Canada Remembers Challenge

Eligibility

You do not need to buy anything to participate. Taking part is completely voluntary. There is no limit to the number of students who may be recognized as 2027 Remembrance Champions.

To participate in the Canada Remembers Challenge, you must:

• be between 12 and 18 years old when you submit your application;
• be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or legally authorized resident of Canada;
• live in Canada when you apply;
• complete a qualifying remembrance activity between January 1 and December 4, 2026;
• submit your application before 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time on December 4, 2026; and
• follow all program rules, terms and conditions.

Employees of Veterans Affairs Canada who are directly involved in administering the Canada Remembers Challenge, and their immediate family members, are not eligible to participate.

Qualifying remembrance activities

Your activity must help recognize Canada's Veterans or remember those who died in service.

Activities should include learning, reflection, recognition or participation in a remembrance-related activity.

Examples include:

• attending a remembrance ceremony or commemorative event;
• visiting a memorial, cemetery, museum, or historic site;
• participating in a classroom activity, lesson, or project related to remembrance;
• researching a Veteran, military operation, memorial, or event in Canadian military history;
• interviewing a Veteran, Canadian Armed Forces member, Canadian Ranger or military family member;
• creating artwork, videos, written work, podcasts or other storytelling projects;
• producing and sharing digital content, such as videos, digital stories or social media campaigns;
• developing digital, interactive or technology-based projects that promote learning about Canada's military history;
• organizing or supporting a remembrance activity at a school or in your community;
• thanking a Veteran through a letter, card, interview, project or other meaningful activity.

Veterans Affairs Canada will determine whether an activity meets the objectives of the Challenge. The Canada Remembers Challenge is not a merit-based program and Veterans Affairs Canada does not assess or rank activities based on their quality, complexity, creativity, effort, or perceived value. Veterans Affairs Canada recognizes that commemorative activities may take many forms and that different activities may be meaningful to different participants.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, Veterans Affairs Canada retains sole and absolute discretion to determine whether a submitted activity constitutes an eligible commemorative activity for the purposes of the Challenge and whether it aligns with the objectives of remembrance, commemoration, learning about Veterans and military service, reflecting on the sacrifices of Veterans, or participating in remembrance-related activities. In making this determination, Veterans Affairs Canada may consider the nature, purpose, and content of the activity and whether it reasonably supports the commemorative goals of the Challenge.

The examples of commemorative activities provided in these Terms and Conditions are illustrative only and are not intended to be exhaustive. An activity that is not specifically listed may nevertheless qualify, while an activity that is listed may not qualify if, in Veterans Affairs Canada's opinion, it does not meaningfully relate to the commemorative objectives of the Challenge. All determinations made by Veterans Affairs Canada regarding eligibility and qualification of activities are final.

Application requirements

To participate, you must provide:

• a completed online application;
• a description of your remembrance activity, including what you learned from the experience, and any supporting materials you choose to submit; and
• parent or guardian contact information and confirmation that you have their permission to participate if you are under the age of 18.

Applications that are incomplete, misleading, fraudulent or submitted after the deadline may be rejected.

Parental consent

If you are under 18, you must have permission from your parent or guardian to participate.

When you apply, you will be asked to tell us how we can contact your parent or guardian and confirm that permission has been obtained.

Veterans Affairs Canada will verify parent or guardian permission before:

• participant information or submitted materials are used publicly; or
• participation in a Remembrance Ambassador opportunity.

Remembrance Champions

Participants who meet all Canada Remembers Challenge requirements are 2027 Remembrance Champions.

Remembrance Champions may be recognized publicly through Canada Remembers Challenge communications, where parent or guardian consent has been obtained and verified.

The Remembrance Champion designation has no cash value and cannot be transferred.

Program description

The Canada Remembers Challenge is a national youth remembrance initiative administered by Veterans Affairs Canada under the authority of OIC PC. 1965-688. It recognizes young Canadians who participate in remembrance activities. Eligible participants who successfully complete a qualifying remembrance activity become 2027 Remembrance Champions. 2027 Remembrance Champions may also be considered for opportunities under VAC's separate Remembrance Ambassador initiative.

The Canada Remembers Challenge is based on participation. There is no judging, ranking or competition among participants. Participation is voluntary and no purchase is required for participation in the Challenge. There is no limit to the number of students who may be recognized as 2027 Remembrance Champions.

Challenge organizer

The Canada Remembers Challenge is organized and administered by Veterans Affairs Canada.

Program period

Applications close at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time on December 4, 2026.

Publicity and recognition

Taking part in the Canada Remembers Challenge does not automatically give Veterans Affairs Canada permission to publicly use your information or submitted materials. Veterans Affairs Canada will not publish or otherwise use a participant's personal information or activity descriptions (including images and videos) without first obtaining and verifying parent or guardian consent.

Additional consent or release requirements may be required before information or materials are used publicly.

