Celebrating Community Heritage and National Trust for Canada’s Next Great Save Recipient: O’Keefe Ranch

VERNON, BC, AUGUST 19, 2025/insPRESS/ – Ecclesiastical Insurance was delighted to join the community of Vernon, British Columbia, to celebrate the Historic O’Keefe Ranch, this year’s winner of the National Trust for Canada’s 2025 Next Great Save competition. The event featured Colin Robertson, Chief Risk Management & Customer Officer at Ecclesiastical Canada, and Patricia Kell, Executive Director of the National Trust for Canada, who officially presented the award in the presence of local dignitaries, media, and community members.

Launched in 2023, the Next Great Save is an annual Canada-wide competition championed by the National Trust for Canada, with Ecclesiastical Insurance as its signature sponsor. The competition invites registered charities, non-profit organizations, and community groups to propose heritage sites that would benefit from adaptation, retrofitting, renewal, or other improvements, all with the goal of extending the life of these historic places.

Each year, the Next Great Save awards $65,000 in cash prizes to support heritage properties across Canada, including a $50,000 grand prize made possible by Ecclesiastical Canada. In 2025, second and third-place recipients received $10,000 and $5,000, respectively.

Ecclesiastical has been the proud signature sponsor of the Next Great Save since its inception, a role that aligns with more than 50 years of providing specialty insurance dedicated to protecting Canada’s heritage landscape. From coast-to-coast, Ecclesiastical supports many of the country’s most iconic historic buildings, offering tailored insurance solutions for communities in the arts, cultural, charitable, faith-based, and heritage sectors.

Historic sites like O’Keefe Ranch are cornerstones of Canadian identity. Preserving them not only honours our past but also enriches our communities today and inspires future generations to reimagine their potential. By restoring or repurposing heritage places, we can reduce environmental impact, reflect diverse voices and histories, and meet evolving community needs, from climate resilience and affordable housing to inclusive gathering spaces.

Through initiatives like the Next Great Save, Ecclesiastical Insurance and the National Trust for Canada help spotlight projects that reframe heritage as a living, evolving community asset, blending historical integrity with contemporary needs and sustainable use.

About Ecclesiastical Insurance
Ecclesiastical is an award‑winning, charity‑owned insurance provider specializing in the arts, heritage properties, faith organizations, and the charitable and non‑profit sector. Proudly part of the Benefact Group, Ecclesiastical channels all available profits toward charitable causes. The company has championed heritage conservation across Canada for more than five decades.

About the National Trust for Canada
Founded in 1973, the National Trust for Canada is the nation’s leading charity dedicated to conserving and celebrating historic places. It promotes heritage as a tool for community well‑being, cultural cohesion, and sustainability.

Media Contact:
Colin Robertson
Chief Risk Management & Customer Officer
Ecclesiastical Insurance
Phone: 1 416 484 3984
Email: crobertson@ecclesiastical.ca