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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Thursday, June 18, 2015 | 44 Nine ribbers to vie for votes at Oakville's Ribfest by John Bkila Oakville Beaver Staff Artscene "Connected to your Community" With the slogan, "We Are The Saucy Ones," the close-to-all-female Crazy Canuck Smokers is eyeing to dethrone Kentucky Smokehouse at this year's annual The Co-operators Oakville Family Ribfest. Kentucky Smokehouse was last year's best sauce and best ribs winner at the local festival. And that's why Heather Brynaert, founder and owner of Crazy Canuck Smokers, said she is most looking forward to taking People's Choice this year. "I'm going to do that with my wonderful cherry wood-smoked ribs, and, of course, it's all in the sauce," she said. As in previous years, those who attend the Oakville Family Ribfest will be invited to vote for their favourite ribs and sauce throughout the festival at a designated tent on tablets. Organized by the Rotary Club of Oakville Trafalgar, this year's Ribfest runs Friday, June 26-28 at Sheridan College, 1430 Trafalgar Rd. The festival will be open 4-11 p.m. (Friday, June 26), 11 a.m.-11 p.m. (Saturday, June 27), and 11 a.m.-7 p.m. (Sunday, June 28). It will feature nine ribbers to choose from, including: Crazy Canuck Smokers, Kentucky Smokehouse, Boss Hogs BBQ, Jack on the Bone, Gator BBQ, Tennessee Fatbacks, Bad Wolf Barbecue, Route 55 and Pistol Pete's Smokehouse. When asked if the other ribbers should be on the best "rib" game come next Friday, Brynaert said, "They already are." "We took them down a whole bunch of shows last year. Yeah, they're worried," she said in jest. The Crazy Canuck Smokers has been around for approximately 25 years and it is Above, the Crazy Canuck Smokers cooks up some ribs at a ribfest event. The close-to-all-female group, founded and owned by Heather Brynaert, is looking to be voted best ribs and best sauce at this year's The Co-operators Oakville Family Ribfest and take both titles away from last year's winner Kentucky Smokehouse. Below, a line forms at the Crazy Canuck Smokers tent at last year's Ribfest in Oakville -- this will be the group's second year featured at the local festival. There will be nine ribbers at this year's Ribfest, which runs at the Sheridan College grounds, 1430 Trafalgar Rd., from Friday, June 26-Sunday, June 28. | photo above courtesy Crazy Canuck Smokers, photo below courtesy The Co-operators Oakville Family Ribfest no stranger to winning, having taken hundreds of ribs competitions over the years, said Brynaert. Her team is made of two groups operating throughout Ontario, consisting of 15 people on staff, 10 of which are women. "I participated and worked for another team for a number of years and thought, `You know what? I can do this.' And that's what I did. I decided to get my own team," Brynaert said. Without divulging any trade secrets, Brynaert said Crazy Canuck's mission is to create authentic southern style barbecue with a Canadian flair. "It seems the general public likes us because we're friendly and loud and we have a lot of fun," she said. In addition to ribs, Crazy Canuck Smokers offers pulled pork, smoked and baked chicken, homemade baked beans and southern-style coleslaw. As for what sets her ribs apart, Brynaert says it is "absolutely" in the way Crazy Canuck smokes them. "It would also be our rub, which is our own recipe and we pride ourselves in being the saucy ones," she explained. "Lots of people like the sauce." Brynaert says what she enjoys the most about barbecuing ribs is making the people who try them happy. "We get a lot of return people coming back and telling us how wonderful they (the ribs) are," she said, adding she's glad to come back to Oakville's Ribfest for a second year. "I'm very honoured that the Oakville Ribfest has invited the Crazy Canuck Smokers again to their Ribfest. I find their show to be one of the best out there in the circuit, for sure, due to the organizers and how organized and friendly they are." Voting for this year's best ribs and sauce closes at 2 p.m. on Sunday, June 28 and the winner will be announced at 3 p.m. The Best of British Theatre right here in Oakville swan lake June 7 & 10 the duChess oF malFi June 21 & 24 the rise & Fall oF the City oF mahagonny July 5 & 8 titus androniCus July 19 & 22 tiCket PaCkages available 171 Speers Road (at Kerr) Oakville 905-338-6397 film.ca/signature facebook.com/filmca @FilmCaCinemas