OFFICIAL CONTEST RULES 

LOCAL BAND CONTEST: “OPEN FOR BIG WRECK”
Goderich Salt & Harvest Festival (the “Contest”)

1. Sponsor / Administrator

The Contest is sponsored and administered by The Corporation of the Town of Goderich (the “Town”) in connection with the Goderich Salt & Harvest Festival (the “Festival”). Big Wreck is not a sponsor or administrator of this Contest and is not responsible for the administration of the Contest.

2. Contest Period

The Contest begins March 13, 2026 at 12:00 a.m. (ET) and ends April 30, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. (ET) (the “Contest Period”). Entries submitted outside the Contest Period are void.

3. Eligibility

To be eligible:

• The band must be from Goderich, Ontario. The Town may request reasonable proof (e.g., band members’ residency, primary rehearsal location, or other documentation).

• All band members must be 16 years of age or older as of the date of entry.

• Each band must designate one individual as the Band Representative, who must be 18 years of age or older and authorized to submit the entry and communicate with the Town.

• The band must be able to provide proof of Commercial General Liability (CGL) insurance of at least $2,000,000 CAD per occurrence (see Section 10). 

• The Town may deem an entry ineligible where eligibility cannot be verified.

4. How to Enter (No Purchase Necessary)

No purchase is necessary. To enter during the Contest Period:

1. Complete the official entry form at SaltedGoderich.ca; and

2. Provide all required information, including:

   • band name;

   • band address/primary location;

   • Band Representative contact information;

   • genre;

   • social media handles/links; and

   • links to live performance content (publicly accessible links).

Entry Limit

Limit one (1) entry per band during the Contest Period.

The Town is not responsible for technical issues, interrupted or unavailable service, or for links that are inaccessible/private.

5. Prize, ARV, and Restrictions

One (1) winner will receive the following prize package (the “Prize”):

1. An opening performance slot for Big Wreck at the Festival on September 5, 2026 (exact performance time determined by the Festival);

2. Feature promotion on the Festival’s official social media channels (format, frequency, and timing at the Town/Festival’s discretion);

3. A professional photoshoot; and

4. A live recording of the winning band’s Festival performance (scope/deliverables determined by the Town/Festival and its contractors).

Approximate Retail Value (ARV): $2,000.00 CAD.

No cash alternative. Non-transferable. Must be accepted as awarded.

6. Odds

Odds of being selected depend on the number and quality of eligible entries received and, in the final stage, the votes received during the voting window.

7. Selection Process (Two Stages: Judges → Social Media Polls)

Stage 1 — Judges Select Top Three (3) Finalists

A judging panel selected by the Town (the “Judges”) will review eligible submissions and select three (3) finalists (the “Finalists”) using the following criteria:

• Musical performance quality and musicianship — 35%

• Stage presence / live readiness — 25%

• Originality and fit for Festival audience — 20%

• Professionalism and completeness of submission — 10%

• Community connection / local relevance — 10%

Judges’ decisions are final and binding for the selection of the Finalists.

Stage 2 — Public Vote Selects the Winner (End of April 2026)

The winning band will be determined by a public vote using polls on the Festival’s official Instagram and Facebook accounts (the “Polls”) at the end of April 2026 (the “Vote”).

Voting window: The Town/Festival will post the Polls and will clearly state the opening and closing time within the Poll posts/stories. Only votes cast within the posted Poll window will count.

How voting works (material terms):

• Voting is conducted via Instagram polls and Facebook polls posted on the Festival’s official accounts.

• Each platform account may cast one (1) vote per Poll, subject to the technical limits of the platform.

• The Town will determine the winner based on the combined total of Poll results across Instagram and Facebook (as captured at the Poll close time).

• The Town may exclude votes or disqualify a Finalist where there is evidence of vote manipulation, automated voting, purchased engagement, fake accounts, or other activity that compromises fairness or integrity, in the Town’s sole discretion.

Platform disclaimer: This Contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Meta Platforms, Inc., Facebook, or Instagram.

Tie-break

If the combined Poll results end in a tie, the Town will break the tie by awarding the win to the tied Finalist with the highest Judges’ total score from Stage 1.

8. Winner Announcement

The winner will be announced on May 1, 2026 through the Festival’s official communication channels (e.g., website and/or social media), subject to verification.

9. Winner Notification / Verification

The Town will attempt to contact the potential winner using the Band Representative contact information provided.

The potential winner must respond within 72 hours of notification and must satisfy all verification requirements, including:

• proof of eligibility (Goderich-based, ages);

• signing any required waivers/releases;

• providing proof of insurance (Section 10); and

• correctly answering a time-limited mathematical skill-testing question (Section 11).

If the potential winner fails to meet these requirements, the Town may disqualify the entry and select an alternate winner (e.g., next-highest combined Poll total, subject to verification).

10. Performance Requirements / Conditions

The winning band must:

• be available to perform on September 5, 2026 at the Festival;

• perform an opening set of 90 minutes, subject to change if required by Festival/venue production schedules, safety requirements, or operational needs (any changes will be communicated as early as reasonably possible);

• provide their own equipment (instruments, amplifiers, cables, etc.), unless otherwise confirmed in writing by the Festival; and

• comply with all Festival/venue rules, including load-in, soundcheck, and conduct requirements.

Insurance Requirement (Mandatory)

As a condition of winning and participating, the winning band must provide proof of Commercial General Liability (CGL) insurance of at least $2,000,000 CAD per occurrence, naming The Corporation of the Town of Goderich and any other required Festival/venue parties as additional insureds, with coverage in force for the performance date(s) and related activities (load-in/soundcheck/performance). Failure to provide acceptable proof of insurance by the Town’s stated deadline may result in disqualification and selection of an alternate winner.

11. Skill-Testing Question

As a condition of winning, the Band Representative must correctly answer, without assistance, a time-limited mathematical skill-testing question administered by the Town.

12. Publicity / Recording

Participation may include being photographed and/or recorded. The Town/Festival may request written consent/releases for promotional use. Where any band member is 16–17 years of age, the Town may require parent/guardian consent as a condition of participation.

13. Privacy (MFIPPA Collection Notice)

Personal information is collected under the authority of the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA) and will be used to administer the Contest, including verifying eligibility, contacting entrants and finalists, administering voting, confirming the winner, arranging Festival participation, and fulfilling the Prize.

Questions regarding the collection of personal information should be directed to:

Andrea Fisher, Director of Legislative Services/Clerk
Town of Goderich
Phone: 519-524-8344 Ext. 210
Email: afisher@goderich.ca
Address: Town Hall, 57 West Street, Goderich, ON N7A 2K5

14. General Conditions / Disqualification

The Town may disqualify any entry that is incomplete, inaccurate, submitted late, or otherwise violates these Rules. The Town reserves the right to cancel, modify, or suspend the Contest where necessary for safety, fairness, legal compliance, or technical reasons.

15. Governing Law

The Contest is governed by the laws of Ontario and Canada.