Moose Jaw Express, November 05, 2025

320

Wilson

$1,085,000

level and none to few stones as per SAMA. Offered at 2x assessment. Contact your realtor for more info.

102-124 Main St Lafleche (SK020992)

$899,900

5-unit retail strip mall, 0.26-acre corner lot, Quality construction with excellent visibility and ample parking. Anchor tenant is a pharmacy occupying approx. 2,700 sq ft, with four additional units of about 1,350 sq ft each. Each CRU is separately metered for gas and power. Priced well below replacement cost!

110- 32 Manitoba St W (SK020695)

Beautiful second-floor commercial space, refinished hardwood floors, large windows , 2,559 sq. ft. ,2 bathrooms, can be tailored to suit the needs, Shared common areas throughout the building are exceptionally well-maintained and in pristine condition.

Craik 160 acres (SK019651)

$499,000 160 Acres (4X40 acre parcels) Just west of resort area Serenity Cove, approximately 155 cultivated acres, assessment is approx. $266,000 for 160, soil is Weyburn light loam.

1050 Vaughan St (SK003710)

$79,900

3 bedrooms and several notable updates, including vinyl windows, vinyl siding with exterior insulation, a refreshed 4-piece bathroom, updated plumbing,home is ready for your finishing touches.With a little TLC, this property holds great potential to build equity!

McCoomb half section (SK020304)

$1,600,000

E of Mossbank, 2 highly productive quarters, mostly Willows Clay soil with gentle slopes and a minimal stone profile - an ideal combination for efficient cultivation and excellent crop performance. 290 cultivated acres, making it well suited for grain, pulse, or oilseed production. Assessment: $595,700.

Kalium Road acreage (SK019507)

$319,000

10.3-acre property has it allprivacy, space, and a great location close to amenities, solid tinned barn, fenced pastures, and a handy shop (heated, insulated, well water,

1435 Sioux Crescent

This spacious bi-level home will appeal to discerning Buyers, offering a move-in-ready home in a great location! Front yard, shed, fenced backyard, 19X22 garage, Air Exchanger, 5 bedrooms, 3 baths, over 1075 sq/ft on main floor, fully finished lower level, updated kitchen & baths.

$419,900

93 Sargent Crescent

MLS® #SK015901

Over 950 sq/ft bungalow. A newly renovated bath with laundry! Gorgeous unobstructed views of the valley & lake make the deck a favourite place to relax! You will appreciate the following features: pergola, firepit, UGS, air conditioning, shed, large lot (7,700 sq/ft), gas BBQ hookup, and 3 bedrooms. $339,000

purchase if you need more space!!

$5,200

1008 Parklane Drive Assiniboia

MLS® #SK019602

3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms spacious bungalow-style home complete with an attached garage. A spacious living room, a well-designed kitchen with an adjacent dining area large enough for all of your important diners! Yes, there is a main floor laundry room! Down the hall, you find a full bathroom & 3 bedrooms!

$250,000

42 Northshore Resort

MLS® #SK006433

Build your dream home on 23,100 sqft with views that you will never tire of while enjoying the lifestyle amenities of the Northshore Resort! Already available with this lot is power, a cistern, and septic tank! Just a few resort features include: access to the swimming pool, beach! $144,900

13 Sunset Boulevard

MLS® #SK010137

The year-round seasonal beauty of Buffalo Pound Lake, surrounded by nature, along with year-round activities, are the perfect place to unwind from city life! Or, settle in permanently! It’s a great commute to K+S or Moose Jaw! The lots begin only 1km from Highway #2, north side of the causeway! $149,900

MOOSE JAW’S HOMEGROWN NEWSPAPER

Veterans remembered as annual poppy campaign hits city streets

Volunteers and cadets braved a crisp Saturday morning on Nov. 1 as the Royal Canadian Legion’s annual poppy campaign continued across the city, with teams stationed at storefronts to collect donations and honour Canada’s veterans ahead of Remembrance Day.

At South Hill Fine Foods, Navy League volunteers Lieutenant William Stevens and Heather Milligan-Stevens were greeting shoppers as they stopped to pin on the familiar symbol of remembrance.

Shoppers Drug Mart on South Hill, where Chief Petty Officer First Class Casper Wilderman and Petty Officer First Class Dylan Neufeld with the Navy League also took part. Both cadets had just begun their shift, but said they were already seeing strong community engagement.

“Yeah,” Wilderman said when asked if community feedback had been positive. “It has been excellent.”

Stevens emphasized that the poppy’s meaning extends beyond a ceremonial tradition.

“We’ve always (participated) ever since we’ve been involved with the Navy

Stevens, who grew up connected to military service, said the campaign represents a personal reminder about sacrifice.

“I’m from a military background, so it’s just something I’ve always been involved with. Even as a kid, (I was involved) through scouting, cadets, and my

Volunteers staffed locations across the city from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with cadets assisting at the intersection of High Street and Main Street North, Canadian Tire, Giant Tiger, Real Canadian Superstore, South Hill Fine Foods, Staples, South Hill Shoppers Drug Mart, Moose Jaw Co-op,

Although Milligan-Stevens and Stevens had only just begun their shift, they said participation appeared steady across multiple sites, particularly at intersections where cadets were visible to passing drivers. Residents were also encouraged to stop by the Legion Lounge for lunch, where a 15 Wing contractor was donating meals in support of the campaign.

“It sounds like (all of our teams have) been doing fantastic,” Stevens said. “They’ve had great participation from everybody coming in and through their areas, (including) our other location in the lot here.”

A separate team was stationed outside

“The importance of the poppy is so we don’t forget the sacrifices that were made for us through the two great conflicts, and all the other conflicts that we’ve witnessed up to today and going forward,” he said. “It gives us a reminder that if it wasn’t for the sacrifices others have made, we could be in a lot worse position than we are today.”

The campaign continues through Nov. 11, with funds supporting veterans’ food, housing, emergency needs, and provincial programs such as PAWS for Veterans. To learn more, visit Legion.ca.

Residents can still donate via poppy trays at participating businesses, the Royal Canadian Legion at 693 Fairford Street West, or by calling the Legion at 306-6925453 for more details.

Moose Jaw-raised filmmaker secures national grant, elevates Sask. cinema profile

A filmmaker with deep Moose Jaw roots is earning national recognition after being selected for one of only 17 Telefilm Canada “Talent to Watch” grants, marking a rare win for Saskatchewan’s film industry and a significant step forward for Indigenous storytelling in the province.

Director and screenwriter Peter Kolopenuk, who grew up in Moose Jaw and still maintains a residence in the city, was awarded funding for his upcoming feature-length documentary POW WOW — a cinematic exploration of the traditions, energy, and cultural meaning of powwows.

“We applied way back in April, so it has been a long wait,” he said. “Then, sure enough, we got the call … and it was really exciting. We’re pretty thrilled about it and just really excited to get to work.”

The project relies on a small core team, including producer Laura Faul, who manages scheduling, sales, and industry communications, and director of photography Anastas Maragos, who helps shape the film’s visual storytelling. Referring to Faul as “the glue that keeps it all together,” he added: “She’s an irreplaceable member of the team. We can’t do it without her.” He said Maragos’ creative approach has helped refine the cinematic style of the team.

Aaron Walker - Moose Jaw Express

Kolopenuk hopes the documentary will deepen the understanding of powwow culture beyond what most viewers have experienced.

“There are so many people across Canada and, really, all over the world who don’t know much about the culture in itself – the traditions, the protocols, and things like that,” he said. “We’re really excited to show that and demonstrate that to the world.”

Kolopenuk, a former Canadian Forces member and Afghanistan veteran, discovered filmmaking while editing videos during his military service. Years later, he taught himself film and editing techniques, launching a career that has steadily accelerated across Prairie First Nations.

He previously earned international attention for In It 2 Win It, an awardwinning documentary released in 2024 spotlighting the fast-growing Indian Relay scene and the rise of young jockey Joe (Jumpin’ Joe) Jackson. In It 2 Win It is now available for viewing on Paramount+.

Annual General Meeting

Thursday, November 13th, 2025 at 7:00 p.m. Golden West Radio

Telefilm received roughly 500 original applications before narrowing the field to 120 and choosing 17 teams nationwide who will split a pool of $3.4 million in grant funding. According to Faul, this is only the third Saskatchewan-based team to be selected since the program began in 2014.

The Moose Jaw Health Foundation Inc. is a non-pro t organization dedicated to raising funds for state of the art healthcare equipment, programs and services for the Dr. F.H. Wigmore Regional Hospital.

The project will be produced through Kolopenuk’s company, One Five Five Films, which specializes in Indigenous cin-

ematic storytelling. The studio has spent years filming powwows, Treaty Day gatherings, sports tournaments, and cultural ceremonies across Saskatchewan.

“Over the years we’ve always been working on our craft and trying to make things more cinematic and … artistically beautiful on screen, so viewers can get the most out of … any content that we create,” he said. “We really focus on the storytelling and the cinematics behind the storytelling.”

Unlike traditional interview-driven documentaries, POW WOW will lean on visual immersion.

“This is going to be more of an experience,” Kolopenuk explained. “We want the viewers to experience something … like the power of the drum (and) the different regalia that symbolize different things … What are we dancing for? What are certain types of dances like?”

“We work very hard to make sure that we’re putting in the best quality content in the industry,” he said. “We’re trying to create things that nobody has done before.”

As excitement builds, he’s focused on honouring the trust placed in his team.

“We’re just really excited to have the honour, and that they believe in our capabilities and our projects … now it’s up to us to prove them right.”

The project’s cultural scope is equally ambitious. The film will incorporate Plains Cree and English language elements and feature dancers and knowledge-keepers from multiple Nations across Saskatchewan. Filming is scheduled to begin in spring 2026, with postproduction carrying into early 2027. The team intends to tour the film through festivals before pursuing distribution.

To learn more about the locally connected film company, visit OneFiveFiveFilms.com.

Cosmo Crafts and Trades Fair offers early start to holiday shopping

Shoppers looking to get a start on their Christmas lists will find plenty of inspiration when the Cosmo Crafts and Trades Fair returns to the Cosmo Seniors Centre this month.

The annual event runs Saturday, Nov. 8 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the centre, located at 235 Third Avenue Northeast. Admission is $2 at the door and children can enter for free.

Organizer Anita Duncan said this year’s fair will be the largest she has managed, featuring more than 40 vendors — including 16 new additions — offering handmade items and everything from seasonal décor, local treats, custom cards, sewing, woodworking, and home-based specialties.

“We have over 40 vendors attending … it will be a great time for people to come out and get a start on their Christmas shopping,” she said.

A small selection of this year’s vendor lineup includes GrandMaPa Signs, Uranus Fudge, Shirley’s Homemade Cards, Home Décor by Iris Craig, Laser Wood Work by J. Taylor, D&N Crafts, Moose Jaw Reflexology, Hawley’s Hobbies & Crafts, and Mischy’s Sewing Den & Crafts, among others. A full vendor list is posted on the Cosmo Seniors Centre Facebook page.

Duncan said demand from crafters was strong again this year, to the point that registration filled early.

“This is my third time (organizing the event), and we have a long waiting list this year,” she said. “We had a super great turnout for the last two, and then we had just the one room. This year, we’ll have both the big room and the small room filled with vendors.”

The concession will be open throughout the day, offering homemade soups, sandwiches, freshly baked cinnamon buns, and an assortment of pies made by staff at the Cosmo Seniors Centre. There will also be a 50/50 draw and, for the first time under Duncan’s guidance, a penny parade — a

Aaron Walker - Moose Jaw Express

classic favourite among longtime Cosmo attendees.

Proceeds from food sales and draws support the Cosmo Seniors Centre and its ongoing community programs. Past programming has included everything from trade shows, card games, and line-dance workshops to rock-painting classes, Canada Day pancake breakfasts, private function bookings for weddings and community events, and live musical entertainment such as Puerto Vallarta’s The Lovers and The Gecko Band — offering something for residents of all ages.

As the annual fall fair returns, Duncan noted that the timing lines up well for the holidays.

“A lot of the vendors will be focusing on Christmas themes, so their items (are likely going to be) ideal for Christmas purchases,” she said, adding that some vendors are expected to have homemade cards that would be an ideal alternative to generic, store-bought Christmas cards.

She hopes residents will come out,

browse the aisles, and support local creators and the centre that hosts them.

“Come down and support the Cosmo Centre, because there are so many things that it does for residents of all ages,” Duncan said.

The Cosmo Senior Citizens Centre is located at 235 Third Avenue Northeast.

