No purchase necessary. This Contest is intended for viewing and participation in Canada only. Do not proceed if you are not a legal resident of Canada at time of participation. Entry into this Contest constitutes acceptance of these Contest rules. These rules form a binding contract. Please read them carefully before entering. This contract includes indemnities and limitations of your rights and remedies.

OFFICIAL CONTEST RULES AND REGULATIONS

Meaning of Home Contest (the “Contest”)

CONTEST PERIOD

  1. Contest starts on January 5, 2026 at 12:01 AM ET and continues until February 20, 2026 at 11:59 PM ET, the Contest Closing Date (the “Contest Period”).

PRIZES

GRAND PRIZES:

  1. There is one (1) Grand Prize available to be won for one (1) Grade 4, one (1) Grade 5, and one (1) Grade 6 Grand Prize winner, each consisting of one (1) Apple iPad Wi-Fi 64GB - Silver (model number MD3Y4LL/A) and one (1) pizza party for the winner’s class. Approximate retail value of each Grand Prize is $599.00 CAD. Habitat for Humanity Canada (the “Sponsor”) will also donate one (1) $30,000.00 CAD grant toward each Grand Prize winner’s local Habitat.

RUNNER UP PRIZES:

  1. There are nine (9) Runner Up Prizes available to be won in total for three (3) Grade 4, three (3) Grade 5, and three (3) Grade 6 Runner Up Prize winners, each consisting of one (1) Apple iPad Wi-Fi 64GB - Silver (model number MD3Y4LL/A) and one (1) pizza party for each Runner Up Prize winner’s class. Approximate retail value of each Runner Up Prize is $599.00 CAD. The Sponsor will also donate one (1) $10,000.00 CAD grant toward each Runner Up Prize winner’s local Habitat, which will support the building of a new home in that community.

  2. The Prizes in this Contest will not be awarded unless each Prize Winner’s parent or legal guardian has signed a Declaration and Release Form, in accordance with these Rules.

  3. The Prizes in this Contest must be accepted as described in these Official Contest Rules and Regulations and cannot be transferred, assigned, changed, substituted for another prize, or exchanged in whole or in part, for cash, subject to the provisions set forth elsewhere in these Official Contest Rules and Regulations. All incremental costs in using or claiming a Prize not outlined in the Prize descriptions are the sole responsibility of the Prize Winners.

  4. If a potential Prize Winner does not choose the local Habitat within seven (7) days after being notified as a potential Prize Winner, the grant will be given to the Prize Winner’s local Habitat, which will be determined by the Sponsor’s Habitat area guidelines.

  5. The odds of winning a Prize in this Contest depend upon the quality and number of eligible entries received for each Prize and/or selection.

  6. Winners are solely responsible for any applicable federal, provincial, or municipal taxes. The Habitat grant donation is a charitable contribution by the Sponsor to the winner's local Habitat community and is not a prize awarded directly to the winner.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

  1. No purchase necessary.

TEACHER SUBMITTED ENTRY

  1. To enter the Contest with a teacher-submitted entry, write a composition, essay, or poem (between 50 and 300 words) telling us what home means to you and submit your composition, essay, or poem to your teacher. Upon your teacher's submission of your entry at meaningofhome.ca, you will automatically be entered in the Contest.

  2. In order for entries to be successfully submitted by a teacher, teachers must register at meaningofhome.ca prior to submitting any student compositions, essays, or poems as eligible entries into this Contest.

ONLINE ENTRY

  1. To enter the Contest online, write a composition, essay, or poem (between 50 and 300 words) telling us what home means to you. Fully complete the official online entry form found at meaningofhome.ca, including the entrant's first and last name, address, city, province, postal code, telephone number, and email address. For entrants under the age of majority, the parent or legal guardian must check the consent box confirming they authorize participation and the collection, use, and disclosure of their child's personal information for the purposes of this Contest. Click "submit" and you will automatically be entered in the Contest.

