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Meridianaires Sweepstakes Terms and Conditions

Definitions

“Alternate Method of Entry ("AMOE") means to enter without completing a Qualifying Action, an eligible entrant must submit an Alternate Method of Entry in the manner prescribed by Meridian.

“Claim Period” means the seven-calendar-day period beginning on the date of the Sponsor’s first notification attempt, unless another period is stated in these Contest Rules.

“Confirmed Winner” means a Selected Entrant who has satisfied all eligibility, verification, skill-testing question, Winner Release and other confirmation requirements.

“Contest Period” means the period beginning November 2, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time and ending March 31, 2027 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time.

“Draw Date” means the applicable date on which the Sponsor conducts a random draw under these Contest Rules.

“Eligible Entry” means an entry earned when an eligible Entrant completes an applicable Qualifying Action and the Sponsor validates that action under these Contest Rules.

“Eligible Match Amount” means the amount calculated under section 4.

“Entrant” means an eligible individual who submits a completed Registration Form or an AMOE during the Contest Period.

“Entry Cut-off” means the date and time by which a Registration Form and applicable Qualifying Action must be completed and settled for inclusion in a particular draw.

“Grand Prize” means the one cash prize of $250,000 CAD available to be won.

“Matching Prize” means a cash prize equal to a Confirmed Winner’s validated Eligible Match Amount, subject to a maximum of $25,000 CAD and the applicable Matching Prize Pool rules.

“Matching Prize Pool” means the amount designated by the Sponsor for a particular Matching Prize Draw.

“Member” means an individual who holds a valid Meridian Membership Share and satisfies Meridian’s applicable Membership and identity-verification requirements.

“Member in Good Standing” means a Member who holds the required Membership Share, has not closed or had their Membership terminated, is not subject to restrictions that prevent participation or prize fulfillment, and has satisfied Meridian’s applicable identity-verification, fraud-prevention and account-opening requirements.

“Qualifying Action” means one of the eligible actions described in section 4.

“Qualifying External Deposit” means an eligible transfer of new money from outside Meridian that satisfies section 4.

“Registration Form” means the official Contest registration form available through the registration channel identified in section 4.

“Selected Entrant” means an Entrant selected through a random draw who has not yet been confirmed as a winner.

“Winner Release” means the Sponsor’s Declaration of Eligibility and Liability/Publicity Release form.

Official Contest Rules

1. Sponsor

The MERIDIANAIRES SWEEPSTAKES (Contest) is sponsored by Meridian Credit Union Limited, 75 Corporate Park Drive, St. Catharines, Ontario L2S 3W3 (Sponsor).

2. Eligibility

This Contest is open to legal residents of Canada, excluding Québec, who have reached the age of majority in their province or territory of residence at the time of entry, with the exception of employees of the Sponsor, its parent, related and affiliated companies, subsidiaries, departments or agencies, franchisees, suppliers, advertising and promotional agencies, contest administrators, and any other parties engaged in the development, production or distribution of Contest materials, and those living in the same household. By participating in this Contest, entrants acknowledge compliance with, and agree to be bound by, these Contest Rules. Entrants who do not comply with any of the Contest Rules are subject to disqualification by the Sponsor, in Sponsor’s sole discretion. To participate in the Contest, an Entrant must submit the Registration Form or an Alternate Method of Entry (AMOE) during the Contest Period and complete at least one (1) of the qualifying actions.

3. Contest Dates and Times

The Contest begins November 2, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time and ends March 31, 2027 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. No Registration Forms or Qualifying Actions will be accepted after the Contest End Date, except where these Contest Rules expressly provide otherwise. Draw Information. For Matching Prize Draw #1, all eligible entries must be received by 11:59 p.m. ET on December 14, 2026. A validation period of seven (7) days will follow the entry cut-off date. The draw will take place at 1:00 p.m. ET on December 21, 2026, at 75 Corporate Park Drive, St. Catharines, Ontario. For Matching Prize Draw #2, all eligible entries must be received by 11:59 p.m. ET on March 31, 2027. A validation period of seven (7) days will follow the entry cut-off date. The draw will take place at 1:00 p.m. ET on April 7, 2027, at 75 Corporate Park Drive, St. Catharines, Ontario. For the Grand Prize Draw, all eligible entries must be received by 11:59 p.m. ET on March 31, 2027. A validation period of seven (7) days will follow the entry cut-off date. The draw will take place at 1:00 p.m. ET on April 7, 2027, at 75 Corporate Park Drive, St. Catharines, Ontario.

