Ontario Parks Sticker Contest
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MINISTRY OF THE ENVIRONMENT, CONSERVATION AND PARKS
Ontario Parks Sticker Design Contest
SCHEDULE A: STANDARD RULES
A) BACKGROUND
Two legislative objectives of managing and establishing provincial parks, pursuant to subsection 2(1) of the Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves Act, 2006 (PPCRA), are:
1) To provide opportunities for ecologically sustainable outdoor recreation opportunities and encourage associated economic benefits.
2) To provide opportunities for residents of Ontario and visitors to increase their knowledge and appreciation of Ontario’s natural and cultural heritage. (“Objectives”)
His Majesty the King as represented by the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks and specifically the Ontario Parks Growth and Partnerships Branch (“Ministry”) is conducting an Ontario Parks Sticker Design Contest, as set out below, (“Contest”) in furtherance of the Objectives to encourage the public to visit provincial parks and to increase public knowledge and appreciation of Ontario’s natural and cultural heritage.
The following long-form rules (“Standard Rules”) govern the Contest. By participating in the Contest, you (“Entrant”) will be deemed to have received independent legal advice, read, understood, and agreed to be bound by these Standard Rules.
B) THE MINISTRY AS CONTEST SPONSOR
The Contest is sponsored and administered solely by the Ministry.
This Contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by or associated with any third-party social media or social networking service or site (each a “Third Party Service”), including but not limited to Qualtrics, LinkedIn, or Facebook. Any questions, comments or complaints regarding the Contest should be directed to the Ministry and not to any Third Party Service.
C) ELIGIBILITY
To be eligible to enter this Contest, an individual must be a legal resident of Canada and who:
1) is eighteen (18) years of age or older or;
2) is under 18 years of age with parental/guardian permission;
3) has reviewed and has the capacity to consent to comply with the Standard Rules; and,
4) are NOT employees, officers, directors, agents, and representatives of the Ministry or any Ontario Public Service organizations, any prize suppliers, any and all other organizations associated with the Contest, a household member of any of the individuals listed in section C(v), whether or not related or members of the immediate family (spouse, parent, child, sibling) of the individuals listed in section C (v) are not eligible to enter.
D) ENTRY PERIOD
All times referenced in the Standard Rules are Eastern Standard Times (EST).
You may enter the Contest starting on October 6, 2025 at 12:00 PM, and up and until November 28, 2025 at 11:59 PM (EST) (“Entry Period”) after which time the Contest will be closed and no other entries shall be accepted.
E) HOW TO ENTER
No purchase, payment or valuable consideration is necessary to enter the Contest. The winners are determined entirely on skill selected based on predetermined judging criteria (see Judging Criteria in section I) by the Ministry’s evaluation team with no element of chance involved. Enter by using the method outlined below. No entries will be accepted by any other means.
F) LIMITATION OF TIMES TO ENTER THE CONTEST
Limit of one (1) Design Entry per Entrant per email address for the Entry Period
G) CONDITIONS FOR MINISTRY TO REFUSE OR DISQUALIFY DESIGN ENTRY
The Ministry may refuse or disqualify your Design Entry if:
1) you attempt to enter the Contest in a fashion not authorized by these Rules;
2) your Design Entry contains false or misleading information, or is late, falsified, illegible, damaged or incomplete or otherwise irregular;
3) your Design Entry includes any material generated by artificial intelligence (“AI”) systems or tools is or other illicit means; (for the purposes of the Standard Rules, AI means any computer system or software that exhibits or utilizes human-level intelligence and cognitive skills, such as reasoning, learning, problem solving, perception, prediction, planning, creativity, and manipulation of data).
4) your Design Entry is not in compliance with these Rules;
5) your Design Entry was published or submitted to other contests;
6) your Design Entry infringes upon existing copyrights;
7) you have tampered with or attempted to tamper with, or undermined or attempted to undermine, the legitimate operation of the Contest and/or the Contest Website; or;
8) acted in a disruptive manner, or with the intent to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any person.
The Ministry reserves the right to refuse any Design Entry for any other reason as they may determine.