Privacy

Veterans Affairs Canada will only collect personal information needed to:

• determine eligibility;
• administer the Canada Remembers Challenge;
• communicate with participants; and
• administer related Remembrance Ambassador opportunities, where applicable.

Personal information collected through the Challenge will be administered in accordance with the Privacy Act and applicable Government of Canada policies.

Information will be retained for at least two (2) years after its last administrative use, unless the individual consents to earlier disposal. It will be retained and disposed of according to approved Government of Canada records retention and disposition requirements.

You may be asked to provide additional consent for uses not directly related to administration of the Canada Remembers Challenge.

Code of conduct

Participants must act respectfully and follow all applicable laws.

Veterans Affairs Canada may remove or disqualify a participant whose conduct:

• is fraudulent or misleading;
• is discriminatory, hateful, harassing, or abusive;
• harms the reputation of the Canada Remembers Challenge or the Government of Canada; or
• violates applicable laws or program requirements.

Limitation of liability

Veterans Affairs Canada is not responsible for:

• lost, delayed, incomplete, misdirected, or corrupted applications;
• technical malfunctions;
• website outages;
• communication failures;
• circumstances beyond its reasonable control affecting program administration;
• any errors, omissions, inaccuracies, or misunderstandings in information submitted by participants;
• a participant's inability to access, upload, submit, or otherwise complete an activity due to technical, connectivity, device, software, or accessibility issues;
• any costs, expenses, losses, or damages incurred by participants in connection with completing or submitting a commemorative activity;
• the cancellation, postponement, modification, interruption, or unavailability of any third-party event, activity, website, service, or location that a participant chooses to attend or use as part of their commemorative activity;
• the acts, omissions, conduct, statements, or content of third parties, including Veterans, Canadian Armed Forces members, schools, community organizations, event organizers, or online platforms;
• any personal injury, property damage, or other loss arising from participation in activities undertaken by participants;
• unauthorized, fraudulent, or improper submissions;
• any decision to determine that a submitted activity does not meet the requirements of the Program; or
• any participant's expectation of eligibility for, selection to, or participation in any future program, event, activity, recognition opportunity, scholarship, funding opportunity, or other initiative.

Modification, suspension or cancellation

Veterans Affairs Canada may change, suspend or cancel the Challenge or related initiatives at any time if required due to operational, legal, financial, security, technical or other considerations.

Interpretation

All decisions regarding eligibility, qualification, verification, and participant recognition are final and are made at the sole discretion of Veterans Affairs Canada.

Governing law

The Canada Remembers Challenge is governed by the applicable federal laws of Canada and, where applicable, provincial laws.

Per the Canada Remembers Challenge rules, participants under the age of 18 must have permission from a parent or guardian to complete their application form. Parent or guardian contact information will be collected as part of the application process. Veterans Affairs Canada will verify parent or guardian permission before publicly using participant information or submitted materials, or before participation in any Remembrance Ambassador opportunity.

At Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC), we are committed to protecting your privacy and keeping your personal information safe.

How We Use Your Information

The information provided to VAC is collected under the authority of Order-in-Council PC 1965-688.

We collect your information to:

• manage the Canada Remembers Challenge;
• confirm that you are eligible to participate;
• and select Remembrance Ambassadors.

We will never sell your personal information or share it with companies for advertising or marketing purposes, in accordance with the Privacy Act.

Your Rights and Choices

Providing your information is completely voluntary. Under the Privacy Act, you have the right to:

• Access the personal information we have about you.
• Ask us to correct information that is inaccurate or incomplete;.
• File a complaint with the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (30 Victoria Street, Gatineau, QC, K1A 1H3) if you believe your information has not been handled properly.

Learn More

To learn more about how Veterans Affairs Canada collect, uses, and protects personal information, please see the Public Education and Awareness Personal Information Bank (VAC PPU 620) in the Information about Programs and Information Holdings directory.

Participating in the Canada Remembers Challenge creates a pool of 2027 Remembrance Champions from which Veterans Affairs Canada may identify participants for participation in Remembrance Ambassador opportunities.

Remembrance Ambassadors may have opportunities to learn about history, honour Veterans or represent Canadian youth at commemorative activities taking place in 2027.

Important: The Remembrance Ambassador initiative is separate from the Canada Remembers Challenge.

Becoming a 2027 Remembrance Champion:

• does not guarantee selection as a Remembrance Ambassador;
• does not guarantee participation in any opportunity; and
• does not create an entitlement to funding, travel, accommodations or attendance at commemorative events.

Additional eligibility requirements may apply depending on the opportunity. Remembrance Champions who are being considered for Ambassador opportunities will be contacted for further information and documentation as required at a later date.

Eligibility requirements and selection of Remembrance Ambassadors is at the discretion of Veterans Affairs Canada and may include selection methods outside of the Canada Remembers Challenge.