For more information on upcoming events and programs, visit “COSMO SENIOR CITIZENS MOOSE JAW” on Facebook or CosmoSeniorCentre.com. The centre can be reached directly at 306-692-6072.

For more information about the fair, contact Anita Duncan at AnitaDunkz@ gmail.com or 306-630-1256.

Editor’s Note

JOAN RITCHIEMoose Jaw Express EDITOR

Every November 11th, Canadians stand in silence as a bugler sends an echoing reminder of those battle fields long ago. It’s a moment that stills time— a sacred pause to remember the men and women who left behind their homes, families, and futures to defend freedom. Remembrance Day is not just a ceremony of tradition; it’s a call to remind us of the overwhelming cost of peace and the fragility of the world we live in today.

The poppy, small and crimson, symbolizes more than memory—it represents blood, sacrifice, and re-

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.

silience. It is a reminder that those who fought in the great wars were ordinary people who faced extraordinary horrors so that others might live without them. Fields that once echoed with gunfire are now quiet, but the peace they secured was not free. It was paid for in youth and in promise. Each year that passes, fewer veterans remain to tell their stories firsthand, and with them goes a living connection to a past that shaped the modern world. It is our duty to ensure that their sacrifices are never forgotten.

Today, we see threats of war and division rise like old ghosts, proof that history never fully fades— it’s a constant reminder that the world is a fragile place. The global stage feels tense and unpredictable. That is why Remembrance Day matters more than ever. It reminds us that peace is not self-sustaining—it requires constant vigilance, empathy, and un-

derstanding among nations and people.

For our children and the generations that follow, remembering is not enough but a deep understanding of not only what was fought for, but why.

They need to see that courage and compassion are not just products of the past, but essential tools for building a better future. By teaching them the meaning behind the silence, the weight behind the poppy, and the stories behind the names etched in stone, we pass on more than history—we pass on hope.

Remembrance Day is both a memorial and a mirror. It forces us to look inward and ask whether we are living lives worthy of the freedoms others died to protect. The world remains fragile, and peace is something that we continue to strive for.

Lest we forget; we will remember them!

Moose Jaw filmmaker’s artwork to support 1970s-themed fundraiser

A Moose Jaw filmmaker is putting his artistic abilities to the test as he creates an artwork to donate to a Regina-based non-profit’s 1970s-themed fundraiser.

Mark Gilliland, a co-producer on the upcoming film “The Silk Scarf,” is decorating a vinyl record to not only promote the movie — to be released next April — but also to support the Regina Sexual Assault Centre’s (RSAC) 50th anniversary fundraiser.

“Let’s boogie like it’s 1975 — RSAC style!” the organization says on its website.

The event takes place on Friday, Nov. 7, at the Conexus Arts Centre, with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $125 each, while the event will include supper, entertainment, a silent auction, a photo booth, a raffle, signature drinks and 1970s-themed fun.

Jason G. Antonio - MooseJawToday.com

Tickets can be bought at reginasexualassaultcentre.ca.

Gilliland explained that he learned about RSAC’s art-focused fundraiser while visiting this spring’s Cathedral Village Arts Festival, an event he always attends because it celebrates arts, music, food and culture.

He stopped by the non-profit’s booth and learned that the organization was giving people vinyl records to decorate. He offered to take a record, paint it, and then offer it for the auction.

Gilliland commended the organization for having “this great idea” of holding a fundraiser where artists did “some cool stuff” on old LPs, with the nonprofit auctioning the artwork during the banquet to make money.

“So it’s kind of a fun, creative way to bring not just fundraising for the Re

Best of Ted Nugent.”

“It seemed fitting … (and) appropriate,” he remarked.

Gilliland plans to paint a scarf on the vinyl record, similar to the one in his upcoming film, while he will attach the movie’s name and paint on other details.

The filmmaker picked up several LP records for the fundraiser — seven decorated records will be coming from Moose Jaw — and is willing to share them with other Moose Jaw artists to decorate. If anyone wants one, they can call or text him at 306-630-3083.

Asked about his artistic credentials, Gilliland said he teaches creative art — fall classes start Thursday, Nov. 13 — at the Moose Jaw Museum and Art Gallery, leads CREATEability classes, paints pictures and forms and glazes clay.

Mark Gilliland, a co-producer on the upcoming film “The Silk Scarf,” displays the vinyl record he is decorating — Ted Nugent’s 1981 LP, “Great Gonzos!” — to not only promote the movie but also to support the Regina Sexual Assault Centre’s (RSAC) 50th anniversary fundraiser.

Photo by Jason G. Antonio

gina Sexual Assault Centre, but awareness too,” he said. “Because unfortunately, their need is increasing.”

The filmmaker noted that decorating a vinyl record was a “win-winwin,” since he could promote “The Silk Scarf” movie, generate awareness about RSAC’s services and support its fundraiser.

Since the upcoming film is about a fledgling rock ‘n’ roll musician, Gilliland chose to decorate a record from rocker Ted Nugent, specifically, the musician’s 1981 album “Great Gonzos! The

Continuing, he said that after he climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in East Africa in 2023, he returned and made clay art to honour his trip — specifically, cave art he saw in a gallery in Arusha, Tanzania.

His artwork — natural clay slabs that replicated the cave art — turned out “really, really super good,” so good in fact that people wanted to purchase his creations. However, he turned down their requests.

“So I love it when I can combine art with other projects, whether it’s film, whether it’s photography in Africa, et cetera, it’s great,” Gilliland added.

*Full Circulation means every home & paper should have this

If you are missing call us @306-694-1322. *Selected Areas means only selected areas were chosen by the business or agency (please call the business).

By Patricia

we have preserved, go to the grocery store to ensure we have a balanced diet or grow your own food indoors!

Gardening in November –

Part I

Although it is cold outside, and winter has hardly begun, I am sowing seeds! I guess that means I might have a bit of an addiction! However, growing useful crops helps the very long winter seem a little bit shorter...and keeps the blues away.

Gardeners get pleasure from gardening as well as the bonus of great home-grown food. We may be tired of gardening by fall and appreciate how nice it is once the frost comes and our outdoor gardening is complete, but we soon are missing the garden and what it gives to us. Thus, living in a climate that does not allow twelve months of growing outside means that for many months we need to either rely on what

Remembering what plants need to grow will help us to determine how difficult it might be to grow food in the winter indoors. Plants need light, water, warmth, oxygen and nutrients to grow. As we are in the Northern Hemisphere, the sun is a long way away from us in the winter months, so supplemental light is necessary in order to get good production. Thus, if we choose to grow anything other than sprouts, we need to invest in a grow light.

Light is one of the most important factors to consider when growing plants indoors. When choosing plants to grow this time of year to supplement your diet, think about the light that they need to thrive and ensure your plants are appropriately situated under your grow light. Follow the directions on the seed packet and remember that generally a seed is planted twice the depth of the diameter of the seed. It is important to keep the media moist to ensure even germination so covering the pot with a plastic wrap until most of the seeds germinate is a good idea.

There are many options available to you if you wish to purchase lights to

grow indoors. You can be completely low tech or go for the latest in LED lights but all this of course also has a price tag attached. Shop around and think outside of the box. You can easily purchase an economical fluorescent fixture that you can install on chains to enable you the ability to move that light close to the plants you are growing.

Once the seeds have mostly germinated, they will need to be put directly under the grow light to ensure the seedlings develop into strong, healthy plants. If you notice that your seedlings are tall and spindly, it is likely because they are not getting enough light. As the seedlings grow, gradually raise the light

to coincide with their rate of growth while leaving the light close but not touching the top of the plants.

Although light is the most important factor for success, the soil also has importance. Most plants like good drainage, so ensure your soil mixture will drain quite quickly. Do not use regular outdoor garden soil but instead invest in a soilless media like ProMix. For good production, you will also need to supply adequate nutrients through fertilizer once the seedlings have used up the nutrition provided by the seed itself. Water as needed to provide an environment that is evenly moist but not wet!

Keep reading the next week for more on growing indoors!

Hanbidge is the Lead Horticulturist with Orchid Horticulture. Find us at www.orchidhort.com; by email at growyourfuture@gmail.com on facebook @orchidhort and on instagram at #orchidhort.

Tune into GROW Live on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/ orchidhort or check out the Youtube channel GROW… https://www.youtube.com/channel/ UCzkiUpkvyv2e2HCQlFl0JyQ? info@orchidhort.com www.orchidhort.com

Families for Change delivers sweet Halloween surprises to local businesses

The week leading up to Halloween brought plenty of adventure as Moose Jaw Families for Change Inc. (MJFFC) participants and staff from the Kinsmen Café stopped by several local businesses on Oct. 30 to deliver seasonal goodie bags and share the spirit of all things

sweet and spooky.

Staff and participants were busy visiting locations throughout the city, including the Western Development Museum, Maple Leaf Bakery, Moose Jaw and District Chamber of Commerce, Moose Jaw Co-op, Seaborn Agencies Ltd., Moose Jaw Housing Authority, the Moose Jaw Express, and others as part

of their community outreach.

The group thanked residents and organizations online for “continued support, kindness, and community spirit,” noting it helps make their programs possible. “We had a great time dropping off Halloween treats to some of our amazing local businesses,” the organization shared.

Festivities began earlier in the week with a Halloween-themed photo scavenger hunt on Oct. 28, where participants worked together to track down spooky decorations around the community.

“A big shout-out to all the dedicated Halloween lovers in the community for your amazing displays — you made our hunt extra fun,” organizers added.

The celebration continued on Oct. 31, when MJFFC hosted a day of pizza, games, costumes and treats, supported by a donation from South Country Equipment.

Founded in 2000, MJFFC is a non-

profit organization providing residential, day program, and vocational supports for people living with disabilities. It operates three food service locations and employs more than 50 people in the community.

MJFFC is located at 335 Fourth Avenue Southwest and can be reached at 306-693-2271. The affiliated Kinsmen Café, open to the public, is located at 431 Fourth Avenue Southwest and can be reached at 306-690-1484.

‘Empty Bowls’ fundraiser returns Nov. 14 to aid supportive housing program

Square One Community Inc. is hosting its fourth annual “Empty Bowls” fundraiser to provide “a heartwarming experience that’s all about compassion, community, and combating hunger and homelessness,” and tickets are now available for purchase.

The Empty Bowls fundraiser will take place in the social hall at Zion United Church with doors opening at 11 a.m. and soup served at 11:30 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 14. Guests receive a bowl of soup, dessert, coffee or tea, and a handcrafted ceramic bowl to take home.

“We’re having our fourth annual Empty Bowls event on Nov. 14, and doors open at 11 a.m.,” said community advocate and event organizer Della Ferguson. “There’s a steady stream of people purchasing tickets this week … so that’s exciting.”

The space has room for 175 guests, so tickets can be purchased until capacity has been reached.

This year’s fundraiser will feature soups contributed by five local partners: Temple Gardens Centre, The Canadian Brewhouse, Boston Pizza, Monty Bennett of the Rotary

Aaron Walker - Moose Jaw Express

two additional positions immediately.

“We have the spaces available, we just need to add to our staff … (so) we can bring in more people,” she said. “With this cold weather (approaching), it’s urgent.”

Club of Moose Jaw Wakamow, and Elyse Simpson of Simpson Seeds. A curated selection of handcrafted ceramic bowls donated by individual artists and a local pottery club will also be available for guests to select and keep.

Additional attractions include a silent auction, an $800 “staycation raffle,” and prerecorded remarks from Dr. Brabant. Square One special projects co-ordinator Maxton Eckstein will also provide an operational update during the lunch hour.

While event proceeds continue to support local housing stability, Ferguson stressed an

urgent staffing need as winter sets in. Square One currently supports 36 clients, offering wrap-around services and evening staff coverage until 10:30 p.m.

“This event is about raising funds, because we really need to increase our staff,” she said. “Right now we are at full capacity … the whole point of what we do is providing wraparound services, so it needs to be of high quality. We need to ensure that we have a good client-to-worker ratio. We need to raise funds so we can get more staff for that to happen.”

Ferguson said the organization hopes to fund at least

Better Together Food Drive totals released

Aaron Walker - Moose Jaw Express

Moose Jaw once again showed remarkable generosity during the Better Together City Wide Food Drive on Oct. 31, with a record number of volunteers — 630 — collecting 46,099 lbs of food and raising $6,072 in support of the Moose Jaw and District Food Bank.

The annual campaign, organized through Hillcrest Apostolic Church and supported by community partners, has been running since 2006 and continues to provide crucial relief to families facing food insecurity.