H) CONDITIONS OF DESIGN ENTRY
By entering the Contest:
1) you agree to be bound by these Standard Rules and by the decisions of the Ministry, which decisions are final, binding and conclusive;
2) you represent and warrant that:
(i) your Design Entry, including any material comprising your Design Entry (e.g. written submission or selections, etc., as applicable) and any material submitted with your entry (e.g. written submission, or other form of submission, as applicable) is original to you,
(ii) you have all necessary rights, including copyright in and to your Design Entry to enter the Contest and by submitting your Design Entry you provide the Ministry with exclusive rights to use, modify, distribute, translate, create or reproduce the Design Entry for any purpose, including but not limited to in:Print or digital publications, exhibits, films, videos, or web use, social media campaigns, merchandise, promotional or advertising materials, without notification, compensation or additional consideration to you; and,
(iii) your Design Entry does not contain, depict, include or involve content that is, or could reasonably be considered to be, inappropriate, unsuitable or offensive, as determined by the Ministry;
3) you agree that the Ministry is not responsible for verifying the originality of your Design Entry;
4) you waive all claims of moral rights in any use of your Design Entry by the Ministry pursuant to the rights granted in these Standard Rules;
5) you agree that the Ministry does not guarantee that the winner’s name will be credited alongside the dinning Design Entryalthough winners’ name and Design Entry may be published in Ministry’s Ontario Parks materials, tabloids and digital platforms;
6)you understand and agree that your Design Entry will not be returned to you;
7) you hereby irrevocably and unconditionally releases and forever discharge His Majesty the King in right of Ontario as represented by the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks and its Ministers, directors, officers, agents, appointees and employees (collectively the “Ministry Releasees”) , of and from all manner of actions, causes of action, proceedings, complaints, claims, demands, suits, debts, accounts, covenants, contracts, obligations, damages and all other claims whatsoever which the Ministry or its predecessors, successors or assigns ever had, now has, or may in the future have against the Ministry Releasees for or by reason of any cause, matter or thing existing up to the date of this Contest including, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, any claim whatsoever relating to the all claims, damages or liability, including any costs or losses related to personal injury, death, damage to or loss or destruction of property, arising out of, or in any way related to,
(i) your participation in the Contest,
(ii) the awarding, receipt, possession, use or misuse of any prize, in whole or in part, including participating in travel or any activity related to the prize,
(iii) the use of any Design Entry or Publicity Material (which may include: Ministry blogs, Ministry website, third party media sources such as print, online, television) in accordance with the rights granted in these Standard Rules, or
(iv) any breach of these Rules (“Section H is collectively known as Claims”) and agree to indemnify and hold harmless each of the Ministry Releasees from all Claims, and,
8) you acknowledge that you have obtained independent legal advice understand, and agree to the Standard Rules and if you are the parent or legal guardian of an Entrant who is under 18 years of age, you acknowledge, agree and accept all Contest terms on their behalf; and,
9) the Ministry reserves the right to modify, suspend, or cancel the Contest due to unforeseen circumstances beyond its control and at any time.
I) JUDGING CRITERIA
The Ministry’s evaluation team, consisting of Ministry representatives (“Panel”), will evaluate all eligible Design Entries by awarding points out of a possible total of 40 points according to the following criteria (“Judging Criteria”):
| Judging Criteria | Points | Description |
|---|---|---|
Creativity & Originality |
5 | Unique, innovative thinking and expression. |
| Alignment with Theme | 20 | How well the design reflects the theme "Connect with Nature". |
| Execution & Presentation | 10 | Design complies with section E(a). Clarity of concept and strong use of colour palette. |
| Overall Impact | 5 | Effectiveness and memorability of the design. |
The Ministry will select the top three (3) highest-scoring Design Entries from each of the 18 years or older category (“Adult Category”) and the 18 years and below category (“Youth Category”). The six winners will be selected by the Panel. For the purpose of conducting an objective evaluation, the personal information of the Entrant will be removed from a Design Entry and assigned a non-descript code matching the Entrant name, prior to the Panel judging a Design Entry.
J) PRIZES
Based on the Judging Criteria, the Ministry will award the top 3 scoring Entrants with the following prizes from the Ministry’s Ontario Parks Store. NOTE: prizes must be accepted as award and are not convertible to cash.
1) Adult Category
1st Place:
i) Winning design printed on a sticker and the Ministry will distribute the stickers containing the winning design during the May 2026 long weekend at operating Ontario Parks to Ontario Park visitors, and,
ii) Ontario Parks 2026 annual permit for day use access to all Ontario provincial parks. Valid from January 1, 2026, until December 31, 2026.