4. How To Enter

To participate, an eligible individual must complete and submit the official Registration Form through the contest website during the Contest Period and complete all required fields or submit an Alternate Method of Entry. Registration is received when the Sponsor’s systems successfully record the completed Registration Form or have received the AMOE. Each Entrant may register only once. Duplicate Registration Forms will not create additional entries. Registration alone does not create an Eligible Entry. An Entrant earns an Eligible Entry only after completing and satisfying the requirements of an applicable Qualifying Action. The order of registration and a Qualifying Action does not matter, provided both are completed within the applicable period and all eligibility requirements are satisfied.

4.1. How to Earn Entries

Subject to verification, an eligible Entrant will receive one Eligible Entry for each different Qualifying Action completed under these Contest Rules. An Entrant may receive no more than one Eligible Entry for each category, regardless of how many times that action is completed, and may earn a maximum of five Eligible Entries during the Contest.

For example, completing five Eligible Bill Payments generates a maximum of one Eligible Entry. Completing one eligible action in each of the Qualifying Action categories may generate up to five Eligible Entries.

4.2. Qualifying Actions

4.2.1 Conquest Plan

An Entrant will receive one Eligible Entry if the Entrant has a conquest plan that remains active through the Grand Prize Draw Date and the activity is recorded and validated in Meridian’s systems. This includes any plan that was started during the “Contest Period” as well as plans that were started prior to the contest start date.

4.2.2 Eligible Bill Payment

An Eligible Bill Payment means a bill payment made from an eligible Meridian account during the applicable qualifying period that is successfully processed and not cancelled, rejected, returned, refunded or reversed.

4.2.3 Eligible Pre-Authorized Contribution

An Eligible Pre-Authorized Contribution or Eligible PAC means a new or existing regularly scheduled contribution of at least $15 that is completed during the applicable qualifying period, results in at least one successful contribution(s), and remains active through the Grand Prize Draw Date.

4.2.4 Eligible Payroll Deposit

An Eligible Payroll Deposit means a new or existing recurring payroll deposit made to an eligible Meridian account during the applicable qualifying period that results in at least one successfully settled deposit(s) and remains active through the Grand Prize Draw Date.

4.2.5 Qualifying External Deposit

An Entrant will receive one Eligible Entry after accumulating at least $1,000 in validated Qualifying External Deposits during the applicable qualifying period.

4.2.6 Alternate Method of Entry

An eligible entrant may enter the Contest without completing any other Qualifying Action by submitting a written request for entry. To receive entries through the Alternate Method of Entry (AMOE), an eligible entrant must submit an original handwritten essay of at least one hundred and fifty (150) words describing why they would like to participate in the Meridianaires Sweepstakes, together with their full name, mailing address, telephone number, and email address. Submissions must be received by Meridian during the Contest Period and mailed to:

Meridianaires Sweepstakes

75 Corporate Park Drive, St. Catharines ON L2S 3W3

Upon receipt and verification of an eligible AMOE submission, Meridian will award the entrant one (1) entry into the Grand Prize Draw and one (1) entry into the final Matching Prize Draw with a deemed Eligible Match Amount of $1,000. Limit of one (1) AMOE submission per eligible entrant unless otherwise expressly stated in these Contest Rules. AMOE submissions become the property of Meridian and will not be acknowledged or returned. Meridian is not responsible for lost, late, illegible, damaged, incomplete, misdirected, stolen, delayed, or postage-due submissions. Any AMOE submission that does not comply with these Contest Rules, is incomplete, or is received outside the Contest Period may be rejected in Meridian's sole discretion. Entrants who participate through the AMOE and satisfy all eligibility requirements of the Contest shall be eligible for any applicable Contest draw for which the corresponding awarded entries qualify, subject to these Contest Rules. An AMOE submission cannot be combined with any other Qualifying Actions.

4.3 Qualifying External Deposits

A Qualifying External Deposit must originate outside Meridian, be received during the applicable qualifying period, be attributable to the Entrant, be deposited into an eligible Meridian Retail or Wealth account, be identifiable through approved Meridian records, successfully settle, and satisfy the maintenance requirements in these Contest Rules.

Subject to validation, qualifying transactions may include:

  • External electronic funds transfer or account transfer.
  • External wire transfer.
  • Cash or Cheque drawn on another financial institution.
  • Wealth transfer from another financial institution.
  • PAC contribution, if approved as eligible new money.