If you were unable to donate during the drive or if your brown donation bag was missed, additional donations are welcome at the Moose Jaw and District Food Bank at 270 Fairford Street West. Anyone unable to deliver items in person can call 306-692-5600 to arrange assistance.

Square One went fully operational on April 1, when special projects co-ordinator Maxton Eckstein was hired, marking a key shift from early infrastructure planning to the delivery of full wrap-around supportive housing services. The organization is now at full operational capacity, according to Ferguson, and is supported by grant funding and partnerships with local agencies.

“Two years ago we shared the vision of the continuum of care that was needed, and now I say there is a continuum of care. Our sister agencies and ourselves work together to ensure that there are no gaps (in support),” she said.

Above all, Ferguson emphasized gratitude for those who support the fundraiser each year.

“We are just so grateful that we have an incredible community with a heart, and we’re just so grateful of the support that we’re receiving,” she said. “I just cannot tell you the difference it’s making in people’s lives … that’s a gift right there.”

Tickets cost $25 each and can be purchased with cash or by e-transfer with your name, phone number, number of tickets, and the word “bowls” to CommunitySquareOne@ gmail.com.

For more information, visit SquareOneHousingMooseJaw. com, find “Square One Community Inc. Moose Jaw” on Facebook, or email CommunitySquareOne@gmail.com.

Zion United Church is located at 423 Main Street North.

Pouring passion into Prairie Bee: Milburn shares her sweet taste of entrepreneurship

Aaron Walker - Moose Jaw Express

Crystal Milburn never set out to run a winery, but nine summers after “rolling out of bed” and finding herself in one, the Prairie Bee Meadery co-owner said persistence, problem-solving, and a willingness to ask tough questions turned her family’s cherry orchard into one of Saskatchewan’s premier beverage brands.

Milburn was one of three featured panellists at Unlocking Success: Tales from Small Business Owners, held Oct. 22 at the Moose Jaw Public Library theatre. The event was presented by the Moose Jaw & District Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the Moose Jaw Public Library, Moose Jaw Museum & Art Gallery, and the SK Startup Institute during

Small Business Week.

Milburn introduced Prairie Bee’s origin story with a smile.

“I feel like I’m the youngster up here,” she said, referencing the comparatively longer business experience of co-panellists Marcy Duffey and Bob Wells. “We started Prairie Bee in 2016, so we’ve just wrapped up our ninth summer. I feel like I sort of rolled out of bed one day and went, ‘Oh, I’m in a winery now.’”

The vision began when her parents planted cherry trees west of Moose Jaw and opened a “U-pick” orchard. To support it, they introduced bees for pollination and things began to take shape.

“(My parents were) like, ‘Okay, now we’re going to have

a meadery,’ at which point my husband and I were partners in the business with my parents. I said, ‘No, I don’t want to,’ and here I am, 10 years later,” Milburn said.

“The last nine years … have been filled with (early learning moments),” she explained. “I don’t have any background in business management or ownership. Another is that, when I started, I didn’t have any kind of background in mead making.”

Prairie Bee Meadery co-owner Crystal Milburn shares her small-business journey during the “Unlocking Success: Tales from Small Business Owners” panel at the Moose Jaw Public Library theatre on Oct. 22. Photo by: Aaron Walker

One of these early lessons arrived fast. “In July 2016, we’d just wrapped up our first month of selling wine to the public. We were selling alcohol for the very first time, and we have to do month-end reporting … at both the provincial and federal levels, because we’re producing alcohol,” she shared. “We get the form out, and the first thing they want to know is, ‘How much alcohol did you sell last month?’ I turned to Mom and I went, ‘How much did we sell?’ She looked at me and said, ‘I don’t know!’”

The moment taught her to document everything and ask tough questions — even when your business partner is your mother.

“You have to be willing to say, ‘What does this look like? How are we tracking our production and our sales?’” she explained.

Those early stumbles taught Milburn her most important lesson: persistence.

“It’s that willingness to get up tomorrow and try again. Go out and find people who have the expertise ... there are solutions. You just have to recognize that this, too, shall pass.”

One of those solutions was to embrace technology to help solve staffing and quality challenges.

“(We invested) in a large, automated packaging system that has helped us tremendously

… we can work it with just the two of us, if we have to,” she shared.

The Meadery also blends tourism and technology. “We’ve worked with a company to develop an app to deliver trivia games and tours when people come out … and we’re exploring (ways to) use virtual reality technology to deliver experiences to people who can’t come to us,” she said.

Her definition of success centres on autonomy, family, and the lifestyle she and her husband wish to achieve. “If we can run our business and maintain that lifestyle, then we’re happy … for us, that’s having the flexibility to spend time with my kids.”

When asked what advice she’d give new entrepreneurs, Milburn said, “it’s so important that you network,” and that “you have to meet people, make connections, and contribute if you expect to get anything back.” Her marketing advice focused on a strong social media presence. “Create authentic content and get your name in front of people over and over and over again.”

Looking ahead, Milburn said Prairie Bee’s focus is on excellence and sustainable growth.

“I want to keep doing what we do … better than anybody else,” she said, adding that political developments may open new markets in neighbouring provinces. “We’re ready to swing for that pitch if it comes,” she said.

Prairie Bee Meadery is located around 20 kilometres west of Moose Jaw with a storefront at 401 Main Street North. For more information, visit PrairieBeeMeadery.ca or call 306-692-6323.

Appeals Court sides with City of Moose Jaw in property title dispute

The Saskatchewan Court of Appeal has denied an application from a Moose Jaw property owner to overturn a lower court judge’s decision, leaving a downtown property firmly in the hands of the city.

A panel of three justices released a decision recently where it quashed Vernon Lester Anderson’s appeal to overturn a King’s Bench judge’s decision related to 134 Manitoba Street West, which includes the historic 1927-built Morrison Blackwood Hardware Building and an adjacent multi-tenant retail building.

Anderson, owner of D-S Automotive Ltd., opposed Justice Michael Megaw’s decision made earlier this year that fully awarded the property to the City of Moose Jaw through a writ of possession.

The judge awarded this property to the municipality because of a dispute involving Anderson, who refused to pay taxes because he thought a property reassessment was excessive — the value went from $542,300 to $1,724,100, an increase of roughly 317 per cent — and wanted an appropriate level of taxation.

The city used the Tax Enforcement Act (TEA) to acquire the property’s title in December 2021, but Anderson occupied the property from then until this past June, when the city — with help from three deputy sheriffs — evicted him.

Anderson applied to the Appeals Court and contended that the chamber judge erred in several respects, the decision said, including, as the property owner wrote:

• No transcript, no inspection, no standing

• Michael Zlipko affidavit failed to mention my contest to the provincial mediation board. Affidavits missing info

• No response to letter stamped by the City of Moose Jaw. Aug. 24, 2021

• No response from anyone, so I had to go with self-defence #35 Criminal Code

• Judge failed to mention any of my concerns about no inspection and no standing

• The writ of possession was tried before the inspection. Nov. 5, 2024. Judge Wempe wanted the reverse

Jason G. Antonio - MooseJawToday.com

Anderson applied for a stay of Megaw’s decision, pending the outcome of his appeal, but was unsuccessful, the decision said. Also, the city asked the Appeals Court to quash Anderson’s appeal since it was “manifestly without merit.”

“I agree with the city that the appeal must be struck on that basis,” Justice Naheed Bardai wrote on behalf of his two colleagues.

Anderson made three arguments before the panel about why his appeal should proceed, but the judges ruled that none had merit, the justice said.

Anderson’s first argument was that a qualified person did not undertake the proper assessment of his property, which was “in shambles,” was unsafe, had a buckling wall, did not meet basic fire code requirements and was not worth $1.7 million, Justice Bardai wrote. He also argued that his 2016 assessment was just “plain wrong.”

Second, Anderson asserted that he paid his taxes, even if he was late — he paid in January 2022, while the money was due in December 2021 — and third, he said his repeated requests to the city for a new appraisal went unanswered, the decision continued.

In his decision, Justice Bardai said the “fatal defect” in Anderson’s appeal was that nowhere in either the notice of appeal or through additional arguments did he allege a single error of law or fact that Megaw had made, which might have justified the Appeals Court’s intervention.

Furthermore, Anderson did not identify a mistake on the chamber judge’s part in applying the law as it pertained to “promissory estoppel, laches or the granting of a writ of possession,”

once the city acquired the property title, the justice wrote.

Instead, Justice Bardai said Anderson’s complaints related to the process that city hall followed in assessing the property in 2016, the way it dealt with him during the TEA process and how the Saskatchewan Municipal Board handled his concerns.

“… the issues of whether the property was properly assessed or whether the city was entitled to take title under

the TEA were simply not before the chambers judge and were not issues that were decided by him,” wrote Justice Bardai.

Justice Bardai pointed out that this was an “exceptional case” because none of the issues that Anderson raised related to or arose from Megaw’s decision. So, he granted the city’s application and quashed Anderson’s appeal.

The justice added that he declined to award any costs to either party.

By Joyce Walter - for Moose Jaw Express

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.

That man in the photo on the pole is a reminder Reflective Moments

The bright red SUV trolled slowly down Main Street from Caribou to Manitoba Street.

suitable only for school zones. Suddenly, the right hand signal light went on as the ve-

form, one of the 20 new banners erected this year in the city’s veterans’ banner program.

To her embarrassment, a man approached her on the sidewalk, called her by name, and asked if she was okay. She nodded through her tears and pointed to the banner. This man nodded in understanding and joined her in her silence.

duty to country.

Eventually I returned to my vehicle and moved off into traffic, but since that day I have again travelled slowly up Main Street and past my Dad’s banner, giving him a wave. I have also been telling friends and family where he is located, and I’ve been showing off his photo

My Dad passed away in 1994 but his presence is still felt in our family, sometimes sending us into rounds of laughter as we talk about some of the things he said or did during his

His absence in our dayto-day activities is felt more at this time of year as we prepare to observe the Nov. 11 Remembrance Day ceremonies and traditions that remind us of why he and others felt the obligation to

Sometimes I am thankful

I wasn’t born until five years after he returned home, but at other times, I feel I missed an important part of my family’s history, hearing about life at home but not fully grasping that my Mother, brother and sister also sacrificed in the name of

Without fail, Remembrance Day has always been observed by my family, either listening to radio or television broadcasts of Moose Jaw services or by attending events in our rural community. That tradition has continued into my married home and again this year we will stand in two minutes of coast-to-coast-to-coast silence and prayer.

We are not glorifying war, but are saying thank you to veterans, past and present, for their service. The banners along Main Street are an added way to acknowledge the men and women who served from this community and from rural areas.

My Dad would likely shrug off the attention but deep down I know he would appreciate the fact that his family and his community of veterans are being recognized in such a public way. No doubt he would give a jaunty salute to the Moose Jaw Heritage Advisory Committee for taking on this project.

And just a warning to other drivers, I will be on Main Street as many times as possible this month just so I can wave and smile at his photograph on that pole on Main Street.

“We will remember them.”

Joyce Walter can be reached at ronjoy@sasktel.net

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-- Bernard Williams

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Mortlach man gets five years in federal jail for ‘catastrophic’ vehicle rollover

The death of Alec Pattison in a dangerous driving incident in 2024 devastated his girlfriend, Helena Hamm, as the two had been discussing marriage before his life was cut short.

“My last name should have been Pattison,” Hamm said in Moose Jaw Provincial Court on Oct. 29, while reading her victim impact statement during the sentencing of Mortlach’s Tyrel Terence Cronan.

Continuing, Hamm said that while Cronan’s dangerous driving on Nov. 7, 2024, took the life of the 31-year-old Pattison, the incident could “never steal the memories we shared.” However, the incident prevented Pattison from reuniting with his biological children, for whom he had been searching.

“To me, Alec lived his life to the fullest. He helped a lot of people see how precious life was. He fought for those who couldn’t fight for themselves,” said Hamm, noting helped her leave an abusive relationship.

Pattison was patient, loving, caring and kind, while he treated everyone with love, the woman continued.

“I guess Billy Joel said it right when “the good die young,’” Hamm remarked. “Alec came into this world in a blast, and he went out with a big bang.”

Hamm understood that Cronan likely regretted the mis-

too short for her to harbour hate for what her boyfriend’s best friend did by driving intoxicated.

Hamm noted that she couldn’t immediately forgive Cronan for “stealing the love of my life.” However, in time, she expected to forgive the 27-yearold since that’s what Alec would have wanted.