2nd Place:
i) Road Trip Water Bottle with Sticker Sheet (valued $39.95); and,
ii) Road Trip Towel (valued $42.95 CAD); and,
iii) Road Trip Playing Cards (valued $9.95)
3rd Place:
i) Adventure Shoe Charms (valued $15.95); and,
ii) Adventure Lanyard (valued $9.95); and,
iii) Adventure Icon Socks (valued $19.95)
2) Youth Category
1st Place:
i)Winning design printed on a sticker and the Ministry will distribute the stickers containing the winning design during the May 2026 long weekend at operating Ontario Parks to Ontario Park visitors and includes the following:
ii) Road Trip Towel (valued $42.95 CAD); and,
iii) Road Trip Playing Cards (valued $9.95); and,
iv) Adventure Shoe Charms (valued $15.95); and,
v) Adventure Lanyard (valued $9.95); and,
vi) Beaver Plush (valued $13.95)
2nd Place:
i) Road Trip Water Bottle with Sticker Sheet (valued $39.95); and,
ii) Road Trip Towel (valued $42.95 CAD); and,
iii) Road Trip Playing Cards (valued $9.95)
3rd Place:
i) Adventure Shoe Charms (valued $15.95) and,
ii) Adventure Lanyard (valued $9.95)
K) PRIZE CONDITIONS
All prize particulars will be determined by the Ministry in its sole discretion. In addition to any prize conditions provided elsewhere in these Rules, any prize awarded in the Contest is subject to the following conditions:
1) the prize value in these Standard Rules is approximate only. You will not be compensated if actual prize value is lower than the value quoted in these Standard Rules;
2) The Ministry reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to substitute a prize, in whole or in part, with a prize or prize component of equal or greater value if the prize or any component thereof cannot be awarded for any reason;
3) The prize must be accepted as awarded and may not be transferred or resold, unless otherwise determined by the Ministry. The prize may not be exactly as advertised. The prize is provided “as is” without representation or warranty of any kind by the Ministry;
4) Any unused portion of the prize, once awarded, will be deemed forfeited. The prize will not be replaced if lost, destroyed, defective or stolen. No warranties apply;
5) prizes will be awarded exclusively in Ontario and no regional allocation
L) PRIZE CONDITIONS
All prize particulars will be determined by the Ministry in its sole discretion. In addition to any prize conditions provided elsewhere in these Standard Rules, any prize awarded in the Contest is subject to the following conditions:
1) the prize value in these Rules is approximate only. You will not be compensated if actual prize value is lower than the value quoted in these Standard Rules;
2) The Ministry reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to substitute a prize, in whole or in part, with a prize or prize component of equal or greater value if the prize or any component thereof cannot be awarded for any reason;
3) The prize must be accepted as awarded and may not be transferred or resold, unless otherwise determined by the Ministry. The prize may not be exactly as advertised. The prize is provided “as is” without representation or warranty of any kind by the Ministry; and,
4) Any unused portion of the prize, once awarded, will be deemed forfeited. The prize will not be replaced if lost, destroyed, mutilated or stolen;
.
M) Winner Selection & Notification
After the Panel completes its judging, the Ministry will notify the winners by mid-February 2026 (Approximate Notification Date).
The Approximate Notification Date is approximate only and may change upon the Ministry sole discretion. The Ministry will notify all winners by email.
After winners are notified, winners will have five (5) Business Days (“Business Day” means any working day, Monday to Friday inclusive, but excluding statutory and other holidays, namely: New Year's Day; Family Day; Good Friday; Easter Monday; Victoria Day; Canada Day; Civic Holiday; Labour Day; Thanksgiving Day; Remembrance Day; Christmas Day; Boxing Day and any other day which the Ministry has elected to be closed for business) to submit their executed Declaration of Compliance and Release form and email back to the Ministry.
In the event a potential winner cannot be contacted or fails to submitting the executed Declaration of Compliance and Release form within five (5) Business Days, or declines a prize for any reason, or does not meet the requirements set forth in these Standard Rules, as determined by the Ministry in its sole discretion, the potential winner will be disqualified. The Ministry will determine whether to proceed to the next highest scoring Design Entry or decline to award part (i) of the First Prize in the respective Adult and Youth categories.
N) A POTENTIAL WINNER BECOMES A WINNER
Before being declared a winner, a potential winner must complete the following within the five (5) Business Days of being selected as the potential winner:
a)complete, sign, and return to the Ministry, the Declaration of Compliance And Release document within five (5) Business Days of receipt.
O) CLAIM A PRIZE.
The prize will be awarded within five (5) Business Days after a winner is determined and will be delivered to the winner by mail. The Ministry will ensure that the distribution of prizes is conducted without undue delay within its control. The actual delivery time will depend on the delivery conditions, and the Ministry is not responsible for any delays caused by delivery service agents or other unforeseen circumstances.
P) COLLECTION, USE, AND DISCLOSURE OF PERSONAL INFORMATION
The Ministry is committed to protecting your privacy. The collection, use and disclosure of personal information are governed by the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.