MAIL-IN ENTRY

  1. To enter the Contest by mail, write a composition, essay, or poem (between 50 and 300 words) telling us what home means to you on a blank white piece of paper. Include your first name, last name, age, address, city, province, postal code, telephone number, email address, school name, and grade. For entrants under the age of majority, a parent or legal guardian must sign the entry confirming consent to participate and authorizing the collection of the entrant's personal information. Mail your entry to "Meaning of Home Contest", P.O. Box 31 Station C, Toronto, Ontario, M6J 3M7 in a postage-paid envelope. Upon receipt and verification of your entry by mail, you will be automatically entered into the Contest.

  2. By submitting a composition, essay, or poem and entering the Contest, all entrants agree to any rewrites or revisions of their submissions as determined by the Sponsor in its sole discretion, although any such editing will be done in a way that does not change the intent of the composition, essay, or poem submitted. All entries must be original compositions and written in English or French to be considered for entry into this Contest.

  3. Entries must not include third-party copyrighted material, trademarks, or content owned by others without proper authorization. Entries containing unauthorized third-party content may be disqualified.

  4. Entrants requiring accommodation due to disability may contact MOHentries@habitat.ca to request alternative entry formats.

ELIGIBILITY

  1. This Contest is open only to legal residents of Canada who are residing in Canada and are students in Grades 4, 5, or 6 at the time of participation in this Contest. Entrants must have parental permission before participating in this Contest.

  2. For entrants under the age of majority in their province of residence, verifiable parental or legal guardian consent is required before participating in this Contest. By submitting an entry (or permitting a teacher to submit an entry on behalf of a student), the parent or legal guardian confirms they have reviewed these Rules and the Sponsor's Privacy Policy at habitat.ca/en/privacy-policy and consent to their child's participation and the collection, use, and disclosure of their child's personal information for the purposes of this Contest.

  3. The Sponsor reserves the right to request proof of age and current grade enrollment (such as school documentation or report card) from any potential winner. Failure to provide such verification within seven (7) days of request may result in disqualification.

  4. You are not eligible to win a Prize in this Contest if you are an employee, representative or agent of the Sponsor, or any of the Sponsor’s affiliates, subsidiaries, parent or related companies, advertising or promotional agencies, are a current Habitat for Humanity Canada volunteer or homeowner, or a member of the immediate family or of a household of any of the above persons.

  5. Entries will be accepted during the Contest Period only. Mail in entries must be postmarked no later than February 20, 2026 and received no later than March 2, 2026 in order to be considered an eligible entry in this Contest.

SELECTION PROCESS

  1. Starting no later than the week of February 23, 2026, a panel of judges selected by the Sponsor (the "Judging Panel") will select three (3) eligible entries for the Grand Prizes available in this Contest (one (1) entry from all eligible Grade 4 entries; one (1) entry from all eligible Grade 5 entries; and one (1) entry from all eligible Grade 6 entries) based on the following judging criteria: quality of writing (20%); personal and compelling storytelling (25%); emotional impact (20%); presentation and voice (15%); and alignment with Habitat for Humanity Canada's mission (20%). Judges' decisions are final and binding.

  2. Starting no later than the week of February 23, 2026, the Judging Panel will select nine (9) eligible entries for the Runner Up Prizes available in this Contest (three (3) entries from all eligible Grade 4 entries; three (3) entries from all eligible Grade 5 entries; and three (3) entries from all eligible Grade 6 entries) based on the same judging criteria specified above. Judges' decisions are final and binding.

  3. The selected entrants will be contacted by telephone, mail, or email. In the event a selected entrant cannot be contacted within seven (7) days of the selection date, another entrant will be selected in accordance with these Rules.

  4. In order to be declared the winner of a Prize, each selected entrant’s parent or legal guardian must complete and sign a Declaration and Release Form and correctly answer, unaided, a time-limited mathematical skill-testing question. The mathematical skill-testing question will be administered in writing or by telephone and must be answered within two (2) minutes without mechanical, electronic, or other assistance. There will be only one opportunity to answer the mathematical skill-testing question. An eligible entrant’s parent or legal guardian who provides an incorrect answer will no longer be eligible to win a Prize in this Contest. The procedure outlined above will be followed until the Prizes in this Contest have been awarded.