“You cannot change the outcome, but hopefully you can continue his light he (shone) into this dark world,” she said. “Don’t let his death demolish all the values he had in his life.”

The woman noted that on the night of Pattison’s death, she wanted to swear repeatedly at Cronan, but she didn’t since he likely wasn’t thinking of the consequences of his actions. Yet, she was sorry that he now faced the legal ramifications for what he did.

After Hamm concluded, Cronan tearfully said to Judge David Chow, “(I’m) sorry for my actions.”

Judge Chow then reviewed the case, saying Cronan had already pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death. He noted that the Mortlach man had been “plagued with significant struggles” with alcohol abuse over the years, which contribut-

driving-related offences during the last decade, while he was forced to learn lessons “the hard way” — including causing his friend’s death.

“I hope he has learned his lessons,” Judge Chow remarked.

The judge said that, in sentencing Cronan, he was guided by the principles of denunciation, deterrence and public safety. Yet, he pointed out that sentencing the Mortlach man to jail would mean the latter would miss important moments in his children’s lives.

As part of a joint sentence, the Crown and defence suggested Cronan spend five years, or 60 months, in a federal jail, along with a five-year driving prohibition after release.

Judge Chow indicated that the length was “well within the appropriate range,” based on previous case-law examples.

The judge then sentenced Cronan to 60 months, or 1,800 days, in a federal jail, but subtracted 45 days because of the time Cronan had spent on remand after his arrest. This left 1,755 days for the man to serve.

Chow also banned Cronan from possessing non-prohibited firearms or weapons for 10 years and from possessing prohibited

firearms or weapons for life.

As Cronan began to leave the courtroom, Hamm, still on the phone, said to him, “Keep your head up, OK? I’ll forgive you one day, but now I can’t. Keep your head up and know that your family loves you.” Cronan then hugged his family and was led by court sheriffs to jail. 25112BS2

CITY HALL COUNCIL NOTES

THE

NEXT REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING IS MONDAY, NOV. 10

Residents or groups who want to hang banners downtown to celebrate an event or sports team now have new guidelines to reference, including the length of time their flags can fly.

City council received an updated banner policy during its recent regular meeting, with members voting unanimously to accept it.

The policy outlines the process that applicants must follow to have a banner installed — either across Main Street at the Fairford Street intersection or on the city’s 72 downtown streetlight posts — to promote events, festivals, sporting events and fundraising efforts, a report said.

The community services department oversees the assessment and approval of all banner applications; coun-

Updated policy offers clarity for hanging banners in downtown Moose Jaw

Jason G. Antonio - MooseJawToday.com

cil approved the policy in 2019.

City administration said in 2019 that a policy is needed to protect the municipality from possible damage; ensure the safety and security of residents and visitors; ensure that the visual appearance and environment within the municipality is considered; and that the city’s overall brand and message are supported.

Some proposed changes include:

• Updating the policy title to be more general so it includes the Main Street banner and the streetlighttype banners

• Indicating throughout the document that community services is the department that oversees this area

• Updating the maximum display period for the Main Street banner to

two weeks per booking

• Amending policy language to indicate that community services determines the final scheduling of display dates

• Clarifying a clause in section 3 to describe how events are prioritized in scheduling

• Updating wording in section 3 to clarify that the department approves banner applications, not the director

• Specifying when and where groups should deliver the banner to the city for installation

The policy document shows that major city events receive first priority with hanging banners, followed by annual events and events promoting community sports teams as second priority and all other requests in the order the de-

partment receives them as third priority.

Meanwhile, with banners that hang at the Main Street and Fairford Street intersection, the flags must be a maximum length of 45 feet and be 28 inches to 32 inches in height, including snaps, the report continued. Also, the weight of the banner cannot exceed 13 kilograms (30 pounds).

Lastly, for applications that receive approval, applicants must deliver their banners to the community services department on the fourth floor at city hall a minimum of three business days before the scheduled installation date, the document continued.

The report added that city hall does not anticipate any extra costs to update the policy since the program is 100 per cent cost-recovery.

Upgrades to Temple Gardens Hotel net owners five-year tax break

City council is continuing to build its relationship with Peepeekisis Developments Limited (PDL), as it recently approved two motions that deal with activity at the Temple Gardens Mineral Spa and Hotel.

During its Sept. 22 executive committee meeting, council granted PDL a five-year, 100-per-cent property tax exemption, to be applied to the increase in taxable assessment of the venue at 24 Fairford Street East.

This incentive will begin on Jan. 1 of the calendar year following the completion of a recent renovation project.

Furthermore, council approved PDL’s request to purchase the city’s share of the parkade attached to the hotel, as outlined in the “option to purchase” section of the parkade management agreement with the Temple Gardens Hotel and Spa Limited Partnership Agreement.

As part of the deal, the city retains a “right of first refusal” to repurchase the property should PDL decide to sell

Jason G. Antonio - MooseJawToday.com

the parkade, cease operating the hotel and spa, or propose a change in use that doesn’t align with the development’s original intent. This option ensured that the municipality maintained “strategic oversight” of land use and community planning objectives.

Also, council voted to have the mayor and city clerk sign the purchase and sale agreement and all other necessary contracts.

Council later approved the executive committee meeting’s minutes during its recent regular meeting.

During a follow-up interview with MooseJawToday.com, city manager Maryse Carmichael said council approved the tax incentive because of the “substantial investment” that Peepeekisis Developments Limited is putting into the hotel, along with its past renovations of the hotel rooms.

The hotel and spa announced on Facebook recently that it had rebuilt the Morningside Café — including providing an “elegant and practical new prep

area” — and replaced the flooring in the main entrance with “vulcanized rubber” that is less slippery and less prone to cracking.

Carmichael acknowledged those upgrades but noted that other renovations also fell under the tax incentive plan.

Craig Hemingway, director of strategic growth, said council approved the incentives using the tax phase-in policy, a document that offers provisions where certain projects — including renovations — are eligible for exemptions. However, they would apply only to the increased assessed value of the property.

As an example, Hemingway said that if a property or building is worth $1 million, but the owners made renovations that increased that value by $500,000, then the tax incentive would apply to the latter amount.

He also noted that if Peepeekisis Developments finished all its renovation projects before Dec. 31, 2025, then the incentives would kick in the next day.

Hemingway added that businesses should review the tax phase-in policy when either building new or renovating an existing structure to determine whether they would be eligible for a tax exemption.

Meanwhile, Carmichael addressed the parkade, saying the city, the hotel and the casino each own roughly onethird of the venue, so the motion council approved affects only the municipality’s share.

The venue has 322 parking stalls, of which 182 belong to the city.

Continuing, she said PDL contacted city hall about exercising an option in the agreement to purchase the municipality’s share of the parking stalls, a request with which council agreed. The city manager added that the sale price wasn’t public yet, while the sale would be made soon.

MooseJawToday.com was unable to acquire a comment from Peepeekisis Developments Limited before the deadline.

CITY HALL COUNCIL NOTES

THE

NEXT REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING IS MONDAY, NOV. 10

More residents are giving a “poor” rating to transit, water and sewer services, and the maintenance of green spaces, a new report shows, although they appreciate city hall’s customer service, recreation programming and website.

The city conducted its annual “Prioritizing Our Future” survey in September, with the questionnaire featuring 33 multiple-choice and open-ended questions, an Oct. 27 executive committee report said. The municipality also aligned the questions with the five pillars in its new strategic plan.

This year, 522 residents responded to the online survey, down from 700 people who answered last year.

Based on a community of roughly 35,000 people, that means 1.49 per cent of the population answered this year’s survey — although the report noted that those responses were “sufficient” to provide a 4.26-per-cent margin of error with a 95-per-cent confidence level.

Based on the demographic questions, the “typical” survey respondent was female, over age 65, lived in Moose Jaw for more than 15 years, was employed full-time and had no children. Year-over-year comparisons

When asked how people rated their overall quality of life in Moose Jaw, 48 per cent said it was either excellent or good, compared to 30 per cent last year, an increase of 18 per cent, the report said. Furthermore, those saying their quality of life “could be better” or was “terrible” at 31 per cent, compared to 48 per cent last year, “suggesting a shift in public sentiment,” the document contin-

ued.

Transit, water/sewer, and parks upkeep get ‘poor’ grade from residents: survey

Jason G. Antonio - MooseJawToday.com

Also, there was a slight dip in “fine” responses — 21 per cent this year versus 22 per cent last year — that likely indicated more residents were moving toward either stronger positive or negative opinions, the report added.

Asked to rate their experience with city services, the top three year-overyear increases in “excellent” ratings were customer service, recreation programming and the city’s website, the document said. Meanwhile, the top three decreases were with maintenance and beautification of green spaces, water and sewer services, and transit.

Furthermore, the top three increases in “poor” ratings were with transit, water and sewer, and green space maintenance. Conversely, the top three decreases were with city hall’s customer service, website and recreation programming.

Positive improvements

The survey asked respondents what change they would implement to improve the quality of life, the report said.

Improvements to roads and infrastructure received the most mentions this year and last year, while beautification and maintenance of green spaces received more attention this year, the results showed. This possibly reflected residents’ growing concerns about the appearance of public spaces.

Also, taxes and financial management — the fourth pillar of the strategic plan — consistently ranked among the top concerns, “indicating ongoing resident frustration with fiscal issues,” the document said.

Results showed that only 6.5 per cent of residents are “very confident” in the city’s financial management, while 92 per cent want more insight into budget processes and tax allocation, the report noted.

Also, respondents’ main concerns were property taxes, SAMA’s assessments, perceived wasteful spending, and a lack of transparency, the document added.

Strategic plan pillars

The report summarized how certain responses aligned with the five pillars in the city’s strategic plan; pillar four’s results are reported above.

Resident-centric community

The survey results showed that 28 per cent felt valued and engaged as residents, while their common concerns were a lack of transparency, poor communication, limited engagement opportunities and the city’s slow response times to address issues.

Respondents’ main suggestions for improvement included the city having more community events, providing more transparency and offering more opportunities for feedback, the report noted.

“Results from the customer servicefocused questions … revealed frustration with responsiveness and follow-up. While the city app is increasingly used, satisfaction with it is mixed, and many still prefer in-person service due to limitations in online options,” the document stated.

Lastly, more than 61 per cent of respondents chose road repairs and maintenance as a service about which they

wanted to know more.

Economic growth and partnership

Survey respondents deemed support for businesses and entrepreneurs, infrastructure investment and expanded tourism development as the most crucial for growing the economy, the report said.

Respondents’ suggestions for improvements included attracting new businesses and industries, promoting Moose Jaw as an investment destination and creating high-paying jobs to retain residents.

Sustainable infrastructure

Nearly 60 per cent of respondents said they believe climate resilience and sustainability are important, and to address this area, they suggested the city pursue solar initiatives, composting programs, water conservation activities and better road repair practices, the report said.

“A significant portion of respondents expressed skepticism about climate initiatives, emphasizing affordability and practicality,” the document noted.

Vibrant and safe community

Nearly 22 per cent of respondents said Moose Jaw is doing “a great job” with promoting tourism, while 36 per cent say the city is missing opportunities to do better, the report said.

Furthermore, 44 per cent said they occasionally or often felt unsafe, while their main concerns included homelessness, drug use, theft and limited police visibility, especially downtown and in Crescent Park, the document added.

CITY HALL COUNCIL NOTES

THE NEXT REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING IS MONDAY, NOV. 10

Financial support is coming to help Tourism Moose Jaw, which is dealing with “a severe pigeon infestation” at its Visitor Centre that forced it to close the building recently.

During its Oct. 27 regular meeting, city council voted 6-1 to establish an emergency line of credit (LOC) of $73,500 for

Tourism Moose Jaw receives ‘Band-Aid money’ to fix pigeon problem

Jason G. Antonio - MooseJawToday.com

the tourism organization, with the money coming from the municipality’s coffers; full repayment must happen in 2026.

Coun. Dawn Luhning was opposed.

Furthermore, council voted 4-3 to charge interest on the LOC’s outstanding monthly balance at a rate equal to Sco-

Give Back to your Notorious Community and Apply for a Position on a City Committee or Board Today

tiabank’s prime interest rate of less than 1.6 per cent.

In favour were Mayor James Murdock and councillors Heather Eby, Chris Warren and Carla Delaurier, while opposed were councillors Jamey Logan, Patrick Boyle and Luhning.

Tourism Moose Jaw responds

hard.

Fritzke acknowledged that this money is the only way TMJ could continue to operate, since it must “scrimp by” from month to month.

