The Great Bay of Quinte BBQ Competition, is a community fundraising event designed with purpose, pride and fun.

Volunteer driven, it operates lean and not so mean, with an emphasis on trying as best as possible to be forward thinking. Any and all decisions relating to how any funds raised are distributed, are focused on local complimentary organizations and grassroots projects. 

Humble beginnings and a quirky past. It all began with the founder, Donald Stokes, taking having it suggested he take a BBQ judging workshop, because he traveled so much with work in western Canada. So….. he did, and quickly found out, that the one item he was interested in, was not included…. Seafood.

So Donald started looking at the models that appeared to be available on the coast, or on the web and continued to find nothing. So Donald elected to create one, dubbed “The Great Fraser River Salmon BBQ Competition”, which ran successfully for three years and went from 500-1500-2000+ attendees and unexpectedly proved to be a unique way to raise funds for a local organization in Hope BC and provide some unexpected opportunities for people in the process.

Support including local service clubs and the Hope Chamber of Commerce, were supplemented by volunteers, with changes made each year in key areas to ensure everything was fresh and adopting suitable ideas and related “best practices”. A top ten finish relating to new business ideas in BC was a nice accolade, with interest growing on a steady, controlled basis.

It used wild BC salmon and a combination of judges that were both accredited and simply had suitable aptitude. This was also a neat way to introduce something to people that may not ordinarily imagine being the real deal in being a judge. This included accredited bbq judges, the federal fisheries critic at the time, in addition to a student and a local frontline food service worker. All had the common bond of having a passion for salmon. In 2018, the founder had to move to Ontario, to tend to a family matter.

A community based bbq competition, that seeks to promote, produce and inspire the host community and serve as a shareable fundraising model to outdoor or community related non profits with noble intentions.

Promote – the host community be it for agriculture, tourism, family’s or business moving here.

Produce- raise funds for grassroots projects, that may require a bit extra in the area (eg. Waterfront, trails, pool fund, sports), through actions that are timely and measurable. A portion of funds raised is encouraged to help kickstart subsequent years and offer a means of partially or wholly becoming self sustainable.  

Inspire -quietly providing unique opportunities within the event and some select roles. Past items have included live art by a very quiet but talented artist and enabling a situation that allowed singer/guitar player to play before a crowd through understanding how it may work with some unique personal considerations….. and yes he was very good. All is simply limited to ones imagination and respectful resourcefulness. 

“ Raise the bar as to what is expected. Many things were impossible, until they were not. “

1. Have fun.
2. Raise funds and create opportunity to support grassroots community projects and organizations.
3. Change small elements of the competition each year, to ensure a fresh experience in what and how the competition moves forward.
4. Create select opportunity for people that may have been previously undiscovered. 
5. Be forward thinking in as many aspects as is realistically possible be it in encouraging healthy, sustainable practices
6. Welcome people and give them a great experience.
7. Develop the playbook, to help future volunteers produce and think in ways that encourage best practices in an easy to understand manner.
8. Introduce and refine the model, to suit a small town in eastern Ontario and become self sustaining.  

** Founders wish. My beloved waterfront has received nothing and has given everything for years. It would be my wish, for this event to provide a small amount of support however small to allow some type of maintenance, reinvestment- 2-5% would be my hope, each and every year. ** 

Have fun while organizing, executing all aspects of the bbq competition. 

Doing the right thing, even when no one is looking.

Transparency above and beyond, be it financial, or dealing with the public.

Treating all volunteers, guests, suppliers with dignity and respect.

Provide a forward thinking events example. (eg. BBQ competition, sponsors, volunteers, guests)

“If it is not fun, it cannot be done. D Stokes in grade 11”