Commemorative plaques on park benches in Ottawa-Gatineau

• A donation of $4,000 will fund the dedication of a personalized bronze plaque, its installation and maintenance for 10 years.
• Prices and renewal fees are subject to change, and may be adjusted annually as required.
• Receipt of the donation amount in full is required for the NCC to initiate the process.
• The NCC will issue Canadian income tax receipts to donors by the end of February of each year. The cost of the plaque will be deducted from the donation.
• Donations are non-refundable.
• Donations do not grant ownership of the bench, the land upon which it is situated or the surrounding lands.

• Dedications expire 10 years from the date of installation, and can be renewed at the rate in effect at the time of expiry.
• The NCC will notify the donor three months (90 days) before the renewal date. If no renewal agreement is in place before the dedication expiry date, the site will be made available for others’ dedications.
• Each donor is responsible for informing the NCC of changes to their contact information, such as telephone number, email address and mailing address during the 10-year period.
• Plaques will be given to the donor after the 10-year term, if the contract is not renewed.

• Benches are usually in place from the May long weekend until the September long weekend. The length of the season can vary, based on weather conditions and maintenance needs.
• Most of the benches are made of ash, but the style of bench may vary.
• The physical location and orientation of the bench, as well as its repair or replacement, are the sole discretion of the NCC.
• The bench will be maintained to NCC standards, approximately every two years.
• Once a location has been chosen by a donor, this will be the permanent location of the plaque for the 10-year commitment. However, from time to time, a bench may be moved to a spot within close proximity to accommodate construction and/or maintenance. The NCC will inform the donor of any changes that require relocation.

• Only one plaque per bench is allowed.
• Custom-designed plaques supplied by the donor are not allowed.
• All dedicated benches will be identified on the NCC interactive map with a picture, along with the message as it appears on the plaque.

Text

• Plaques allow for a total of three lines of bilingual text with 55 characters per line (spaces and punctuation count as characters).
• Texts must be bilingual. Translation services will be provided by the NCC.
• Texts must be submitted within 30 days of funding.
• Texts must be reviewed and approved by the NCC. See Plaque Content Guidelines.

Installation

• Installations are done in the summer
• The NCC cannot guarantee the installation date.
• The NCC will notify you once the installation is completed.

• If a plaque is stolen or vandalized, the NCC will cover the cost of a one-time replacement.
• The NCC does not allow burial, interment of ashes or placement of memorial items under, near, around or on commemorative items in the park or in a public place.
• Altering dedicated park amenities or their surroundings is not allowed. This includes etching, painting, staining, varnishing, decorating or attaching items to the dedicated park amenity. Dedicated park amenities that have been altered will be removed. Replacement and repair costs will be billed to the individual or organization responsible for the alteration.
• The NCC retains the right to use the land adjacent to dedicated park amenities as it deems appropriate. The NCC will inform the donor of any changes that require relocation.
• Park maintenance, park upgrades or special events in parks, including filming, may require temporary removal of dedicated park amenities.