04/12/2022
It is with heavy hearts, we are saddened to announce the passing of one of our radio family today. Chris Jacques was a volunteer in our music department and was the host of Dub Ditch Picnic Radio for a couple of years before health issues began to interfere with his life. Prior to that, he was a devoted volunteer at CKUW Radio 95.9fm, making some seriously excellent late night radio on Blast Off Spaceman and Outlaw Superstar. To the greater Winnipeg music and arts scene, Chris represented so much more, touching the lives of so many local bands and pretty much everyone whose path he crossed. He was a fierce champion of underground music of all sorts and started three imprints, Dub Ditch Picnic Records, Sundowning Sound Recordings and Prairie Fire Tapes to release and promote the music that he loved, or that he felt needed a larger audience.
Chris was an excellent writer, putting in years of numerous reviews and submissions in at Stylus, Uptown and many other independent ‘zines. He was also an excellent musician in his own right, releasing music as White Dog, as well as in F‑Troop and The Incinerators, and was always organizing events to bring folks together — from Record Sundaze to innovative listening parties. If you’ve been interested or involved in Winnipeg’s rich musical community at any point over the last 30 years, chances are Chris crossed your path.
Most of all, his proudest moments were as a loving husband to Jenn and as a loving father to Magnus and Maisy — our sincerest condolences, thoughts and prayers go out to them during this sad time.
Rest easy Crizwell, you will be deeply missed, but we will strive to carry on your legacy for years to come.
