Ontario’s Lieutenant Governor Wants to Hear YOUR Ideas!

Do you have a passion for social justice? Do you feel the need to speak up about climate change? Everyone has an idea that they think will change the world: here’s your chance to have your voice heard!

In partnership with the Walrus Foundation, the Honorable Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, is presenting the Lieutenant Governor’s Visionaries Prize. It’s a chance for people who think outside the box to share their thoughts with the world. From across Ontario, innovators will be able to identify and present solutions for some of the greatest challenges facing Ontarians and Canadians over the next 50 years.

As part of Ontario150, the Lieutenant Governor’s Visionaries Prize challenges Ontarians 18 and over to present their ideas and solutions in the form of a short essay and/or brief video. 36 finalists will be chosen in 6 categories, who will publicly showcase and defend their proposed policy solutions before a live audience in sessions held across Ontario in the Fall of 2017. The presentations will be judged by experts in their respective fields, with the head judge being none other than Piya Chattopadhyay of CBC Radio’s Out in the Open. A winner will be chosen for each category, and will be presented with the Lieutenant Governor’s Visionaries Prize in October.

“To achieve a world that works for everyone will require bold and creative ideas,” says the Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell in her official statement, noting that the Visionaries Prize is an opportunity to make “an Ontarian contribution to those with whom we share this earth.”

Winners will receive $2,500 and the chance to meet Ontario’s Lieutenant Governor and other cultural influencers at a reception this fall. If you think “making the world a better place” is more than just a lofty ideal, the Lieutenant Governor’s Visionaries Prize is your chance to make a real difference!

Categories, locations and dates can be found below. Deadline for submissions is March 6. For more information on the contest, click here.

Challenge Categories, Locations and Dates

Reconciliation: Thunder Bay, September 13, 2017

Governance: Kingston, September 19, 2017

Inclusive Prosperity: Windsor, September 21, 2017

Environmental Stewardship: Waterloo, September 26, 2017

Social Cohesion: Brampton, October 2, 2017

Scientific and Technological Innovation: Toronto, October 2, 2017