The following do not qualify:

  • Payroll deposits.
  • Transfers between Meridian accounts or products.
  • GIC maturity proceeds already held at Meridian.
  • Interest credits, dividends or market gains.
  • Funds held at Meridian before the applicable qualifying period.
  • Returned, reversed, fraudulent or otherwise invalidated deposits.
  • Any transaction the Sponsor determines does not represent new money from outside Meridian.

Qualifying External Deposits are cumulative and aggregated at the Member level. Eligible Retail and Wealth funding may both contribute to the total.

4.4 Entry Allocation and Carry-Forward

4.4.1 Grand Prize Draw

All Eligible Entries earned before the Contest End Date and validated will be included in the Grand Prize Draw. An Entrant may have up to five Eligible Entries in the Grand Prize Draw.

4.4.2 Matching Prize Draw #1

Each Eligible Entry earned by the first Entry Cut-off and validated will be included in Matching Prize Draw #1, provided the Entrant has at least $1,000 in validated Qualifying External Deposits and satisfies all other Matching Prize eligibility requirements.

4.4.3 Matching Prize Draw #2

Eligible Entries included in Matching Prize Draw #1 will carry forward to Matching Prize Draw #2 along with each Eligible Entry earned between December 15, 2026 and March 31, 2027 and validated. An Entrant who has already won a Matching Prize will not be included in a later Matching Prize Draw.

4.4.4 Winning Limits

An Entrant may receive no more than one Matching Prize during the Contest. An Entrant who wins a Matching Prize will remain eligible for the Grand Prize Draw.

4.5. Eligible Match Amount

The Eligible Match Amount is the lesser of: The Entrant’s cumulative validated Qualifying External Deposits; and the Entrant’s aggregate eligible Retail and Wealth balances measured on the applicable Draw Date; subject to a maximum Eligible Match Amount of $25,000 CAD.

Examples: 

  • $5,000 in Qualifying External Deposits and a $15,000 Draw Date balance results in a $5,000 Eligible Match Amount.
  • $25,000 in Qualifying External Deposits and a $20,000 Draw Date balance results in a $20,000 Eligible Match Amount.
  • $50,000 in Qualifying External Deposits and a $60,000 Draw Date balance results in a $25,000 Eligible Match Amount.

Qualifying External Deposits must remain continuously on deposit for three months following the applicable Draw Date to qualify for a prize payout. Market gains and losses in Wealth holdings will be reflected in the Draw Date balance, and no separate market adjustment will be made unless these Contest Rules state otherwise.

Any attempt or suspected attempt to use robotic, automatic, programmed or otherwise illicit means to enter the Contest, or any other methods not authorized by these Contest Rules, for example, but not limited to, creating multiple accounts, identities, or registrations, all in the Sponsor’s sole discretion, shall be deemed as tampering and may disqualify you from entering, participating and/or winning a prize. Entries that are late, lost, stolen, illegible, contain false information, are damaged, misdirected, mutilated, garbled or incomplete, altered or otherwise irregular or that do not conform with or satisfy any or all of the conditions of the Contest Rules are void. Entrants grant Sponsor a non-exclusive licence to use all entries for any purpose. No correspondence will be entered into except with Selected Entrants. Proof of transmission (for example, screenshots or captures) does not constitute proof of entry or receipt of an entry.

5. Contest Prizes

There is one (1) Grand Prize available to be won, consisting of a cash prize of $250,000 CAD. For Matching Prize Draw #1, a Matching Prize Pool of up to $500,000 CAD is available. For Matching Prize Draw #2, a Matching Prize Pool of up to $250,000 CAD is available. Each Confirmed Winner of a Matching Prize will receive an amount equal to the winner's validated Eligible Match Amount, up to a maximum of $25,000 CAD. The number of Matching Prizes awarded will depend on the Eligible Match Amount of each Confirmed Winner and the funds available in the applicable Matching Prize Pool. An Entrant may win both a Matching Prize and the Grand Prize. In such circumstances, the maximum aggregate prize amount payable to any one Entrant is $275,000 CAD. The applicable Matching Prize Pool may exceed its target allocation by up to $24,000 CAD. The maximum total value of all prizes available to be awarded in connection with the Contest is $1,048,000 CAD.

