Meet the 2025 Judges

Mayor Sid Tobias

Born in Victoria and raised in the Annapolis Valley in Nova Scotia.  Sid grew up on a horse farm in a very small town called Paradise.  ​

He has called Victoria home since returning from several years at sea with the Royal Canadian Navy, a posting to Ottawa and many operations in support of National Security.  

With a Masters in Learning and Technology, he has worked on leading edge Software Development projects, Digital Security and Innovation with the organizations including the Environmental Assessment Office and our Natural Resource Ministries.

He has spent the past 12 years calling View Royal home and currently serves as Mayor of the township.

In his spare time, Sid enjoys gardening and lovingly restoration projects, walking his black Lab and cooking gourmet food for his wife and friends.

Judith Cullington

Judith has been a keen advocate for the performing arts and the creation of a west shore arts and culture centre since the early 2000s. She has been a member of the Juan De Fuca Performing Arts Centre Society since its inception in 2015, serving as President for the past eight years.

 

Judith has over 40 years’ experience working with and for local and senior governments, non-government organizations, First Nations and the private sector. She served as a Colwood councillor (2008–2014), leading the development of the award-winning Solar Colwood program. Judith is an active member of the West Shore Chamber of Commerce and volunteers with the Citizen’s Environmental Network in Colwood (CENiC) in addition to her work with the JdFPACS.

Sasha Moriarty-Schieven

Sasha Moriarty-Schieven is a seasoned theatre professional with 34 years of experience in the performing arts, and is the current Artistic Director for Theatre Al Dente. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Musical Theatre with a minor in Early Childhood Education. Over her career, she has honed her craft through a combination of professional, regional, and community theatre work. With more than 300 performances to her name, Sasha has developed a deep understanding of both performing and directing, having helmed dozens of productions over the past twenty years.

Sasha has been dedicated to teaching theatre to the next generation since 2014, leading numerous camps, classes, and workshops and fostering creativity and performance skills in young artists. 

Sasha's extensive experience with children extends beyond the theatre. Her unique combination of artistic expertise and nurturing skills allows her to effectively teach, mentor, and inspire young performers.

Gary Mathies

Born and raised in southern Ontario, Gary moved to Edmonton then Vancouver and finally on to View Royal where he currently serves as VP on the board of the View Royal Community Association.  

“We are so lucky to have our Community Hall, a gem in the centre of our community”.

In addition to being a Businessman and owner of a food service company for 35 years, Gary is also a seasoned stock car racer, having traveled up and down the west coast of the U. S. and Canada.

Gary has continued to Volunteer for Emergency Support Services (ESS) for 10 years and currently acts as Coordinator for the View Royal Canada Day Celebrations. 

Meet your Host

Jessica Beach

Born and raised in Toronto, Jessica lived in Calgary, Whistler and Vancouver, before calling Victoria home for the past 8 years.

As an independent Recording Artist, Jessica has worked with globally renowned talent to record and release albums, produce music videos and showcase in festivals including; CMW, WCMA’s, Toronto Indie Music Awards, CCMA’s Country Crawl, Junofest and Reeperbahn.

Jessica is a published songwriter and active member of SOCAN and a voting member of CARAS, with Artist support from FACTOR and Creative BC for her latest project, Joan Bessie.

As a Music Educator, Jessica works with students of all ages, specializing in voice and piano training, offering group workshops, performance coaching, private lessons and artist mentorship. www.playamusic.ca

With a Graduate Certificate in Human Resources Management, Jessica has worked with over a dozen businesses and organizations to develop and implement strategic workplace policies and effective people management strategies.

Jessica enjoys being a Mentor with Women in Music Canada, a member of the Board of Directors for Bridges for Women and a member the View Royal Community Association. She is also a parent of 3, raising her family in the township of View Royal.