The 4th Annual Patricia Trottier and Gwyn Morgan Student Essay Contest is now taking essay submissions from Canadian undergrads across the country.
Those interested are invited to submit an essay between 1,500 and 2,500 words that addresses current political, cultural or economic issues. Essays should be consistent with the tenets of classical liberalism and Western civilization, which include principles of free speech, free markets, democratic governance, and individual liberty, though judges also encourage essays that challenge mainstream assumptions and conventions.
The total prize pool this year is $7,000, which is to be split among the top 5 essay writers, with $2,800 going to the first-place essay.
All essays must be the writer’s original work. No AI is allowed — in whole or in part.
Follow the link below for full details on the Patricia Trottier and Gwyn Morgan Student Essay Contest
Additionally, the top three writers will have the chance to work alongside professional editors to have their essays published in C2C Journal, as well as be invited to be interviewed on the cable news program On Second Street and have their profile made public on Juno News (another sponsor of the contest).
They will also be automatically enrolled and invited to Freedom Week in summer 2027 at McGill University in Montreal, which is being hosted by the Institute for Liberal Studies, and will receive a registration fee and travel voucher to attend the 2026 Canada Strong and Free Networking Conference this coming spring (2027) in Ottawa.
Besides the Manning Foundation and C2C Journal, the contest is also sponsored by Juno News, the Institute for Liberal Studies, the Canada Strong and Free Network, Generation Screwed, and the Aristotle Foundation for Public Policy.
The deadline for online submission is midnight on November 8, 2026. For more contest details, please click here.
You can also read winning essays from the 2023 contest here, the 2024 contest here and the 2025 contest here for a better idea of what a prize-winning essay looks like.