National Trust announces winners in NEXT GREAT SAVE competition

OTTAWA, Feb. 27, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On February 23 The National Trust for Canada announced three winning projects in its NEXT GREAT SAVE competition. The winners were decided through online public voting, which closed on February 22.

• First Prize ($50,000): Duncan Train Station, Duncan, B.C.
  This former station and home to the Cowichan Valley Museum will undergo a green retrofit to ensure savings in energy use, and a 74% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
• Second Prize ($10,000): La Vieille Maison, Meteghan, N.S.
  This post-exile Acadian home dating from the late 1700s will reopen as a diverse cultural hub after being closed for 20 years.
• Third Prize ($5000): Historic 1916 CNR Hope Station, Hope, B.C. Recently saved from the bulldozer by community members, this station will be reincarnated as a cultural and tourism hub telling the unknown, diverse stories of the region.
  

The NEXT GREAT SAVE featured ten participating project groups from coast-to-coast vying for cash prizes to adapt, retrofit, renew, or improve a heritage place in their community. A full list of the participating projects can be found on the competition webpage. Participating groups encouraged their community, colleagues, friends, and supporters to vote for their project through many grassroots channels, including local media, social media, sandwich boards, and even a mini competition. In all, over 200,000 votes were cast.

The National Trust kicked off the competition with a $50,000 prize generously provided by Ecclesiastical Insurance. Ecclesiastical is a specialist provider of unique insurance solutions that insures many heritage buildings in Canada. With one week to go, second and third prizes totaling $15,000 were announced, responding to the great enthusiasm shown by all project teams and voters.

"Renewing heritage places helps communities keep valuable building materials out of the landfill, build climate resilience, and sustain a sense of place," says Natalie Bull, executive director of the National Trust. "The NEXT GREAT SAVE prize winnings will help breathe new life into three great places that serve their communities ? and the competition itself created incredible excitement and awareness that we believe will boost all ten."

"Congratulations to the Duncan Train Station and all the heritage organizations that participated in this competition. This truly was a great initiative launched by National Trust, raising awareness of a number of heritage properties across Canada that need preserving. We were very impressed by the participation of Canadians across the country who voted over 200,000 times in support of their local communities," said David Huebel, President, Ecclesiastical Insurance. "Being leaders in insuring heritage properties we understand just how important it is to ensure these special properties are protected - and we celebrate everyone who is helping to achieve this."

The National Trust thanks Ecclesiastical insurance for their generous support and welcomes enquiries from other corporate partners interested in sponsoring future GREAT SAVE competitions.

About the National Trust for Canada

The National Trust for Canada is a national charity that empowers Canadians to save and renew places that tell their stories and use heritage as a building block for strong and sustainable communities. The Trust is celebrating its 50^th Anniversary this year.

Media Contact
Allison Kerns, Manager of Communications
National Trust for Canada
[email protected]
613-237-1066 x 233

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8b185ae4-3e41-4d7c-88a3-400fc6a2b1b9