In 1995, when when Claudia Moessner, Ernst Peters, Patrick Vincent, Peter Okrens, Scott Withers, Norbert Tiemann, Anne Bagozy, Vaclav Honsa and others rowed from Poonamalie to Portland on the Upper and Big Rideau lakes, the touring committee, in partnership with Row Ontario was formed. It has since participated in over 150 tours on such water courses on such routes as the Severn River, the Trent Canal, the Rideau Canal, the Ottawa River, the Kawartha lakes, Muskoka, Georgian Bay, the St. Lawrence River, and the Grand River.  In addition the committee has helped organized tours on the St. John River in New Brunswick and the Saguenay and Lièvre Rivers in Québec.  A highlight has to be the 2002 FISA tour in which 80 people from around the world rowed most of the length of the Rideau Canal.  The touring committee co-ordinates about 15 tours a year including at least 2 marathons, the Canadian Sculling Marathon and the Wilson Island Marathon.
 

With the blessing of Row Ontario, the touring committee transformed itself into an Association in 2008.  The Ontario Adventure Rowing Association (OAR Touring) is a non-profit corporation with the following objectives:

•    To promote distance rowing, including touring and adventure rowing;
•    To organise rowing tours and distance events in Ontario and nearby jurisdictions;
•    To provide opportunities for people of all ages to participate in distance rowing;
•    To support the sport of rowing at the local, provincial and Canadian levels; and
•    To provide fitness opportunities and amenities to benefit the community.

The Association has a mobile touring centre loaded with 4 coxed touring quads.  This touring centre is hosted by the Quinte Rowing Club in Belleville.  The mobile touring centre is available for rental to members clubs for tours or for learn-to-scull weeks (for prices, see Equipment; for rental inquiries, contact info @ adventurerowing.ca).