Moose Jaw City Council is seeking passionate Moose Javians who want to make a positive impact within one of our City-led committees and boards.

If you are 18 years of age or older, a Canadian citizen, a full-time resident of Moose Jaw or the region, and have the knowledge, leadership and energy to make a difference, click the Boards, Committees and Commissions page at www.moosejaw.ca to find the committee, board or commission that aligns with your interests, including:

• Moose Jaw Municipal Airport Authority (MJMAA) - 3 region representatives & 3 Moose Jaw resident representatives

As a member, you will provide input and advice to City Councillors and other engaged residents that will help shape decisions on important issues that impact life in the City of Moose Jaw.

City Council values inclusivity, respect and trust and invites participation from community members in the decision-making process. Nominees will have been recruited through an inclusive, transparent, and equitable process and appointments made by City Council will reflect these objectives.

Deadline for completing applications is Friday November 14, 2025. For more information, you can also contact the Office of the City Clerk at cclerk@ moosejaw.ca or 306-694-4424.

Luhning was curious about how the building reached a point where pigeons infested it without anyone noticing. Furthermore, she said that the $73,500 was “a very expensive Band-Aid” that could lead to Tourism Moose Jaw (TMJ) asking for more “Band-Aid money” to address other problems that may arise.

Donna Fritzke, TMJ’s executive director, said this summer, staff noticed several pigeons flying into the attic through vents. So, contractors investigated and determined that the situation “was bad.”

One contractor told Fritzke that the birds sat on the insulation, sank, and died, while he had found “quite a few bodies.” So, the board decided to leave the building to protect the staff.

“It’s unfortunate this has happened. A couple contractors told me the birds have been up there for a few years,” Fritzke said. “But we had never noticed until this summer when one had gone in the vent. We’ve never smelled anything … but they’re definitely up there.

“Yeah, it’s kind of gross,” she laughed.

Pressed about the organization’s ability to repay the LOC, Fritzke said TMJ fundraises regularly to keep operating, while she has become “a glorified fundraiser.” It will be a challenge to repay the money, she noted, but the staff work

City manager Maryse Carmichael said city administration is working with other organizations that support tourism to strengthen that industry since it’s an important economic driver. Moreover, administration will provide council with information about how to restructure the tourism industry to promote it better.

She added that these steps will help TMJ maintain the building and repay the LOC.

In response, Luhning said the organization’s month-tomonth financial survival worried her, while she questioned how it could repay the LOC or add it to next year’s budget when it was already stretched thin.

“I understand (the pigeons are) a problem. I understand we have an issue. I’m just not convinced this (LOC) is the way to do it,” she added.

Starting renovations

In a letter to council, the tourism board said it selected Bulldog Home Renos to restore the building for $50,000, with the company prepared to start immediately.

Continuing, the board said it needed a contingency fund of 30 per cent to cover unexpected expenses, while it required up to $8,500 to rent a temporary trailer should the cleanup take longer than expected.

“Tourism Moose Jaw remains committed to maintaining uninterrupted tourism services for residents and visitors,” the board added.

Inspection report

Tourism Moose Jaw recently received an inspection report identifying “a severe pigeon infestation” at its building, with the resulting contamination making the venue unsafe due to serious health and air quality concerns, a council report said.

Since then, employees have worked in an on-site camper, but with cold weather approaching, this temporary setup is unsustainable, the document continued.

Tourism Moose Jaw submitted an insurance claim to SGI, but the Crown corporation denied the request because the policy does not cover this type of loss, a letter from SGI said. According to the policy, the “perils” that the insurer excludes include rodents, insects or vermin (pigeons), along with other issues such as temperature changes, freezing or contamination.

Budget costs

This year, the organization received $103,628 in municipal funding for operations, while it acquired the remaining 80 per cent of its budget from grants, donations, sponsorships, events, merchandise sales and tourism initiatives, the council report said.

In 2024, TMJ’s building and property maintenance costs were roughly $40,000, leaving $60,000 for marketing efforts, the document continued. Also, the organization constructed the building more than 20 years ago on city-leased land, with the venue valued at $1,075,337 last year.

City administration added that the city now owns the building and rents it to TMJ for $1 a year.

CITY HALL COUNCIL NOTES

THE NEXT REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING IS MONDAY, NOV. 10

City hall has created a framework that comprehensively assesses Moose Jaw’s investment readiness, outlines strategic pathways to attract large-scale international investment and identifies the municipality’s strengths, opportunities and areas for improvement.

The Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Attraction Plan defines the region’s capacity for future industrial growth and catalogues an inventory of existing regional infrastructure, industrial land available for sale, demographic data, prior industry investments and the current business environment, says the document, presented during the Oct. 27 executive committee meeting.

Furthermore, it outlines relevant investment attraction partners with whom Moose Jaw could explore potential investment opportunities and reduce the cost of initiatives, the report continued.

An inventory of all business attraction-related grants, programs and incentives that the provincial and federal governments offer has also been created to facilitate future investment attraction projects, the document noted.

Also, an action plan defines a strategy to attract foreign investment from companies operating within certain sub-sectors by outlining ways to make the municipality visible and accessible, added the report. This can be achieved through structured collaboration, professional data presentation and trade show participation.

City hall hired Edmonton’s Ballad Consulting Group Inc. to develop a report highlighting the city’s economic strengths, identifying growth opportunities and addressing challenges

in attracting large-scale investment, a council report said.

The project cost was $49,860, with the municipality contributing $25,000 and $28,000 coming from the federal CanExport Community Investment Program, the report said.

The city will use the remaining $3,000 in federal money for marketing initiatives to support the report’s recommended actions, while it will apply for similar funding in 2026 to support the plan’s recommended actions.

The council report summarized the main findings from the FDI assessment.

Economic advantages

Moose Jaw’s geographic and infrastructure assets position the city as a competitive location for industrial development, the report said. This includes:

• Moose Jaw is situated at the intersection of Highways 1 and 2, with access to major transportation corridors

• Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) and Canadian National railways serve Moose Jaw and enhance freight flexibility and reach

• The city is near the Regina International Airport and the Global Transportation Hub, the latter a designated foreign trade zone that supports international logistics and trade

• Moose Jaw has “competitively priced” and readily available industrial land, including the agri-food industrial park

Growth opportunities

The report highlighted some high-potential sectors that align with Moose Jaw’s existing “industry clusters and regional strengths,” including:

New framework aims to attract foreign investment to Moose Jaw

Jason G. Antonio - MooseJawToday.com

• Targeted sectors, including manufacturing, with a focus on food and beverage processing; mining, quarrying, oil and gas extraction, and potash and fertilizer production; and agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

• Priority sub-sectors, including animal feed production, cereal production, and frozen food and snack food manufacturing

“These sub-sectors demonstrate strong growth potential, compatibility with local supply chains and alignment with federal and provincial innovation clusters,” the report noted.

Challenges

While Moose Jaw possesses significant advantages, the report also identified several barriers to investment attraction, including:

• The absence of a dedicated economic development website and centralized investor information limits visibility and accessibility

• Moose Jaw’s profile in international investment circles remains low and necessitates targeted marketing and outreach

• Limited participation in trade shows and industry events restricts the generation of leads and building of relationships

• An aging labour workforce and gaps in sector-specific skills constrain growth in targeted industries

Recommendation actions

The FDI report outlined a nine-point action plan to improve Moose Jaw’s investment readiness:

• Either redesign the city’s dedicated economic development web page to exclusively include investor-

focused content or build a new website

• Keep updated lists of information that potential investors want — like industrial land and incentive programs — and review and revise those lists semiannually

• Streamline development processes to reduce approval timelines and increase transparency

• Work with other regional economic development partners to share resources and amplify outreach

• Participate in trade shows, conferences and other events to build a municipal brand and generate awareness about regional investment opportunities

• Consider hiring a dedicated economic development specialist to lead FDI initiatives, attend events and be an industry-focused contact

• Offer more intensive financial incentives for new industrial developments and business expansion to generate employment opportunities in targeted industries

• Develop a business retention and after-care program for existing industries and to support investors

• Establish performance metrics to monitor and evaluate FDI attraction efforts

“When developing a foreign direct investment attraction plan, it is important to have a structured and deliberate strategy that differentiates the City of Moose Jaw from other municipalities in the eyes of potential investors,” the FDI document added.

“This begins with ensuring that the relevant data on the regional capacity for new industrial investment is read-

ily available to investors, the municipality, and other stakeholders so that they can make informed strategic decisions on development.”

Council later voted to receive and file the report.

CITY HALL COUNCIL NOTES

THE NEXT REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING IS MONDAY, NOV. 10

A proposed document to attract foreign investment generated plenty of questions during city council’s Oct. 27 executive committee meeting, including what makes a company “foreign.”

After receiving a summary of the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Attraction Plan, Coun. Patrick Boyle asked Andrew Martin with Ballad Consulting Group Inc. what qualified a company as foreign and where its head office needed to be located.

Martin replied that foreign companies can have a branch or operations in Canada, but the types of businesses the plan wants to attract operate on a global scale. So, Ballad wants to help Moose Jaw “tap into

New report to help Moose Jaw ‘tap into’ global investment markets

Jason G. Antonio - MooseJawToday.com

countries. For example, large conglomerates like Yara International heavily invest in Saskatchewan’s mining industry and can invest large sums of money into economic development initiatives.

Martin added that a foreign company will usually have Canadian ownership of less than 50 per cent.

Boyle also asked whether Ballad had researched whether foreign companies would support expansion projects with irrigation or treating effluent.

Martin replied that Ballad saw no opportunity for foreign investment in those categories.

“From the engagement that we’ve done, we identified areas that would have the best return for foreign direct investment attraction initiatives,” he said, “because we know that the city has limited resources and would like to see the best possible return on investment.”

could see the city redevelop its economic web page. That could include adding more information to the page, redeveloping or redesigning the entire website or creating an investment-focused website connected to the city.

Continuing, Martin said the FDI initiatives also have various time frames, with short-term goals ranging from 12 to 18 months, medium-term goals from 18 months to five years, and long-term projects taking over five years.

Therefore, the range in dollar figures for every recommendation was “so large” that the information was pointless, Martin added.

Martin added that there may be some economic benefit for provincial or national companies to bid on those types of projects, but having foreign companies pursue those initiatives would not be a good use of foreign resources.

Coun. Chris Warren asked whether Ballad had estimated the costs to pursue the nine recommendations to improve Moose Jaw’s investment readiness and created steps to

Martin said the consulting firm developed high-level financial estimates, but they were “highly variable” and based on the city’s commitment to each recommendation.

For example, one recommendation

Asked about grant funding, Martin said the consulting firm reviewed whether there was anything for municipalities. However, most provincial and federal incentives are for businesses. So, Ballad suggested creating an inventory on the city’s website so investors can see what’s available for their industries, which may incentivize them to invest here.

Martin added that there are roughly 850 total grant programs available, so Ballad wants to help Moose Jaw identify the relevant ones so the industry doesn’t have to search for them.

Warren then asked city administration whether it would provide council with a report about its proposed FDI-connected business plans, including estimated costs and budgets, along with timelines for completion.

Warren added that having zero understanding of the cost to implement these recommendations was “challenging to approve from a governance perspective.”

Craig Hemingway, director of strategic growth, said his department would present a report at budget time for a revised website with a dedicated economic development focus.

Continuing, he said his team will share the Ballad report with its economic development partners. He noted that it’s good for those partners to “know where our potential is,” and even if city representatives are not at trade shows, those partners can advocate for Moose Jaw.

“It’s a big document and we’re still trying to absorb what’s in there,” Hemingway noted.

Hemingway added that administration plans to incorporate “a lot” of key performance indicators (KPIs) into the enhanced economic-focused website to measure where and to whom the city promotes the site and track where the audience is located.

CITY HALL COUNCIL NOTES

THE NEXT REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING IS

City hall is considering reducing the number of outdoor skating rinks it manages by turning five into well-maintained “hubs” and encouraging community associations to manage the rest.

City council received the 2026 outdoor rink renewal program report during its recent regular meeting, with members unanimously approving it.

The program’s objective focuses on implementing recommendations from the 2023 parks and recreation master plan, which outlined a 10-year vision for delivering parks and recreation services, the report said.

The master plan suggested that city administration develop a renewal plan for aging outdoor rinks and the skating oval and continue exploring partnership opportunities with neighbourhoods and community associations for the ongoing maintenance of those venues, the document continued.

It also emphasized the need to ensure “summer functionality” to use those spaces year-round.

