About the Competition

The Canadian Festival of Chili and Barbecue was inaugurated in 1987 by the late David Veljacic. David was a Captain with the Vancouver Fire and Rescue Service and was awarded Vancouver’s Firefighter of the Year in 1997.  David and his wife Pat ran this annual event until 2001 when Pat passed away.  David passed a few years later and the event has also become known as the David and Pat Veljacic Memorial Cook-off.

David was also a chef, and a pioneer on the barbecue and chili competition circuit. In 1999 he published The Fire Chef, a collection of grilled and “low and slow” barbecue recipes.  This was followed by his books Hot Elements and In a Flash. He was also one of the first to market his own brands of BBQ sauces.