security risks should also be avoided.

Ontario - Published Means It Is Ready To Be Found!

• Cache pages should not include/impose restrictions (e.g. "Do not find this/this cache should not be found until after date/time") on when a cache is ready to be found.

• If you do not wish your cache to be found until a certain date, a Future Publish Request may be requested (see above).

• You may choose to include positively worded text on your cache page, such as: "This was placed with the intention of being found for event/occasion on date/time".

Ontario - Railway Lines

• Transport Canada regulates the railway industry in Canada. 

• Section 26.1 of the Railway Safety Act makes it an offense to trespass on any railway lands in Canada.

• Caches that require access to and/or are situated near railway lines may be subject to additional scrutiny during the Review process.

Ontario - Social Media Links (You Tube, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat etc)

• Cache pages should not include content that promotes the acquisition of social media channel subscribers/followers as this would be promoting an agenda/highlighting a cause.

• Linked media content on a cache page should be relevant to that specific cache.

• Geocaching HQ requires that cache pages that have links to social media groups also include a disclaimer; "As the geocache owner, I ensure that this links to a local geocaching group that is active in the community and contributing to geocaching in positive ways. This link has not been checked by Geocaching HQ or by the reviewer."

Ontario - Suitable Cache Containers  

• All physical caches (Traditional, Multicache, Letterbox, Puzzle/Mystery and Wherigo) should be minimally comprised of a container and a log.

• Containers should be watertight and suitable to survive the hot/cold temperature extremes of Ontario.  
  

Ontario - Works In Progress

• During Review, If a new cache is found to have proximity issues to another unpublished ("Work In Progress") cache page, various factors are considered.

• An existing Work In Progress cache page may be ignored by the Reviewer if it appears it was not Geocaching Guidelines compliant at the time of the last known update.

• If six months or more has passed since the last posted log from the cache owner on a Work In Progress cache page, it will be ignored or archived.

• If 3 months or more have passed since the last posted log from the cache owner of a Work In Progress cache page, a Reviewer will request that an Reviewer Note be posted within 7-14 days, confirming that the cache page will soon be submitted for review.

• If a cache owner does not respond to a Reviewer action requesting an update, a Work In Progress cache page may be ignored or archived.

• If a Work In Progress cache page is less than 3 months old, it is considered active.

• If a cache owner is informed their intended location is unavailable due to a Work In Progress cache page nearby, they will need to relocate their hide and update their cache page accordingly.