Rules & Regulations

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. SEE BELOW FOR FULL CONTEST DETAILS. PARTICIPATION IN THIS CONTEST CONSTITUTES YOUR FULL AND UNCONDITIONAL ACCEPTANCE OF, AND AGREEMENT TO BE LEGALLY BOUND BY, THESE CONTEST RULES (THE “CONTEST RULES”).

1.1. The sponsor of the Contest is the Canadian Wildlife Federation, with offices located at 350 Michael Cowpland Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, K2M 2W1 (the “CWF” and “Contest Sponsor”). 

1.2. The Contest begins at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Standard Time (“EST”) on July 1 and ends at 11:59 p.m. EST on September 30 (the ”Contest Period”).

2.1. No purchase necessary. To enter and be eligible to win, you must be a resident of Canada, of the age of majority in the province or territory where you reside (or if a minor, have permission of a parent or guardian before participating), and not an employee of, a member of the immediate family of, or domiciled with an employee of any division of the Canadian Wildlife Federation or their subsidiaries, affiliates, agencies, and sponsors including PIKTO INC. You must also be a member of CWF’s Photo Club. No purchase is necessary. Multiple entries per person are permitted. 

2.2. All photos entered in the Contest must feature Canadian content, meaning they were taken in Canada. 

3.1. Entrants may submit multiple photo entries during the Contest Period, there is no maximum number of entries an Entrant may submit. Entrants may not win more than one prize.

3.2. Photo entries may be submitted into the five categories detailed below: 

3.2.1. Connect with Nature – photos of Canadians of all ages enjoying nature through exploration, relaxation, adventure, family or sport. 

3.2.2. Canadian Landscapes – photos showcasing Canada’s vast and beautiful wilderness through the eye of the beholder. 

3.2.3. Focus on Fauna – photos capturing wildlife in Canada, from the smallest creatures to the largest mammals. 

3.2.4. Finding Flora – photos exploring the beauty of Canada’s native plants of all shapes, sizes, and colours. 

3.2.5. Urban Intersection - photos dedicated to the intersection of Nature and Canadians within their cities and urban spaces. 

3.3. To enter the Contest, Entrants may submit photo entries via one of the following methods: 

3.3.1. Web Entry  

3.3.1.1. Web entries can be submitted electronically through the CWF Photo Club entry page https://cwf-fcf.org/en/explore/photo-club/annual/. Web entries must be submitted as a JPG file between 2MB to 10MB in size. Content alteration of digital files is not acceptable, however cropping and minor colour corrections are permitted. 

3.4. Photo entries must be uploaded to the appropriate category. Judges reserve the right, in their sole discretion, to place entries in an appropriate category or remove an entry from the Contest where the entry is deemed inappropriate or not suitable for the category to which it was submitted to. 

4.1. Winner Selection. On October 31, 2025, at the offices of CWF, a panel of judges made up of representatives from CWF and its publications  will review all eligible entries received during the Contest Period and select the prize winners. All decisions of the judging panel are final. 

4.2. Judging Criteria. This Contest is not subject to random draw or other element of chance. The prize winning entries will be evaluated and selected based on photography skill alone, including composition, originality, technical quality and visual impact. 

4.3. Winner Contact. The prize winner(s) will be contacted by a representative from CWF within four business days by phone and/or email. Where the prize winner(s) is found to be ineligible, declines to accept the prize or is unable to be contacted for whatever reason within four business days, they shall be deemed to have forfeited the prize and another eligible entry may be selected at the sole discretion of the Contest Sponsor. 

4.4. Odds. The odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received during the Contest Period. All entries receive an equal chance of winning. 

4.5. Age of Majority. If a prize winner(s) is under the age of majority in their province or territory of residence, the parent or legal guardian of the prize winner(s) must accept the prize on their behalf. 

5.1. Prizes. There will be one grand prize, five category prizes and five category runner-up prizes available to be won, consisting of:

5.1.1. Grand Prize: $500.00 CAD Visa gift card, a gift certificate from Pikto worth $500, one-year subscription to Canadian Wildlife (or Biosphere) magazine – retail value of $29, a numbered print from Canadian artist Pierre Francis Surtes, and winning photo published in the January/February issue of the Canadian Wildlife and Biosphere magazine. 

5.1.2. Category Prize: $200.00 CAD, one-year subscription to Canadian Wildlife or Biosphere magazine – retail value $29, and a numbered print from Canadian artist Pierre Francis Surtes.

5.1.3. Category Runner-Up Prize: $100.00 CAD. 

5.2. Prize Acceptance. Prizes must be accepted as awarded and are not exchangeable, refundable, transferable, or convertible to cash. No substitutions except at the Contest Sponsor’s option and sole discretion. Contest Sponsor reserve the right to substitute a prize or a prize component with one of equal or greater value, in its sole discretion, for any reason. In the event a prize winner is unable to claim a prize or a prize component as awarded, the prize winner’s rights to that prize or prize component may be forfeited, which shall be determined in the Contest Sponsor’s sole discretion. 