  5. Each selected entrant’s parent or legal guardian will have seven (7) days to return their Declaration and Release Form to the independent contest administrator. If a selected entrant’s parent or legal guardian does not return their Declaration and Release Form within seven (7) days, the entrant will be declared ineligible and another eligible entry will be selected in accordance with these Official Contest Rules and Regulations.

  6. Potential Prize winners must be legal residents of Canada residing in Canada at the time of the Contest.

  7. At the Sponsor's request, each selected entrant's parent or legal guardian may be asked to provide a digital photograph of the selected entrant to be published with the entrant's first name and city of residence on meaningofhome.ca. Refusal to provide a photograph will not affect the entrant's eligibility to receive the Prize.

  8. On or after May 11, 2026, the three (3) Grand Prize and the nine (9) Runner Up Prize Winners will be posted online at meaningofhome.ca for viewing only.

ENTRIES

  1. All entries become the property of the Sponsor and none shall be returned. Entries may be published by the Sponsor, at their sole discretion, and if published, will include the entrant’s first name, city, and essay. By entering this Contest and submitting a composition, essay or poem, each entrant’s parent or legal guardian indicates their consent to the entrant’s personal information being stored, used and processed for purposes concerning this Contest by the Sponsor in accordance with the Sponsor’s Privacy Policy, which can be found at habitat.ca/en/privacy-policy. The potential and official Prize Winners’ information including names, mailing addresses, telephone numbers and/or email addresses, will be shared between Sponsor and the independent contest administrator, as required to award the Prizes available in this Contest.

  2. Personal information collected through this Contest will be retained only as long as necessary to administer the Contest, award prizes, and comply with legal obligations, and will be securely destroyed within one (1) year of the Contest conclusion. In the event of a privacy breach affecting personal information, affected entrants will be notified in accordance with applicable privacy legislation.

RIGHTS RESERVED

  1. The Prizes available in this Contest must be accepted as awarded and are not transferable and no substitutions will be made, whether in cash or otherwise, except at the Sponsor’s sole discretion. The Sponsor reserves the right to substitute a Prize of equivalent or greater value, in the event that, for reasons beyond its control, the Sponsor is unable to award a Prize as described in these Rules.

  2. Prizes will be delivered within sixty (60) business days of winner verification, subject to availability and shipping conditions. If delivery is delayed beyond this period due to circumstances beyond the Sponsor's control, the Sponsor will notify the winner and provide a revised delivery timeline.

  3. The Sponsor assumes no responsibility for any failure or malfunction related to internet connectivity, telephone networks, computer systems, servers, access providers, computer equipment, software, email delivery, website traffic congestion, or any combination thereof during the Contest Period, including any injury or damage to an entrant's or any other person's computer resulting from participation in or downloading any material related to this Contest.

  4. The Sponsor reserves the right to modify, suspend, or cancel this Contest if any cause beyond the Sponsor's reasonable control prevents or substantially interferes with the proper administration of the Contest, including but not limited to: technical failures such as virus, bug, server failure, internet outage, or cyber-attack; acts of God such as fire, flood, earthquake, or severe weather; government actions including declared emergencies, public health orders, pandemics, mandates, laws, or regulations; war, terrorism, or civil unrest; labour disputes; supplier failures making prizes unavailable; or any other unforeseen event beyond the Sponsor's control. In the event of cancellation, all eligible entries received prior to cancellation will be judged, and prizes will be awarded if feasible. If suspension occurs, the Sponsor will announce the revised timeline within 14 days. The Sponsor will notify entrants of any modification, suspension, or cancellation via meaningofhome.ca and, where possible, through the contact information provided.

  5. The Sponsor assumes no responsibility for lost, late, stolen, misdirected, mutilated, incomplete or illegible entries, either from individual entrants or entries submitted by an entrant’s teacher, as well as any printing, administrative or other error of any kind in connection with this Contest. The Sponsor assumes no responsibility or liability resulting from user attempts to participate in this Contest or, if required, download any information necessary to participate in this Contest.

