The purpose of the contest is to spread the Society's Water Smart messages, which in turn will help save lives.
The Water Smart Contest is easy. You can implement it during National Drowning Prevention Week, offer it during a day camp, duing a safety event, or have a special Water Smart Contest day. It's flexible and can be implemented in any way - whatever works best for your facility.
It doesn't require a lot of planning. You can give it to your summer staff as a fun summer project!
The theme for 2025 is Lifejackets. Choose it. Use it.
Download the 2025 contest package here.
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Who can participate?
The Water Smart Contest is divided into three age categories. Each age group’s contest is slightly different and designed be age
Children 5 and under are invited to fill in the colouring sheet provided in the package. The affiliate determines their winner and awards a prize sent from Lifesaving Society.
6-10-year-olds have a sticker to design. Affiliates host the contest and select a winning design to send the Lifesaving Society. The Society evaluates all submissions and chooses one provincial winner. Prize value is up to $50.
11-15-year-olds are invited to draw a lifejacket poster. Affiliates host the contest and select a winning design to send to the Lifesaving Society. The Society evaluates all submissions and chooses one provincial winner. Prize value is up to $50.
Rules and Regulations
By entering the Water Smart Contest, you are guaranteeing that you have read and agree to the Rules and Regulations of the contest and you grant the Lifesaving Society, Ontario Branch the right to contact you regarding your entry, publicize your entry, promote your entry for any other purpose related to the Contest and/or broadcast your entry.
Affiliates may only submit one entry per age group and must provide the following information:
- Entrants’ name, age, email address, mailing address and phone number; and
- Facility name and contact information.
Affiliates may send winning entries and a copy of the entry to watersmart@lifeguarding.com with the subbject line 2025 Water Smart Contest or mail to:
2025 Water Smart Contest
c/o The Lifesaving Society
400 Consumers Road
Toronto ON, M2J 1P8
Deadline for entries is September 12, 2025 and all finalists will be announced by April 30, 2026. Proof of age of entrant(s) and verification of identity may also be required.
One entry per participant is allowed, and each entry must:
- be the original creation of the entrant(s)
- not be defamatory, libelous, obscene, lewd, offensive, pornographic, sexually explicit, disparaging or otherwise illegal, objectionable or inappropriate
- not violate or infringe any copyright, trademark, privacy or publicity right or other proprietary or intellectual property right of any person or entity
- not contain any copyrighted material not in the public domain or for which you have not obtained the rights to use
- not contain any artwork for which you have not obtained the rights to use.
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All entries must be appropriate for all audiences. Entries referencing sex, drugs, or violence will not be accepted. Any entry that includes content that is deemed inappropriate, indecent, obscene, as determined by the Lifesaving Society in its sole discretion, will not be eligible.
By entering the Lifesaving Water Smart Contest, each entrant - with the consent of parent(s) and/or guardian(s) in the case of those under 18 years of age - is representing and warranting that the entry they submit are their own creations and that they have obtained permission, if applicable, to enter this contest, and that the submission of the idea will not violate any enforceable agreements or understandings the submitter has with any third party.
Rights and Usage
By submitting an entry, each entrant agrees and hereby irrevocably and perpetually grants and assigns to the Lifesaving Society Ontario complete ownership and marketing rights to the content, along with the right to use entrant's name, likeness, image and biographical information in any manner and medium in connection with the Water Smart Contest and without any additional compensation. The Lifesaving Society may: (a) edit and/or format the content, (b) create derivative works from the content or any portion thereof, and (c) reproduce, publish, display and distribute any of the content or derivative works in any medium now or hereafter existing, including without limitation, posting on The Lifesaving Society’s website or any other website or platform for purposes of the competition and for any general promotional purpose of The Lifesaving Society.