About The

Esquimalt
Ribfest

Our Story

About Us…

Our Mission is To host a fun, family event and raise charitable money for Esquimalt.

The Esquimalt High School Community Field Collaboration

Our project is to provide Esquimalt with an all-weather playing field. Esquimalt is the only core Municipality without an all-weather playing surface or turf field. Our kids have to leave the community for outdoor field activities for as long as three or four months every year as our Municipal fields close.

This project is big! It starts with resurfacing or re-purposing the 45-year-old track (thanks to EHS classes of 1969, 70, and 71 for the legacy), and installing a synthetic, state-of-the-art turf field great for soccer, field lacrosse, rugby, and general-purpose use.

It will include:

Lights for year-round use
A grandstand for large events
Field house for change rooms, washrooms, and a meeting area

This overall project will be in the realm of $4M – $6M, a lofty undertaking completed in stages as funds allow.

Esquimalt High School Turf Field Dream Details

Anyone that has been involved in outdoor sports in Esquimalt over the years knows that wet fields lead to cancellations from November to March and these shut-downs can take a full third out of soccer, football, rugby, field lacrosse, or field hockey season or schedule. At Ribfest, our dream has been to build a facility that will allow our kids and neighbouring kids, to play in Esquimalt over the winter months for outdoor sporting games and practices.

The three-phase project encompasses:

a synthetic, all-weather turf field suitable for outdoor team sports with state-of-the-art directional LED lighting that does not bleed out into the neighbouring residential areas
a community-based, multi-purpose field house with a workout area, change rooms and an area for spectators and viewing seats
a neighbourhood track/chip trail surface for walking/jogging

For 12 years now, Esquimalt Ribfest has been socking away money in trust with School District #61 harboring this dream and we are a driving force behind this Community Field Collaboration. Esquimalt is the ‘Place of Shoaling Waters’ and the EHS field is built over a stream (now underground) that goes from Vic West all the way into the Gorge. This collaboration includes the Songhees Nation, Gorge Soccer, the James Bay Athletic Association, many other local sporting organizations, the Township of Esquimalt, School District #61, the Esquimalt High School Alumni Association, and the Vancouver Island Aboriginal Thunder Rugby Club.

Esquimalt is the only core Municipality where there is no wet weather outdoor field space so we are due and our kids deserve it!

Jason Buie Music Achievement Award

Jason Buie Music Achievement Award is a cheque for $1,000 from the Esquimalt Fire Fighters’ Foundation. This is awarded annually to a graduating student from Esquimalt High School. This award is presented each year at Ribfest, which is held the second weekend of September.

Biography of Jason Buie

Jason was born and raised in Victoria and has deep roots in Esquimalt. His Mom and Dad, Gayle and Bob, grew up in Esquimalt and graduated from Esquimalt High. As boys, Jason and his brother, Chris, spent much of their time with their grandparents at Saxe Point Park and Kinver Beach. He was raising his twins, Jackson and Etta, in his beloved Esquimalt.

Jason was an award-winning musician. In 2018, Jason won the Maple Blues Award for Best New Blues Artist in Canada. He released 4 independent CDs over his 25-plus years as a professional musician. His last album, Driftin Heart, was an award-winning CD.

Jason was a co-founder of the White Rock Blues Society and a member of the Victoria Blues Society. In 2012, he was approached to come on board for Esquimalt RibFest as the musician co-ordinator. He did and loved being part of RibFest.

Jason was a big believer in giving back to his community. Every year both in Victoria and White Rock, he organized annual Christmas gigs and arranged for other musicians to give their time for the Christmas Toy Jam and the Yuletide Blues events for the Mustard Seed Food Bank. He would give up-and-coming musicians breaks and have them play at various gigs he did. He was very generous with his time to help fellow musicians. He was a big man with a giving heart.

2023 Jason Buie Music Achievement Award Recipient, Jules Dawkins

Dear Selection Committee,

I’m a student and musician from Esquimalt High School. l play the trombone (and occasional flugelhom) in our Sr. Jazz and R&B Bands, tuba in Sr. Concert Band, viola in Strings, and sing bass in Choir. I also help out with the Junior bands from time to time because presence of senior students helps to tether younger students to our music program. Outside of school, I’m a mentee of the Township of Esquimalt Community Arts Council’s Youth Mentorship Program, and go busking downtown on occasion. I’ve been a strong advocate for music in schools, repeatedly protesting proposed cuts to music in my school district. I plan to attend the University of Victoria this September to complete a Bachelor of Music on the trombone, specializing in either music education or performance after my first year.

I have been accepted into the faculty of fine arts for the Bachelor’s of Music program at the University of Victoria, and will begin my studies in September of 2023. I intend to take a first year music education class then to specialize in either performance or music education in second year. Once I’ve finished my studies, I hope to do a combination of teaching, performing, composing, and community work. A dream is to implement music programs in correctional institutions, which is why I am considering pursuing music education. Music is a very powerful tool for connection, so I think such programs would be beneficial to individuals subjected to that environment. I’m really looking forward to university, and am excited to play more music!

Sincerely,
Jules Dawkins