Some recommendations in the renewal program include:

• Decommissioning all skating pads, including those at Elgin Park and Henleaze Park

• Transitioning Kinfield Park, West End Park, Smith Park and Clark Gillies Recreation Area outdoor rinks to community-maintained sites and providing the necessary equipment

• Building or renovating multipurpose buildings at Kinsmen Regal Heights Park, Moose Square, West End Park and Clark Gillies Athletic Area

Lack of resources could lead to fewer outdoor rinks in Moose Jaw

Jason G. Antonio - MooseJawToday.com

MONDAY, NOV. 10

• Replacing the lights and sound system at the oval in Wakamow Valley

• Developing a replacement plan for rink boards and concrete pads, while integrating basketball courts and year-round use

• Upgrading fleet equipment for better rink and winter trail maintenance

• Developing an outdoor rink light replacement plan that aligns with the city’s climate action plan

The total estimated cost to pursue these projects exceeds $3 million, requiring a longterm phased plan, the council report said.

While decommissioning skating pads at Elgin Park and Henleaze Park results in two fewer surfaces, the city will still retain a higher-than-average number of outdoor ice surfaces based on benchmarking measurements, the document said.

“The transition to community-use surfaces will require public engagement and support from the department (of community services) to achieve the current standards occurring at Veterans Peace Park or Kinsmen West Park community-run outdoor rinks,” the report continued.

The report noted that the recreation master plan identified a way to compare Moose Jaw’s outdoor rinks to those of other communities. It pointed to the United States’ National Parks and Recreation Association, which set a benchmark standard of 13,123 people per outdoor ice surface.

Based on that measure, Moose Jaw has 10 more outdoor ice surfaces than comparable communities, which places the city “well-above the

national average,” the document continued.

The data showed that Moose Jaw had one ice surface for every 2,244 people, compared to Prince Albert, which had one ice surface for every 18,878 people.

The report added that due to insufficient staffing levels and an increased focus on forestry maintenance and winter trail snow clearing, the department “lacks the resources” to meet the weekly maintenance standards for outdoor rinks.

Scott Osmachenko, recreation services manager, told council that the skating pads do not have concrete surfaces or boards. Instead, they have grass surfaces with lights that city crews flood annually — they must haul water to Henleaze Park, which is labour-intensive — to create ice sheets.

Continuing, he said there are 15 outdoor ice surfaces in Moose Jaw — 11 have heated shacks with washrooms — with a 16th being constructed on the new joint-use school site. City hall’s goal is to create five hubs of high-quality priority 1 outdoor rink surfaces that could also be used year-round.

“That’s the ultimate goal of the plan,” Osmachenko stated.

Osmachenko pointed to West Park and VLA as the “two biggest success stories,” where residents took on the maintenance of those outdoor rinks. He added that the department believes it can maintain the five hub surfaces while also providing a high level of service for other neighbourhood rinks.

Coun. Patrick Boyle said that modern outdoor rinks have plastic fencing and concrete pads that can be used yearround. Conversely, city hall is

looking at rehabilitating rinks with “old green boards with dirt (surfaces).” So, he agreed with reducing the number of rinks and workload on staff and increasing the quality of the five hubs.

Call for Applications: Moose Jaw Board of Police Commissioners

The City of Moose Jaw is inviting applications for citizenat-large members to serve on the Board of Police Commissioners. This is a vital opportunity to contribute to public safety and community oversight.

We are seeking individuals who demonstrate high ethical standards, integrity, and a commitment to public service. Ideal candidates will possess:

• Understanding of police governance and strategic policy-setting roles

• Experience in budget planning, financial oversight, or fiscal governance

• Proven leadership and collaboration skills

• Respect for diverse perspectives and knowledge of Indigenous and community dynamics

• Capacity to address complex issues with resilience and enthusiasm

• Willingness to meet weekday time commitments for monthly meetings

Eligibility: Must be a Canadian citizen, 18+, and a resident of Moose Jaw. City employees and contractors are not eligible.

Required: Resume, cover letter, current criminal record check, and two reference letters.

Deadline for Applications: Friday, November 14, 2025

Submit applications to: City Clerk’s Office, 228 Main St. N., Moose Jaw, SK S6H 3J8 or email cclerk@moosejaw.ca.

Apply now on the Board of Police Commissioners page at www.moosejaw.ca and help shape the future of policing in Moose Jaw!

CITY HALL COUNCIL NOTES

THE NEXT REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING IS MONDAY, NOV. 10

Mayor James Murdock was the only member of city council to file expenses during the third quarter, with his costs related to classes about the role and responsibilities of an elected official.

In August, Murdock spent $424 to attend a mayor’s summer school program in Regina, through the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association (SUMA), according to a recent council report.

Meanwhile, the report noted that the other six members of council did not file any expenses between July 1 and Sept. 30.

In comparison, during the first six months of 2025, the mayor’s expenses totalled $673.35, while the six council members spent a total of $2,514.27.

Mayor Murdock only council member to file expenses in Q3: report

City administration presented the report during the Oct. 27 executive committee meeting, with the document looking at the discretionary expenses of the mayor and councillors during the summer months. The expenses include eligible items such as business-related travel, professional development and community engagement.

The appropriate documentation accompanied all the expenses, with city administration finding that everything complied with the policy guidelines, the report said.

“The implementation of this (Mayor and Councillor Expense) Policy has enhanced financial oversight, standardized expense management and reinforced the values of integrity and accountability

Jason G. Antonio - MooseJawToday.com

among elected officials,” the document stated.

“This reporting reflects the city’s ongoing commitment to transparency and responsible use of public funds.”

The municipality’s remuneration bylaw has set discretionary expense appropriations at $3,000 annually for each councillor and $10,000 for the mayor.

The policy shows that ineligible expenses include alcohol, tobacco or other “contraband”; expenses incurred that promote for-profit organizations, third parties, other levels of government, political parties or candidates during election campaigns; theatre, sporting events, concerts, movies, or live music; or gifts for council members, city staff or employees of other municipal agencies,

boards, commissions or special-purpose bodies.

Other ineligible expenses include professional fees, professional memberships or insurance charges; training that is unrelated to city business; traffic or parking tickets; physical fitness, sports, or arts programs; clothing rentals; or using consultants or external legal services.

The policy added that the city manager is responsible for monitoring and ensuring that council members comply with the document and will take “appropriate corrective actions when required.” Also, the city manager will review each expense submission and verify that members incurred the expenses during city-related business.

Increases to recreation fees for 2026-27 year approved by city council

City hall expects to receive $131,000 more in revenues from higher recreation fees next year, while it also expects to see a three-per-cent increase in overall expenses to operate those venues.

City council received the 2026-27 parks and recreation rates and fees policy during its recent regular meeting, with

Jason G. Antonio - MooseJawToday.com

members unanimously accepting it.

This was the first time since 2023 that council raised the rates, after declining to impose a facility improvement fee during the 2025 budget discussions.

“Revenues from facility rentals, (growth in) memberships and program attendance have remained strong throughout the year, supported by adjustments to facility seasons, the expansion of membership benefits and ongoing reviews,” a council report said.

The department of community services does not believe that raising user rates to improve cost recovery is a sustainable strategy for increasing revenues or reducing subsidies, the document noted.

Instead, the past three years have shown that expanding programs, enhancing membership benefits and making rentals more accessible have driven revenue growth.

Moreover, the city’s focus has been on boosting attendance at venues while keeping services affordable — an approach that the department considers to be more sustainable in the long term, the report continued.

The 2026-27 rates and fees recommendations are based on several factors, including objectives and guiding principles in the policy, recent Consumer Price Index (CPI) increases in recreation of 2.8 per cent and labour costs in the recent collective agreement, the document noted.

The recommendations are also based on comparative reviews of rates in other Saskatchewan cities, historical rate increases for the department and year-overyear cost recovery rates for recreation venues.

Proposed changes

The 2026-27 proposal prioritizes revenue growth through increased attendance, expanded membership benefits, spontaneous programming and marketing, the report said. Furthermore, free programming will continue for youths, families and seniors to ensure these “vulnerable populations” have access to recreation services.

The main changes include:

• A 25-cent increase for drop-in admission rates, which affects all adult and family punch cards and memberships

• A three-per-cent increase in adult turf rentals, arena rentals and room rentals

• A five-per-cent increase to outdoor

athletic fields and diamonds

• A $5 increase to use the Yara Centre batting cage

• Adding specific rates for the Phyllis Dewar Outdoor Pool to clearly define pool rental rates and the establishment of a daily swim meet fee

• Adding defined lifeguard staffing fees as per the aquatic safety plan

• A new one-time set-up fee for athletic fields to address the cost of surveying and marking fields for one-time uses

• Adding electrical light fees for athletic fields and lawn bowling green fees to the policy, which were not previously listed

Financially, city hall expects to see revenues increase by $131,434 next year over this year, going from $2,272,003 to $2,4303,437, the report said. Furthermore, it expects expenses to increase by $601,315 year-over-year, going from $4,453,283 to $5,054,598. Therefore, the net expense is projected to increase by $469,881 yearover-year, going from $2,181,280 to $2,651,161, the report added. This means the cost recovery percentage will decrease from 51 per cent this year to 48 per cent next year, meaning the city must subsidize indoor recreation venues more than before.

CITY HALL COUNCIL NOTES

THE

NEXT REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING IS MONDAY, NOV. 10

City hall has released the results from its 2025 “Prioritizing Our Future” survey, which asks residents questions about quality-of-life issues and the areas on which they want the city to focus.

Below is a summary of those results. Strategic Plan questions

Question 1 asked residents whether they thought the municipality’s strategic plan reflected the priorities that mattered to them.

Of the 511 responses, 61.8 per cent said either very well or somewhat well, 35 per cent said not very well or not at all and three per cent had no opinion.

Question 2 asked respondents whether they felt valued and engaged.

Of the 506 responses, 28 per cent said yes, 37.5 per cent said no and 34 per cent offered an open-ended question about why they said no.

Question 3 asked an open-ended question about what would help respondents feel more connected.

Question 4 asked respondents to rank seven economic-focused initiatives based on how crucial they were to grow the economy.

Respondents said infrastructure investment, support for local businesses and entrepreneurs, tourism development and promotion, downtown revitalization, investment attraction and industry diversification, workforce development and talent attraction and regional and indigenous partnerships.

Question 5 asked how important it was for the city to prioritize climate resilience.

Of the 514 responses, 59 per cent said very or somewhat important, while 40 per cent said not so or not at all important.

Question 6 asked an open-ended question about what other environmental projects respondents wanted the city to prioritize.

Question 7 asked about how confident people were about the city’s financial management and transparency.

Of the 512 answers, 40 per cent said very or somewhat confident and 59 per cent said not so or not at all confident.

Question 8 asked respondents whether they wanted the city to provide more insight into the budget process and how or why tax dollars are allocated.

Of 515 responses, 92 per cent said yes and seven/ eight per cent said no.

Question 9 asked how the city could improve people’s trust in local governance.

Of 512 responses, the answers were: more accountability for how decisions are made and implemented, more transparency with decision-making and budgeting, opportunities for meaningful public

An in-depth results review of city hall’s ‘Prioritizing Our Future’ survey

Jason G. Antonio - MooseJawToday.com

input and engagement, better communication and updates from city officials, and improved customer service and responsiveness to residents’ concerns.

Other people also said they already trust city governance, while some offered an open-ended answer to “other.”

Question 10 asked whether people thought Moose Jaw was doing its best to be a tourist destination. Of 516 responses, 58 per cent said yes or somewhat and 41 per cent said not really or unsure.

Question 11 asked respondents how safe they felt in Moose Jaw. Of 519 responses, 46 per cent said they consistently or generally felt safe, roughly 10 per cent felt neither particularly safe nor unsafe and 49 per cent said they occasionally or often felt unsafe.

Question 12 asked people to explain why they felt unsafe.

Question 13 asked how respondents would rate city services.

Of 520 responses, 49 per cent said poor to road maintenance/repair, 41 per cent said good to recreation venues, 38 per cent said good to recreation programming, 36 per cent said good to accessibility, 32 per cent said good to green space maintenance/ beautification, and 32 per cent said fair to sewer and water.

Furthermore, 34 per cent said good to waste/ recycling collection, 25 per cent said good to city hall’s customer service, 35 per cent said good to the city’s website and 29 per cent said good to the city app.

Meanwhile, 31 per cent said they did not use transit, 44 per cent said they did not need any permitting or licensing, and 29 per cent said they never use bylaw services.