All prizes must be accepted as awarded and are not transferable, or assignable except as expressly permitted by the Sponsor. No substitutions will be permitted except at the Sponsor's sole discretion. The Sponsor reserves the right to substitute any prize, in whole or in part, with a prize of equal or greater value if a prize cannot be awarded as described for any reason. All winners assume any and all liability for any injury or damage caused, or claimed to be caused, by entering, participating in this Contest or the use or redemption of a prize.

Each Confirmed Winner who is a Member in Good Standing will receive their prize by direct deposit into an eligible Meridian deposit account held in the Confirmed Winner's name. A Confirmed Winner who is not a Member will receive their prize by cheque payable to the Confirmed Winner. The cheque will be mailed to the mailing address the Confirmed Winner provided at the time of entry or in their Winner Release. Prizes will be paid within ninety (90) days after the Sponsor confirms the winner. The Sponsor is not responsible for cheques that are lost, stolen, delayed or misdirected in the mail. A prize cheque not cashed or deposited within six (6) months of its issue date may be forfeited, at the Sponsor's sole discretion. No interest will be paid on any prize. Prizes will be paid only to the Confirmed Winner and are not payable to any other person or account.

6. Odds of Winning

The odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received before the Contest End Date. The odds of being selected for a Matching Prize depend on the total number of eligible entries included in the applicable Matching Prize Draw. The availability and amount of a Matching Prize may also depend on the Selected Entrant’s validated Eligible Match Amount, the value of Matching Prizes allocated to previously Confirmed Winners, and the amount remaining in the applicable Matching Prize Pool. The maximum number of Matching Prizes that can be awarded is 750 and the minimum number is 30, as the minimum prize value is $1,000 and the maximum prize value is $25,000.

7. Skill-testing Question

Selected Entrants will be required, as a condition of winning a prize, to correctly answer, without assistance of any kind, the Sponsor’s time-limited, mathematical skill-testing question to be administered by email.

8. Winner Selection and Confirmation

On April 7, 2027 at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time at 75 Corporate Park Drive, St. Catharines, Ontario L2S 3W3, the Sponsor or its authorized employee, agent or representative will conduct a random draw from all eligible Grand Prize entries and select one potential Grand Prize winner. For each Matching Prize Draw (occurring on December 21, 2026 and April 7, 2027 at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time), the Sponsor will establish a draw population consisting of eligible Entrants who submitted a valid Registration Form, have at least $1,000 in validated Qualifying External Deposits, have an Eligible Match Amount of at least $1,000 (or have completed an Alternate Method of Entry), have one or more Eligible Entries included in the applicable draw, and satisfy all other eligibility requirements. The Sponsor will randomly select Eligible Entrants one at a time. For each selection, the applicable Entrant’s Eligible Match Amount will be validated. Once confirmed, the winner will receive a Matching Prize equal to that amount, subject to the $25,000 maximum. The Matching Prize Pool will be reduced by the amount awarded, and the Confirmed Winner will be removed from future Matching Prize Draws. Random selection will continue until the applicable Matching Prize Pool has been allocated under the approved allocation and overage limits. Selected Entrants will be deemed winners if they meet all of the eligibility criteria set out in these Contest Rules. If a Selected Entrant does not meet the eligibility criteria, he/she will be disqualified and will not receive a prize and another entrant will be selected by way of a random draw from the remaining eligible entries. Before being declared a winner, Selected Entrants will be required to: (i) correctly answer the Sponsor’s skill-testing question; (ii) sign and return the Sponsor’s Declaration of Eligibility and Liability/Publicity Release form (Winner Release); and (iii) comply with all other Contest Rules, all in the sole discretion of Sponsor.

Selected Entrants will be notified within seven (7) business days of the contest draw and will be contacted by telephone and/or email address provided at the time of entry into the Contest. Up to three attempts will be made to contact Selected Entrants within seven (7) business days following the draw. A Selected Entrant that does not or cannot accept a prize may be forfeited and a new Selected Entrant selected by random draw, in the Sponsor’s sole discretion. A signed copy of the Sponsor’s Winner Release must be received by the Sponsor no later than April 30, 2027 for the Grand Prize draw and second matching draw and January 31, 2027 for the first matching draw. Sponsor is not responsible for the failure for any reason whatsoever of a Selected Entrant to receive notification or for the Sponsor to receive a Selected Entrant’s response. Disputes regarding identity of entrant: If the identity of a Selected Entrant is disputed, the entry will be deemed to have been submitted by the individual assigned to the email address entered at the time of entry (Authorized Account Holder). Each Selected Entrant may be required to provide proof that he/she is the Authorized Account Holder associated with a selected entry.

