Having spent fifty years as a specialist insurer in Canada – including many of the country’s iconic heritage buildings – Ecclesiastical Insurance has teamed up with the National Trust for Canada for the latter’s Next Great Save competition.

The competition allows a community to save a heritage place in Canada that is meaningful to them by pitching their best ideas to retrofit, adapt, or improve the space and extend its useful life, whether by reducing its environmental impact, reflecting diversity, offering education or inspiration, or responding to emerging community needs.

A shortlist of entries will be featured in public voting and the winning entry will receive a $50,000 prize provided by Ecclesiastical to help save the heritage place.

“This is an exciting way to raise awareness of great historic places across Canada,” said David Huebel, president of Ecclesiastical. “The Next Great Save competition will support a deserving project and give new life to a worthy heritage place in our community.”

The National Trust for Canada and Ecclesiastical will announce the winning entry on February 23, 2023, after a month-long voting period where people across Canada can cast their votes for the Next Great Save.

“It is a privilege to help celebrate Ecclesiastical’s 50th anniversary in Canada with this exciting initiative,” said Natalie Bull, the National Trust’s executive director. “The Next Great Save is a wonderful new step in our longstanding relationship with this great firm that knows and cares about heritage places.”

Interested community groups may submit of letters of intent to join the competition from October 22 to November 20.