Question 14 asked how satisfied people were with the city’s communications about programs and services. Of 514 respondents, 66 per cent said they were very satisfied, satisfied or somewhat satisfied, while 33 per cent were somewhat dissatisfied, dissatisfied or very dissatisfied.

Question 15 asked respondents what service or program they most wanted details and context about. Of 505 respondents, the top three areas were road repair and maintenance — with a whopping 61.78 per cent — followed by rec programming and green space maintenance/beautification.

Question 16 asked respondents how they preferred to receive information about city programs and services. asked which social media platforms people use.

Quality of life

Question 18 asked respondents to rate their overall quality of life. Of 517 respondents, 48 per cent said either excellent or good, 20.1 per cent said fine and 31

per cent said either could be better or terrible.

Question 19 asked people if they had contacted the city in the past year. Of 519 respondents, 75 per cent said yes and 25 per cent said no.

For survey takers who responded yes, question 20 asked how they had contacted the city about an issue. Of 393 respondents, 38 per cent said by phone, 34 per cent said by the app, 11 per cent said through the website, 11 per cent said in person, two per cent said by mail and five per cent said by “other.”

Question 21 asked people how satisfied they were with the response and resolution to their concern with the service app. Of 347 respondents, 58 per cent said they were very satisfied, satisfied or somewhat satisfied, while 41 per cent were somewhat dissatisfied, dissatisfied or very dissatisfied.

Question 22 asked people whether they used city hall’s services more now that the hours were extended. Of 500 respondents, 26 per cent said they rarely interact with city hall, 22 per cent said they prefer to handle everything online or weren’t aware of the extended hours, 18 per cent said they use in-person and online services and 12 per cent said they visit city hall more often.

Questions 23 and 24 were open-ended questions about why people chose in-person services over online and how the city’s customer service could improve.

Questions 25 to 32 were demographic questions, while Question 33 asked an open-ended question about what change people wanted the city to implement to improve the quality of life.

Dispersals, Bred Heifers

CITY HALL COUNCIL NOTES

THE NEXT REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING IS MONDAY, NOV. 10

Regular burials at Rosedale Cemetery next year will cost three per cent more, while a new surcharge will be added for in-ground burials in the winter.

The community services department conducts an annual review of rates and provides a recommendation to its advisory committee on the possible changes and how they could affect the budget.

The rates often require annual increases to offset the inflationary costs of maintaining and operating Rosedale and Moose Jaw cemeteries and to ensure the fees align with the rates in other Saskatchewan communities, an Oct. 27 city council report said.

The department’s recommendations for next year were based on several factors, including:

• A review and assessment of burial trends, specifically, full-casket burials versus cremation burials

• A comparison of cemetery rates from other communities

• Projected cost increases and histori-

Inflation, maintenance costs force increases in cemetery fees in ’26

Jason G. Antonio - MooseJawToday.com

cal cemetery cost recovery rates

Furthermore, a rates calculation chart ensures that the discounted rates for children and veterans remain at a consistent percentage lower than the regular rates, the report said. This means a regular child or veteran grave will always be 50 per cent of the regular rate. Areas of increase

A summary of the 2026 adjustments shows:

• Regular adult burial rates will increase by three per cent to $2,122 from $2,060

• Veteran burial rates will rise by three per cent to $1,061 from $1,030

• Casket outer container handling fees will increase by 20 per cent, to $107 from $89

• Double cremation section grave purchases will now be calculated as a single cremation grave plus a supplementary fee, resulting in a fourper-cent increase

• Columbarium rates are increasing by five per cent to $3,512 from $3,345

• Niche disinterments will now see a fee charged that is equal to the opening and closing of the niche; the cost will be $176 from $150

• A grave licence transfer fee of $50 will be implemented

• A winter burial surcharge of $125 will be implemented for in-ground burials that take place between Nov. 1 and March 31

In-ground burials take place after the snow has fallen and the ground has frozen, and to complete, requires additional staff time, preparation and equipment, the report said.

Furthermore, staff must remove surrounding monuments to allow heavy equipment to access the area, while snow clearing must be done to mark and check a grave, the document continued. Also, staff must clear roads and walkways to allow access to the gravesite during burials.

However, the winter burial surcharge will not apply to interments in columbaria.

Meanwhile, city administration rec-

ommended that a minimal grave licence transfer fee be implemented to cover administrative costs to transfer the ownership of graves, the report said. This includes completing paperwork, updating cemetery records and issuing a cemetery certificate to the new grave owner.

Data shows that there were 43 full casket burials and 132 cremation burials last year, while this year, those numbers are projected to be 37 and 147, respectively, the document noted. Therefore, cremations represent 80 per cent of all burials.

Financial implications

In 2026, city hall expects to see total revenues of $352,598 and total expenses of $548,112, leading to an expected loss of $195,514, the report said. This means council will have to subsidize this area by 39 per cent next year.

In comparison, revenues this year were budgeted at $381,740 and expenses were budgeted at $500,602, leading to a loss of $118,862, which meant council had to subsidize this area by 24 per cent, the document added.

Business owner permitted to open new shop on Highland Road

A business owner who wants to move his operations out of his home and into a standalone shop will be allowed to open a new venue on Highland Road, city council says.

During its Oct. 27 regular meeting, council voted unanimously to approve a discretionary use application from Peter Jablonowski for a “plumbing/electrical supplies and service” shop and “indoor storage rental” venue at 33 Highland Road. That property is in the C3 vehicle-oriented commercial district, where plumbing/electrical and indoor storage are classified as discretionary use.

With the application approved, Jablonowski must now submit a development and building permit to city hall for review before he can construct the new building.

“I believe it will be a good prime location for my shop, as there are other

Jason G. Antonio - MooseJawToday.com

businesses around that are similar to my shop,” Jablonowski told council, adding that he wants to expand his business ventures so he can continue serving Moose Jaw.

In his discretionary use application, Jablonowski said the building would be either 6,250 square feet or 7,500 square feet in size. Of that, roughly 2,500 square feet would be dedicated to his electrical business.

“It will be a home base for employees to meet at and be a shop to store my supplies, trailers, materials, etc.,” Jablonowski wrote. The other three (lots) will be leased in the future … (and will) be used as light industrial.”

Historical records show that a business owner purchased the property from the City of Moose Jaw in October 2012, while council approved a discretionary use application for a “contractor’s office

and yards” that December, a council report said.

However, the owner did not proceed with the development, while the property has remained vacant since.

The zoning bylaw allows plumbing or electrical sales/service use in the M2 heavy industrial district and M3 mixeduse business park industrial district, while being discretionary in the C3 district, the report said. Properties around 33 Highland Road are mostly zoned C3, except for the nearby Moose Jaw Exhibition Grounds, which are zoned CS district.

There should be no major impact on the existing infrastructure, while the only noticeable effect will be “slightly more” vehicle traffic, the document continued. However, the traffic effect will be limited since there are similar businesses nearby that have the same impact.

“An additional business, such as this proposal on Highland Road, could potentially have positive impacts on the surrounding businesses and future developments, as it attracts more people to the area,” the report noted.

Meanwhile, the project is expected to place a low demand on the city’s water and sewer services, although Jablonowski must submit a site servicing plan for review during the development and building permit process, the report said.

Jablonowski must also submit a site grading plan for review to ensure that he is properly managing stormwater runoff and directing it toward the city’s rightsof-way instead of adjacent private properties, the document continued.

The report added that city hall received no comments from nearby businesses about the proposed project after informing them of the initiative.

107th YEAR REMEMBRANCE DAY SERVICE

Tuesday, November 11, 2025

The Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 59 Moose Jaw 1919 - 2025

10:45 NATIONAL ANTHEM

10:47 Invocation: Padre Doug Shepherd

Scripture: Padre Doug Shepherd

Message: Padre Doug Shepherd

Prayers: Padre Doug Shepherd

Last Post: Brent Chiglione

Moment of Silence - Lament: Piper Michelle Gallagher

Service Conducted by Padre Doug Shepherd 10:45

Rouse: Brent Chiglione

Act of Remembrance: Padre Doug Shepherd

107th YEAR REMEMBRANCE DAY SERVICE 1919 - 2025

The Service will be conducted by PADRE DOUG SHEPHERD

THE ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION BRANCH 59 693 FAIRFORD ST W will be open at 11:30 am

ARRIVAL OF COLOURS AND GUESTS

NATIONAL ANTHEM INVOCATION SCRIPTURE

Final flag-lowering ceremony bittersweet moment for Legion

It was a bittersweet day for Moose Jaw’s legion, as it held its final beer sale, meat draw, 50/50 raffle, Chase the Ace fundraiser and flaglowering ceremony at its old location.

Roughly 50 people packed Branch No. 59’s lounge on April 19 for “the final show” at the Royal Canadian Legion’s 268 High Street West building. The organization’s lease at its 98-year-old headquarters expires May 1, so it is moving to 693 Fairford Street West.

Many walls inside the lounge were bare, with outlines of where pictures, dart boards, neon signs and stained-glass windows once were, while boxes were stacked in corners and against walls.

The afternoon’s highlight was the final flaglowering ceremony, which saw most everyone in the lounge go outside to watch veterans Jim MacNeil and Alex Cameron bring down the Canadian flag — ANAVETS members across the street also came out to watch — while the sound of a bugle performing “Sunset (Retreat)” blared from a speaker.

The tune is traditionally played at the end of the day to withdraw troops from their tasks and move back to their barracks/camp for the night. It can also be played ceremonially when lowering a flag or as a substitute for the Last Post.

Christine Simpson, and after the ceremony concluded, the group marched back to the lounge to finish socializing.

“It was an awesome, awesome experience, a once-in-a-lifetime (event) and I wouldn’t have missed it,” said MacNeil, who has been a member for more than 50 years.

He admitted that he had had so many positive experiences there and he couldn’t pick just one outstanding moment. However, helping lower the flag and supporting the annual Poppy Campaign were two activities he enjoyed.

It was “a sad day and a happy day” for members, since many had been there for more than four or five decades — in military and civilian roles — and were all united in caring care for veterans, said Simpson.

“… this place has been here for (nearly a century) and it’s sad to see us leave here,” she continued,” but we’re looking forward to the new legion because it’s time for a move and bring new memories, new stories, new everything to the new place.”

The legion president said she was emotional watching the flag descend the flagpole, even though she had been a branch member for only 11 years. Still, she noted that many good things had happened there over the century, while it was easy to understand how special the venue was by listening to stories from veterans and civilian members.

Legion highlights a century of memories from its High Street location

With Royal Canadian Legion Branch No. 59 moving in May to 693 Fairford Street West, here are some memorable moments from its time at its 268 High Street West location.

“We have been in this building for almost 98 years. It holds thousands of memories of great times and there have been challenges,” said Norma Richardson, the legion’s public relations officer. “We now have the opportunity to carry on to a much newer, but smaller, building and keep our branch active.”

Quoting the late Art Waters, secretary-manager from 1972 to 1976, Richardson added, “In all these ways, Moose Jaw Branch No. 59 of the Royal Canadian Legion has kept the ‘old torch’ burning and lit ‘new fires’ each year. May we long continue to do both.”

joined the Great War Veterans Association of Canada, which was located at the fire hall on Saskatchewan Street.

West, where the Grant Hall Hotel is now. The building had bedrooms, while club rooms were where “the chief interest was the BEER,” according to legion records.

the branch received its charter on Oct. 16, 1926, while the Ladies Auxiliary received its charter a month later.

accommodate the growing membership, but an offer from the Community Hotel Association to buy the property brought mixed feelings. The offer nearly destroyed the organization, but the sellers finally won.

and property, while the branch temporarily moved to the second floor of the old Market Building. This money, plus $5,000 in donations, helped construct the building at 268 High Street West.

officially opened on Nov. 11, 1927, at 2 p.m.

The late 1920s

Jason G. Antonio

The new building’s basement had a library, recreation rooms, storage, washrooms, and a checkroom. Heating was by coal, followed by oil and then gas.

The main floor had a spacious auditorium, a small kitchen, a checkroom and a secretary’s office. The second floor had rooms for permanent and transient residents and a caretaker’s suite.

The organization had trouble with its basement hardwood floor because when heavy rain came and the sewer cut-off was not closed, over a foot of water and residue filled the basement, documents show. When the floor dried, it warped and heaved.

In the early 1940s, the legion used its rooms for meetings, executive board activities, a ladies’ lounge, the caretaker’s suite and a night watchman’s quarters.