5.3. Contest Consent, Release and Indemnity Form. Before being awarded a prize, a prize winner(s) must complete and return a Contest Consent, Release and Indemnity Form (the “Form”). The Form will be sent directly to the prize winner(s), at their mailing or email address provided at the time of entry, and must be signed and returned within seven business days. Failure to return a completed Form before the deadline will result in disqualification from the Contest. Prize Winner(s) are responsible for obtaining and returning completed copies of the Form.

5.4. Claiming Prize. Upon return of the completed Form, prize winner(s) will be given instructions on how to claim the prize within a reasonable timeframe. Any prize winner who fails to claim the prize within the reasonable timeframe may be required to forfeit the prize, and an alternate eligible entry may be selected at the sole discretion of the Contest Sponsor.  

6.1. Photo entries must only include native or naturalized species that can be found in the wild or in their natural habitat in Canada. Entrants should always remain conscious of their surrounding environment when photographing species in the wild or in their natural habitat and make every effort to minimize habitat disturbance and their impact on the environment. 

6.2. Photo entries must not include: 

6.2.1. Animals in captivity or in conditions that are unnatural; or 

6.2.2. Commercially cultivated plants or landscapes 

6.3. The Contest Sponsor reserves the right, in their sole discretion, to exclude any photo entries from Entrants where it is suspected the photo was obtained as a result of unethical practices such as baiting. 

7.1. The copyright in and to the photos submitted to this Contest remains with the owner. 

7.2. Each Entrant represents and warrants that they are the owner of the photo entries, or have obtained permission or license from the owner to submit the photo entry to this Contest, and that the photo entries do not infringe the rights of any third party. 

7.3. Entrants who submit photo entries to the Contest grant CWF a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, and irrevocable license to use, publish, copy, adapt, reproduce, transmit, communicate, display, distribute, create compilations and derivative works from the photo entries in CWF publications, on its website, or any promotion material connected to this Contest or other CWF activities. 

8.1. Compliance with Rules and Law. By entering this Contest, each Entrant agrees to abide by these Contest Rules, which may be amended from time to time at the sole discretion of the Contest Sponsor and without notice. This Contest is subject to all applicable federal, provincial, territorial and municipal laws of Canada. Void where prohibited by law.

8.2. Termination or Modification. The Contest Sponsor reserve the right, in their sole discretion, to cancel, suspend, withdraw, amend or extend this Contest in any way, without prior notice, in the event of an error, technical problem, computer virus, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud or any other cause beyond the reasonable control of the Contest Sponsor that impairs or interferes with the administration, fairness, integrity or proper conduct of the Contest as contemplated by these Contest Rules. 

8.3. Tampering. The Contest Sponsor reserve the right to disqualify, from this Contest or any future contests, any individual who tampers with or in any way corrupts the entry process. The Contest Sponsor may prohibit an Entrant from participating in the Contest, future contests or winning a prize if, in the sole discretion of the Contest Sponsor, it is determined that the entrant has attempted to undermine the legitimate operation of the Contest by cheating, hacking, deception, or any unlawful practices relating to the Contest, or has engaged in conduct intending to threaten other Entrants or representatives of the Contest Sponsor. 

8.4. No Representation or Warranty. The Contest Sponsor makes no representation or offers any warranty, express or implied, as to the quality or fitness for use of any prize awarded in connection with the Contest. 

8.5. Limitation of Liability. The Contest Sponsor, including its advertising and promotion agencies, will not be liable for any failure of the website during the Contest Period; for any technical malfunction or other problems related to the online systems, servers, access providers, computer equipment or software; for the failure of any entry to be received by the Contest Sponsor for any reason including, but not limited to, technical problems, or congestion on the internet or at any website; or any combination of the above.  

8.6. Force Majeure. The Contest Sponsor shall not be responsible for any delay or failure to supply a prize or any part thereof due to any event or condition that is not reasonably within its control. 

8.7. Disputes. By entering this Contest, each Entrant agrees to the bound by these Contest rules and in the event of any disagreement related to this Contest (e.g., qualification of Entrants, potential winners, adequacy of prizes), the decision of the Contest Sponsor will be final. 

8.8. Quebec Residents. This section applies to Quebec residents only. Pursuant to the Rules respecting publicity contests, any litigation respecting the conduct or organization of a publicity contest may be submitted to the Regie des alcools, des courses et des jeux for a ruling. Any litigation respecting the awarding of a prize may be submitted to the board only for the purpose of helping the parties reach a settlement. 

8.9. Privacy. By entering this Contest, each Entrant expressly consents to the Contest Sponsor, its agents and/or representatives, storing, sharing and using the personal information submitted with their entry only for the purpose of administering the Contest, unless the entrant otherwise agrees to receive further communications from the Contest Sponsor.