Photo: The Canadian Grain Elevator Discovery Centre, Nanton, AB
$65,000 in cash prizes to be won!
The Next Great Save 2025 Competition offers an incredible opportunity to win $65,000 in cash prizes to help protect cherished heritage places! Canadians have a deep love for their historic sites and rise to the challenge when these treasures are at risk. This competition empowers communities with a $50,000 Grand Prize, generously provided by Ecclesiastical Insurance, along with two runner-up prizes of $10,000 and $5,000. These funds will support projects that protect, adapt, renew, or improve heritage places for the future—while inspiring us all along the way!
Heritage places are critical for sustainable communities, central to responding to climate change, and vital to our collective wellbeing and sense of belonging. Yet every day more are lost. The Next Great Save competition is our way of highlighting the impact of saving and renewing these places, and getting people from coast-to-coast-to-coast involved in the process.
Competition Timeline
December 17 - January 24 – Community groups develop a submission with details of the heritage place they want to be Canada’s Next Great Save. Ten to twelve exciting projects will be shortlisted and featured in public voting to win $65,000 in prizes as the Next Great Save.
February 14, 2025 - Competition finalists are contacted.
February 15 – March 15, 2025 - Competition finalists put together their case to convince voters their project should be voted the Next Great Save using photos, text, and video.
March 31 - April 17, 2025 - People across Canada cast votes to determine the Next Great Save winners, who will receive $65,000 in cash prizes.
April 17, 2025 - The National Trust for Canada and Ecclesiastical announce the winners of the Next Great Save competition.
The 2025 Next Great Save Finalists
- Battle Harbour Marconi Towers – Battle Harbour, NL
- Dove Brook Church – Cartwright, NL
- Empyrean Cemetary – Wildwood, AB
- Historic O’Keefe Ranch – Vernon, BC
- Hourie Homestead – Portage la Prairie, MB
- Maison Doucet Hennessy House – Bathurst, NB
- Sharon Assembly Church – Yarmouth, NS
- St. Mark's Heritage Church – Port de Grave, NL
- St. Sylvester’s Church – Nipigon, ON
- Tam Kung Temple – Victoria, BC
- The Grand Theatre – Indian Head, SK
- Willowbank School of Restoration Arts – Niagara On The Lake, ON
Photo: Old St. Thomas Church, Moose Factory, Ontario
About the National Trust for Canada
Created in 1973, the National Trust for Canada is the leading national charity dedicated to the conservation and promotion of Canada’s historic sites. The Trust believes that heritage places are a catalyst for sustainable, livable, lovable communities. Heritage conservation addresses the needs of communities today by fostering identity and sense of place, driving economic activity, enhancing belonging, supporting climate resilience, and promoting well-being.
About our Title Sponsor
Ecclesiastical Insurance is an award-winning commercial insurance company and a proud part of the Benefact Group – a charity owned, international family of financial service companies that gives all available profits to charity and good causes. Ecclesiastical provides specialist insurance solutions to the arts, culture and heritage community, faith organizations, retirement living, educational institutions, registered charities, and non-profit organizations. Protecting Canada’s historic places, both large and small, with regional offices in Dartmouth, Toronto, Calgary, and Vancouver.
Photo: The Roxy Theatre, Coleman, Crowsnest Pass, AB
What is a Next Great Save?
A Next Great Save is a project that successfully protects, adapts, renews or improves a heritage place in a way that extends its useful life, and more, such as:
- responds to new pressures and community needs such as climate change or affordable housing;
- reduces environmental impact; and/or
- reflects diversity and inclusion of new voices and new stories.
Rules & regulations
Votes are cast online and will be tallied in real-time on this website. Only those votes cast during the competition period will be tallied.
Use of mechanical or automated programs to submit votes for this Competition is strictly prohibited. If any person is found to be tampering in any way with the voting process, those votes will be disqualified.
There is no fee or obligation to the National Trust for voting in the competition. Read the full Rules & Regulations here.
For more information about the Next Great Save competition visit our website or email us at nextgreatsave@nationaltrustcanada.ca
Photo: Tashme Museum, Hope, BC