1) Purpose of Collection: The personal information collected in this Contest, including your name, mailing address, email address, and/or telephone number (“Personal Information”), is gathered under the authority of section 29 of the PPCRA. This collection is necessary for the proper administration of this Contest and in furtherance of the Objectives to encourage the public to visit provincial parks and to increase public knowledge and appreciation of Ontario’s natural and cultural heritage. Personal Information will be collected and used solely for administering prizes (contacting winners and distributing prizes). Entrants must not share or provide any information in their Design Entry that could be considered Personal Information, including any information that could be used to identify a person.
2) Use and Disclosure: Your Personal Information will not be used or disclosed for any other purpose without your consent, except as required by law. However, the Personal Information of winners (first name and last initial and city of residence) may be disclosed for publicity and promotional purposes and winners may be contacted for this purpose, including with respect to participation in Ministry blogs or in third party media.
3) Security: The Ministry takes reasonable steps to protect your Personal Information from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure. This includes secure storage and restricted access to the data.
4)) Retention: Your Personal Information will be retained only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by law. Once the retention period has expired, personal information will be securely destroyed using appropriate methods to ensure that it cannot be reconstructed or retrieved.
5) Withdrawal: You have the right to withdraw your consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of your Personal Information at any time. To withdraw consent, you must contact the Ministry with a clear statement of your request. Upon receipt of such a request, the Ministry will take prompt action to cease the collection, use, and disclosure of your Personal Information. Once you withdraw consent, you will no longer qualify to participate in the Contest or receive prizes.
By participating in this Contest, you consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of your Personal Information as described above. If you have any questions about the collection, use, or disclosure of your personal information, or want to withdraw your consent, please contact [Contact Person’s Name], [Position], at [Contact Information].
Q) LIMITATION OF LIABILITY
You must ensure that the Contest does not infringe on any third-party copyrights and that all original contest materials are protected by copyright. The Ministry assumes no liability for the following:
1) stolen, late, incomplete, illegible, inaccurate, misdirected, lost, misrouted, scrambled, damaged, delayed, undelivered, mutilated, jumbled, or garbled entries, transmissions, email, mail, or other communications;
2) any error, omission, interruption, defect or delay in transmission, processing, or communication;
3) failures or malfunctions of, or difficulties with, computer hardware or software, telephones, telephone lines, telephone systems, or network, cable, satellite, server, or website connections;
4) printing, typographical, or other errors appearing within these Standard Rules, in any Contest-related advertisements, or in Contest-related materials;
5) incorrect or inaccurate information, including where caused by website users, tampering, hacking, or by any equipment or programming associated or used in connection with the Contest;
6) injury or damage to any computer or other device resulting from or otherwise related to participation in the Contest, the use of any website, or the downloading or accessing of any materials;
7) anyone being incorrectly or mistakenly identified as a winner or potential winner; and/or
8) any other errors, problems or difficulties of any kind, whether human, mechanical, electronic, or otherwise, relating in any way to the Contest, including those errors, problems or difficulties that may relate to the administration of the Contest, the processing of entries, the advertising of the Contest, the announcement of any prize or prize winner, or the cancellation or postponement of any event.
R) LAWS APPLY TO THE CONTEST AND DISPUTE RESOLUTION MECHANISM
The Contest shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Province of Ontario and the federal laws of Canada applicable therein and the Entrants hereby agree that any dispute arising out of or in relation to the Contest shall be determined in the Province of Ontario. Th Centre does not waive any immunity or privilege that it enjoys in relation to the jurisdiction of those courts .
S) MODIFICATION OR CANCELLATION OF THE CONTEST
The Ministry reserves the right, in their sole discretion, to cancel, modify, or suspend the Contest or amend these Standard Rules at any time for any reason, without notice, subject to applicable laws and regulations.
You may not amend these Standard Rules in any way.
T) DISQUALIFICATION OR BANNING OF ENTRANTS
The Ministry reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to disqualify any entrant from the Contest, or prevent any entrant from future participation in a contest, that has:
1) resold or attempted to resell a prize, in whole or in part;
2) tampered with or attempted to tamper with, or undermined or attempted to undermine, the legitimate operation of the Contest and/or the Contest Website;
3) provided false or misleading information;
4) acted in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner, or with the intent to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any person; and/or
5) otherwise violated these Standard Rules.
U) Resolution of Conflicts Between Standard Rules and Other Contest Materials
In the event of any discrepancy or inconsistency between these Standard Rules and disclosures or statements made by the Ministry or appearing in other Contest-related materials, these Standard Rules shall govern.
V) Unenforceable or Inapplicable Provisions.
If any part of these Standard Rules is legally unenforceable or inapplicable, then that part will be deemed invalid; however, the remainder of these Standard Rules will otherwise continue to be legally binding.
For any Contest-related inquiries, please contact Megan Loucks, Program Area Manager, megan.loucks@ontario.ca.