9. Release and Indemnification

All winners must sign the Sponsor’s Winner Release to: (i) confirm compliance with all Contest Rules; (ii) agree to accept prizes as awarded; (iii) release, discharge and hold harmless the Sponsor, its departments and agencies, parent, related and affiliated companies, subsidiaries, franchisees, advertising and promotional agencies, counsel, marketing partners, and each of their respective directors, officers, employees, shareholders, successors, sponsors, partners, licensees, subsidiaries, agents, artists, advisors, assignees, and all others associated with the administration, development and execution of the Contest (Released Parties) from and against any and all manner of action, cause of action, claim or demand, loss or injury, use or misuse of a prize or any travel related thereto, and the use of entries by the Sponsor, suit, debt, covenant, contract, including legal fees and expenses, whatsoever, including but not limited to, claims based on negligence, breach of contract and fundamental breach, failure of any third-party contractor or supplier used in connection with any aspect of the Contest to perform or deliver any goods or services, any act of God or any other event beyond the Released Parties’ control, any dissatisfaction of any kind by a winner with any aspect of the Contest or any prize, liability for physical injury, death, or property damage which the entrants, guests, their heirs, successors or assigns have, might have or could have suffered, by reason of or arising out of the entrant’s participation in the Contest and/or in connection with the acceptance and/or exercise by the entrant of prizes as awarded; and (iv) indemnify the Released Parties against any loss, damage or expense, including legal fees, that any of the Released Parties may suffer or incur as a result of any non-compliance by entrants with any of the Contest Rules or participation in the Contest and/or in connection with the acceptance and/or exercise by an entrant of a prize, and the use of entries by the Sponsor.

The Sponsor is not responsible for: (i) incorrect or inaccurate entry information that may affect a person’s ability to participate in the Contest or be awarded a prize, including but not limited to human error, technical malfunctions, lost or delayed entries for any reason, mail failures, omission, or any combination thereof, and entries that fail to fully comply with these Contest Rules; (ii) technical failures of any kind, including, but not limited to malfunctions, interruptions, or disconnections in phone lines or network hardware or software; (iii) lost, incomplete, delayed, mutilated or misdirected entries or Winner Releases; (iv) injury or damage to entrants’ computers or to any other individual’s computer related to or resulting from participating in, or downloading any material regarding the Contest or accepting a prize; (v) any injury or damage to persons or property which may be caused, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, from entrant’s participation in the Contest or receipt or use or misuse of any prize, including any related travel and the use of entries by Sponsor; (vi) the security or privacy of information transmitted via computer networks or for breaches of privacy due to interference by third-party computer hackers or otherwise; or (vii) late, lost, misdirected or unsuccessful efforts to notify a potential winner.

10. Other Conditions

The Sponsor reserves the right to terminate or amend this Contest at any time and in any way, without prior notice to entrants. Without limiting the foregoing, if, for any reason, the Contest is not capable of running as originally planned for any reason, the Sponsor reserves the right to cancel the Contest and conduct a random draw from all previously received eligible entries received by the Contest End Date.

11. Publicity and Entrant Information

By participating in the Contest, entrants consent to the use of their name, address, email address, postal code, telephone number, social media handle(s), comments and image, whether on videotape, photograph or any other means, for the administration of the Contest or any publicity carried out by the Sponsor, without further notice or compensation.

12. Law

The Contest is void where prohibited by law and is subject to all applicable Canadian federal, provincial, territorial, municipal and local laws. This Contest shall be governed exclusively by the laws of the Province of Ontario, including all issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Contest rules, rights and obligations between entrants and the Sponsor, and procedural provisions, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules. Any dispute shall be adjudicated by the courts sitting in Toronto, Ontario.

13. Rule Amendments

The Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to amend or modify these Contest Rules, or modify, cancel or suspend this Contest, without prior notice for any reason whatsoever, including without limitation in the event that any cause beyond the reasonable control of the Sponsor corrupts, or threatens to corrupt, the security or proper administration of the Contest.

14. Intellectual Property

All intellectual property, including but not limited to trademarks, logos, designs, promotional materials, web pages, source codes, images, drawings, illustrations, slogans and representations are owned by the Sponsor. All rights reserved. Unauthorized copying or use of any of the Sponsor’s intellectual property without the express written consent of the Sponsor is strictly prohibited.