WIN PRIZES FOR BEST OTTAWA CITY SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS

We’re holding a contest in early 2025 for the best Ottawa city socials. If you’re on social media, and have something to say about your city, then say it out loud.

Our first contest closes on Friday, 17 January 2025 at midnight EST. All entries submitted on Instagram that are tagged with #Our613 and @YouthActionNow will be considered.

There will more contests throughout January and February 2025.

See the Contest Rules and Regulations below.

Youth Action Now is giving away prize money, over a number of contests during January and February 2025.

For our first contest closing on Friday, 17 January 2025, the prizes are $200 for the best social media post, and $100 for the runner up, as decided by the Youth Action Now judging panel.

This contest is about the best socials you can come up with to draw attention to local city issues, and what can be done about them.

It’s a contest focused on what City Hall can do to build a better city. It can also be about what local communities can do to build a better Ottawa. But it’s NOT about what the provincial or federal governments can do.

Here are some of the issues that fall under the responsibility of City Hall, and which are ideally suited to this contest.

✅ Housing. Homelessness. Encampments. Transit. Traffic. Congestion. Bike lanes. Policing. Local advertising. Local business permits. Local climate actions.

Here are other issues that fall under the responsibility of the provincial or federal government, and which are not suited to this contest.

❌ Health care. Hospitals. Family doctors. Education. Provincial and federal income support programs to individuals or businesses. Income, sales or carbon taxes.

If in doubt, ask first at info@cityshapes.ca

GENERAL

These Rules and Regulations are final on all matters relating to the Best Socials in the City Contest (the “contest”). By applying, all entrants agree to be bound by these Rules and Regulations.

SPONSOR

The sponsors (“contest sponsors”) of the contest are Youth Action Now (815 St Laurent Blvd, Suite 235, Ottawa, ON K1K 3A7) and CitySHAPES (123 Slater Street, Suite 600, Ottawa, ON K2P 5H2).

ELIGIBILITY

To be eligible to enter the contest or win a prize, you must be a citizen or permanent resident of Canada and not an employee of, a member of the immediate family of, or domiciled with an employee of Youth Action Now or CitySHAPES. No purchase is necessary to enter the contest or to win a prize. Participation in the contest constitutes entrants’ full and unconditional agreement to abide by these contest rules and regulations and the contest sponsor’s decisions, which are final and binding in all matters related to the contest.

The contest is open to youth (up to age 30).

PERSONAL INFORMATION

Personal Information collected from entrants by the contest sponsor will be used by the contest sponsor or its affiliates to administer the contest and in connection with the publication of winning entries. Neither the contest sponsor nor its affiliates will share personal information relating to entrants with any third parties, except as necessary for the administration of the contest or as may be required by law. The contest sponsor will not attempt to contact the entrant for any other purpose than to administer the contest or as may be required by law unless they have opted-in to receive relevant communications from the contest sponsor. The contest sponsor respects the privacy of everyone who enters the contest.

HOW TO ENTER

The Best Socials in the City Contest is designed for youth to post social media assets related to issues of municipal concern in the city of Ottawa.

To be entered in the contest, posts must be tagged on Instagram with #Our613 and @YouthActionNow

All social media posts must be your original content and not violate copyright laws. Note that popular memes and other forms of content reuse are often protected under the Fair Dealing provisions of the Copyright Act of Canada, which allows for the reuse of materials for certain purposes including parody and satire.

Posts must meet the standards set out below — basically the stuff your mother would expect of you.

STANDARDS

By participating in the Contest, each entrant warrants and represents that their entries:

are original to them and that the entrant has all necessary rights over their entry into the Contest;

does not violate any law, statute, ordinance or regulation;

will not give rise to any claims of infringement, invasion of privacy or publicity, or infringe on any rights and/or interests of any third party, or give rise to any claims for payment whatsoever;

and is not defamatory, trade libellous, pornographic or obscene, and further that it will not contain, depict, include, discuss or involve, without limitation, any of the following:

a) nudity;

b) explicit, graphic or excessive sexual activity;

c) crude, vulgar or offensive language and/or symbols;

d) derogatory characterizations of any ethnic, racial, sexual or religious groups;

e) content that endorses, condones or discusses any illegal, inappropriate or risky activity, behaviour or conduct;

f) personal information of individuals, including without limitation, names and addresses (physical or e-mail);

g) conduct or other activities in violation of these Rules;

h) commercial messages, comparisons or solicitations for products or services other than those of Sponsor;

i) any other content that is or could be considered inappropriate, unsuitable or offensive, all as determined by the Sponsor and/or the Contest Parties in their sole discretion.

DEADLINES

The contest is open until 28 February 2025.

The organizers will announce upcoming contests on the cityscapes.ca website and via social media channels.

JUDGING

The winners will be selected by a panel of judges selected by Youth Action Now.

All entries submitted to the contest will be reviewed by Youth Action Now and the contest winners will be selected by Youth Action Now representatives. All decisions of the judging panel are final.

The contest organizers reserve the right to not issue a prize when there is an insufficient number or quality of responses.

RESPONSIBILITY

The Contest Sponsor is not responsible for any failure of the website during this contest. Nor is it responsible for any problems or technical malfunctions of computer online systems, servers, access providers, computer equipment, software or any e-mail, online or internet entry lost due to technical problems or traffic congestion on the internet or at any website or any combination thereof, including any injury or damage to an entrant’s or any other person’s computer or property related to or resulting from playing or downloading any material in the promotion.

CHANCES OF WINNING

The chances of winning a prize will depend on the number of eligible entries received and the evaluation of the entries by the judging panel.

PRIZES

A total of up to $1,000 in prize money is available. No purchase is necessary.

Winners will receive no compensation, credit or prizing other than as disclosed in these rules or otherwise provided at the sole discretion of the contest sponsor. Prizes are not transferable; no prize substitutions or equivalents are permitted, except by the contest sponsor at its sole discretion. In all cases, the contest sponsor reserves the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater value for any of the contest prizes.

By accepting a prize, the prize winner agrees to hold the contest sponsor, CitySHAPES and Youth Action Now and their respective agencies, affiliates, parent(s), subsidiaries, agents, advertising and promotion agencies and anyone else involved in the development, production or handling of the contest and their respective directors, officers, employees and assigns, harmless against any and all claims and liability arising out of acceptance or use of a prize.

DISPUTES

By participating in the contest, each entrant agrees to be bound by these Contest Rules and Regulations. In the event of any disagreement as to whether a person is an entrant, a potential winner or a winner, or as to the qualification of any entrant, potential winner or winner, or the adequacy of any prize or any substitute prize, the decision of the contest sponsor will be final. For Residents of Quebec Only: Any litigation respecting the conduct or organization of a publicity contest may be submitted to the Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux for a ruling.