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Hope, B.C., Salmon BBQ Competition attracts record crowd numbers

Record numbers of people came to Memorial Park last weekend.
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Judges at the Great Fraser Salmon BBQ Competition last Saturday. (Sharlene Harrison-Hinds photo)

Memorial Park’s final summer hurrah ended with something fishy.

About 2,000 people came to Memorial Park on Saturday to witness and savour the Great Fraser River Salmon BBQ in its third year. According to organizer Donald Stokes, the event has broken records and charted new territory.

“We’re looking at record numbers,” said Stokes. “Absolutely. Guaranteed.

“Folks just really like the event.”

Although a final count is not available, money raised for the Hope Search and Rescue and another organization has gone up, according to Stokes, and it will likely exceed last year’s amount. He estimates that it would have exceeded $6,000, and the Hope and District Chamber of Commerce will determine who the other recipient will be. Stokes believes it will likely go to an organization related to forest fires.

This year, eight teams competed in the barbecue, people’s choice and a new signature dish category. Teams cooked salmon chowder, the most popular signature dish, to salmon pastry and skewered salmon. Teams also used ornate trays made of woods such as cedar to enhance the presentation.

At the end of the event, Stokes wanted to know what they thought of the signature dish component.

“Thumbs up or thumbs down. On the count of three, I want you to tell me whether you want to see this again with the signature dish,” said Stokes to the crowd. “It was an overwhelming thumbs up.”

Stokes commented that the number of teams dropped this year because of the forest fires.

“Unfortunately with the forest fires, that was our one drawback this year, otherwise we would have more,” said Stokes.

The winners of the competition, in the barbecue category are, in descending order, Stacked Racks of Delta; Beyond Hope of Coquitlam; and Eat My Dust of Langley. For the Signature Dish category, they were Stacked Racks; BC Sportsfishing of Harrison Hot Springs; and Hope Master Basters of Hope.

The Roto Q, of Hope, won people’s choice in both categories.