  6. The Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify an entry from any individual that it finds to be in violation of these Official Contest Rules and Regulations or tampering with the Contest process. The Sponsor reserves the right to refuse an entry from a person whose eligibility is in question or who has been disqualified or is otherwise ineligible to participate. Entries generated by script, macro, robotic, programmed, or any other automated means are prohibited and will be disqualified. Any attempt by anyone to deliberately undermine the legitimate operation of this Contest is in violation of criminal and civil laws and the Sponsor reserves the right to seek damages or other legal remedy permitted by law.

GENERAL

  1. By participating in this Contest, each entrant's parent or legal guardian grants to the Sponsor a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license (for a period of ten (10) years from the Contest end date) to use, reproduce, modify, publish, and display the submitted entry essays (in whole or in part) for promotional purposes related to this Contest and the Sponsor's charitable mission, in any form, media or technology now known or later developed. For entrants under the age of majority, the parent or legal guardian confirms they have the legal authority to grant this license on behalf of the entrant and that such grant is in the entrant's best interest. The license may be revoked by the entrant upon reaching the age of majority by providing thirty (30) days written notice to the Sponsor. In addition, by submitting an entry in this Contest, each entrant's parent or legal guardian warrants that they own and control all rights in and to the submitted entry information and that the entry does not infringe upon any third-party intellectual property rights.

  2. By participating in this Contest, each entrant’s parent or legal guardian agrees that they have provided permission for the entrant to participate in this Contest and to comply with these Official Contest Rules and Regulations and with the decisions of the Sponsor, the Judging Panel and/or the independent contest administrator, which are irrevocable and shall be legally binding in all instances. The Declaration and Release Form will include confirmation of eligibility, acceptance of these Rules, liability release, publicity consent (where applicable), and prize acknowledgment.

  3. By participating in this Contest, each Prize Winner’s parent or legal guardian agrees to sign a Declaration and Release Form in the manner prescribed herein, releasing the Sponsor, their affiliates, respective advertising and promotional agencies, and the independent contest administrator from any liability in connection with this Contest or the Prize awarded.

  4. By participating in this Contest, each Prize Winner’s parent or legal guardian agrees to the use of each Prize Winner’s first name, address (city and province only), photo, and/or images on video for publicity purposes relating exclusively to this Contest without compensation.

  5. By accepting a Prize in this Contest, each Prize Winner’s parent or legal guardian absolves the Sponsor, Contest partners, their affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising and promotional agencies, their respective directors, officers, employees and assigns, harmless from and against any and all claims and liability arising out of or in any way connected with the operation of this Contest and use of a Prize. Each Prize Winner’s parent or legal guardian assumes all liability for any injury or damage caused, or claimed to be caused, by participation in this Contest or the use or redemption of a Prize.

  6. In the event of a dispute regarding the identity of the person entering the Contest online, the entry will be deemed to be submitted by the "authorized account holder" in whose name the email account is registered, provided that person meets all eligibility criteria of this Contest. "Authorized account holder" shall mean the natural person assigned to an email address and/or telephone number, by an Internet service provider, on-line service provider, telephone service provider or other organization that is responsible for assigning email addresses for the domain associated with the submitted email address.

  7. This Contest and the terms and conditions contained in these Official Contest Rules and Regulations, shall be exclusively governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Province of Ontario, Canada and the federal laws of Canada applicable therein. Any dispute arising hereunder shall be adjudicated solely in the applicable court in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

  8. This Contest is subject to all applicable federal, provincial and municipal laws and regulations. Void where prohibited.

  9. Contest Sponsor: Habitat for Humanity Canada, 100 Yonge Street, 10th Floor, Suite 1002, Toronto, Ontario, M5C 2W1. For general questions about this Contest, please email meaningofhome@habitat.ca. For questions about entering this Contest, please email MOHentries@habitat.ca.