In 1946, the legion added to the building’s north side for extra space for games in the basement, plus a kitchen, a stage on the main floor, a cement basement floor, and new furniture. This cost $22,000, which the organization raised in 10 days after appealing to citizens.

In the 1950s, the legion spent roughly $40,000 for washrooms, floor coverings, décor, furnishings and a new electrical system. In 1959, provincial liquor legislation introduced licences for properly managed veterans’ clubs and organizations.

Meanwhile, the organization officially opened its Memorial Lounge on Oct. 21, 1960.

The legion made many improvements in the 1960s, as it disposed of old furniture, renovated the kitchen and installed air conditioning. It also purchased a house on

In 1965, the legion added to the building’s east side, which provided more auditorium space for dart boards and an office and lounge downstairs, plus auxiliary heating and air conditioning.

The cost was roughly $80,000, and the organization completed the project in February 1966. Meanwhile, the provincial mixed drinking law came into effect in 1968 and changed the atmosphere of the branch’s life, documents show.

The Flood

On April 18, 1974, the legion’s bingo was about to start, but water was seen coming from the west up High Street, so bingo players received back their money and were told to leave.

When they left, the water was over the curb and covered the sidewalk. Members moved all the documents from the basement office to the upstairs auditorium, while others moved the basement carpet, records show. Furthermore, the bar was closed and the power and gas were shut off.

Water was a foot deep when members left, and while High Street was flooded, it was dry two blocks north. The next day, when members returned, they found water almost to the top of the basement stairs, while chairs and tables were floating, along with cigarettes and empty bottles.

Everyone rallied to the cause, which helped the lounge reopen a month later.

1970s and ’80s

In 1975, the legion completed a large maintenance project that included removing and blocking windows in the auditorium, painting the auditorium and lounge, retiling the washroom floors and repairing the original roof. In the ’80s, it installed an elevator and a ramp, which involved extensive expansion of the front entrance.

1990s

From the 1990s into the 2000s, the legion continued with maintenance projects, new carpets, replacing the old Formica tabletops with wood and purchasing more houses on the east side to expand the parking lot.

In 2014, the organization renovated the kitchen, and in 2015, made extensive renovations to the building and auditorium, including a new roof, duct work, electrical, painting, and refinishing the wood dance floor.

The legion received $50,000 from the estate of Philip Hartley Heaton, a founding member and Life Member, so it renamed the auditorium the Philip Heaton Hall.

The pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020 and legion business stopped. The aging

building was expensive to maintain and the organization did not have the funds to carry on, so it sold the building to a Chinese realtor and signed a five-year lease to rent back the basement lounge.

Battle of Vimy Ridge was a pivotal moment for Canada 108 years ago

April 9 marks the 108th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge, a pivotal First World War battle that contributed to Canada’s growth as a country and its reputation worldwide.

The Vimy Foundation, an organization dedicated to preserving the memory of this event, which raged from April 9 to 12 in 1917 and killed 3,598 soldiers and wounded 7,004, has highlighted some stories of the 11,285 soldiers whose names appear on the monument in France.

Brothers in blood

Privates Rollie and Norman Ash were black brothers from Antigonish, N.S., who served with the 26th Battalion (New Brunswick).

Norman, born on June 2, 1897, in Antigonish, was the fourth child of James and Ester Ash. He worked as a labourer and exaggerated his age by two years when he enlisted on July 6, 1916, at Truro, N.S., joining the 106th Battalion (Nova Scotia Rifles). His older brother Rollie, born on Sept. 6, 1894, and employed as a horseman, enlisted just four days later.

The brothers departed Halifax with the 106th aboard the SS Empress of Britain on July 15, 1916. Upon arrival in England, the unit was disbanded and its men reassigned. Norman and Rollie were transferred to the 26th Battalion and arrived in France on Sept. 28, joining their new unit in the field by mid-October near Lens.

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In January 1917, the 26th was stationed in northern France, rotating through the trenches around Lens. While large-scale combat was rare during the winter months, patrols and raids remained deadly. On Jan. 16, 1917, Rollie took part in a trench raid and was reported missing, later presumed dead. His body was never recovered.

Norman remained with the battalion and fought in the successful assault on Vimy Ridge on April 9. Weeks later, while under heavy shelling near Neuville-St.-Vaast, he sustained a contusion to his left knee and was hospitalized at SaintCloud. After a month of recovery, he rejoined his unit in time to take part in the attack on Hill 70.

On Aug. 15, 1917, the first day of the battle, the 26th advanced through heavy machine gun and rifle fire. After reaching their objective — an exposed stretch of shattered earth dubbed “Norman Trench” — the men dug in by hand while facing repeated German counterattacks. Pte. Norman Ash was killed in the day’s fighting. Like his brother, his remains were never recovered.

The Ash brothers’ names are engraved side by side on the monument.

A Stanley Cup champion

Lt. Francis Clarence McGee, known as “One-Eyed Frank McGee,” was born on Nov. 4, 1882, in Ottawa, Ont.

Before the First World War, he was a talented hockey player, despite losing his left eye in an amateur game. This injury did not deter him from achieving remarkable success, as he won the Stanley Cup three times with Ottawa and set a record for the most goals scored in a single Stanley Cup game (14).

His contributions earned him a place in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Despite his partial blindness, McGee enlisted in the military and became a lieutenant in the 21st Infantry Battalion. His nephew, Frank Charles McGee, recounted how he managed to pass the eye exam by cleverly covering his blind eye with one hand, then switching hands instead of eyes while reading the chart — tricking the examiner into believing both eyes were functional.

McGee was wounded in the knee in 1915, an injury that should have ended his military service. However, he returned on Aug. 21, 1916, as a motorcycle dispatch rider. On Sept. 16, 1916, he was killed in action at Courcelette during the Battle of the Somme.

His brothers, Charles and Walter, also served, with Charles’ name commemorated alongside McGee’s on the Vimy Memorial.

A restless spirit

Pte. David Footuransky was born in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Dec. 25, 1895. A curious and adventurous young man, he emigrated from Ukraine to Toronto with his family in his early teens, joining the city’s growing Jewish community.

True to his restless spirit, he once ran away to the United States and was arrested for illegally hopping trains — a story that hinted at his thirst for experience and the wider world.

When the First World War broke out, Footuransky

and his friends enlisted in search of adventure and he joined the Canadian Expeditionary Force on Aug. 9, 1915. But beneath his boldness was a deep concern for his family. Before departing, he purchased a life insurance policy and told his mother to buy a house if he didn’t return.

Tragically, Footuransky was killed on Nov. 18, 1916 and his body was never recovered. When the notice of his death arrived, his sister, overwhelmed by grief, threw away the letter to spare their mother further pain. It was months before the family learned what happened to him.

Thanks to Footuransky’s foresight, his family purchased a home in Toronto. There, they opened their doors to other new immigrants, helping others begin their lives in Canada — just as Footuransky had once done.

New 15 Wing commander trained at airbase nearly 30 years ago

Col. Adam Carlson is no stranger to 15 Wing Airbase or the City of Moose Jaw, as he earned his pilot wings at the military training venue in 1997.

Now, nearly 30 years later, he is the new commander in charge, a designation that was made official during a change of command ceremony at the O.B. Philip Complex on June 12. The Kamloops, B.C.-born colonel is taking over from outgoing Brig.-Gen Daniel Coutts, who had been wing commander since 2023.

Brig.-Gen John Alexander, commander of 2 Canadian Air Division (CAD) in Winnipeg, presided over the ceremony. He pointed out that the base commander is similar to a mayor of a small town.

Before this new role, Carlson graduated from the Air War College in Montgomery, Alabama, in 2024, with a master’s degree in strategic studies. Before that, he was posted to 2 CAD as director of air force training.

“I’m incredibly proud and honoured to be here. There is a lot of trust given to me and it is significant,” Carlson said after the ceremony.

“As a military aviator and commander now, the weight of that command is significant because I have to serve and lead this team and I’m responsible,” he continued. “And I want to make sure everyone does

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their best but also look after the team.”

Carlson added that he felt that pressure while signing the certificate that symbolized the official transfer of command to him.

The incoming base commander said it was “interesting” to return as the new leader after training here from 1996 to 1997. He pointed out that student pilots have one singular focus: to learn to fly, perfect those skills and become the best.

“And then to come back here as the commander, it’s pretty special because you can walk the ramp (where planes take off) … and … it brings back the memories,” Carlson said.

The colonel reflected on past wing commanders he’s known over the years. When he was in Ottawa overseeing the national cadets and junior rangers programs, he interacted with an officer who was wing commander when he was a student.

Continuing, he said that was “very interesting” since he must now live up to the same expectations that he imagined past wing commanders had. Moreover, he doesn’t want to let down his new team.

The airbase commander said he was “super excited” with Ottawa’s recent investment of billions of new dollars

into the military. He thought 15 Wing’s challenge would be to prepare students to fly the most advanced planes and train them to become knowledgeable leaders.

Besides producing the best pilots, Carlson will also focus on transitioning 15 Wing to the new Future Aircrew Training (FAcT) program while attempting to make the base a better place.

Meanwhile, the wing commander said he had a wonderful week walking around the base, meeting everyone and learning about their jobs. He expressed appreciation at how many different people contribute to a singular mission, while he compared 15 Wing to one big family.

Final words

During the ceremony, outgoing base commander Coutts gave his final speech, saying it was an honour to serve at 15 Wing. Furthermore, he was satisfied with what the organization had accomplished in those two years.

Continuing, he said he arrived at the end of the coronavirus pandemic, which had shut down most training programs. Moreover, there were few students to train, while the waitlist to attend was long. However, everyone at 15 Wing pulled together, which helped training rebound.

Meanwhile, he commended the Snowbirds for being a “deeply impressive” group. He noticed how hard the group worked to connect with Canadians, which included having a social media presence that was larger and more popular than the entire Canadian Forces.

“The professionals of this team … has forged, and continues to forge, a critical link with Canadians,” Coutts continued. “They exemplify the skill and discipline of not only what we do in pilot training, but also the wider body of warfighters across the (Royal Canadian Air Force).”

Coutts added that he was privileged to serve with 15 Wing personnel and would forever remain their biggest fan.

‘Joy … unconfined’: Reflecting on the 80th anniversary of VE-Day in WWII

After six years of occupation, war and bloodshed in Europe, the front page of the Times-Herald newspaper’s May 8, 1945, edition used only one word to celebrate the war’s end: Victory.

Other headlines in that edition included “Joy … unconfined” and Canadians “react giddily, tearfully, prayerfully” to news of the war’s end.

Eighty years ago, on Victory in Europe (VE) Day, Nazi Germany officially quit the Second World War after the Allied powers — including Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States, the Soviet Union, and other countries — defeated the fascist regime on the water, in the air and on the ground.

“When the records of the Second World War, a conflagration that has swept over the two hemispheres, come to be compiled, it will be found that Moose Jaw’s sons and daughters have played a prominent part in the downfall of the European enemy, and will play a similar definite part in the smashing of Hirohito’s

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Japan,” an editorial said.

Moose Jaw’s population in 1945 was just over 20,000, with 3,465 men and women “playing their part in defending civilization from being trampled underfoot,” by serving in the army, navy and air force, and in the women’s divisions of those forces, the article continued.

The number of residents who served was just over 17 per cent, so with one out of every six people leaving home “to fight a common foe,” that left a hole in many homes.

Of those “sons and daughters” who enlisted, 1,986 remained on duty in the Dominion, while 1,479 went overseas to fight, with nearly 200 of those men paying “the supreme sacrifice.”

Meanwhile, for more than five years, relatives and friends of those serving suffered anxiety and suspense, but that suspense was over with the conclusion of the European war, the editorial said.

“In the sea, on the land and in the air, Moose Jaw men and women have fought

and brought glory to themselves and to their hometown. They have seen the faroff places of the world and carried the battle of the enemy from the Arctic to the Equator,” it continued.

“They have taken part in convoy duty on the broad Atlantic, in northern waters and the Mediterranean. They have sailed landing craft and the multitudinous craft that go to make up the Canadian Navy. Some have (even) served in the Royal Navy.”

Local soldiers fought in Hong Kong, Italy and Western Europe, and during the six years of war, someone could have asked, “Anyone here from Moose Jaw?” and there would have been an affirmative response, the article said.

Men also fought with the Royal Canadian Air Force and Royal Air Force and flew over tropical and Arctic lands and dust-laden deserts and jungles.

Meanwhile, Moose Jaw’s women played “an equally heroic part,” and while their duties mainly occurred in Canada

since they filled men’s jobs so the latter could fight, many tended to the wounded and sick on the battlefields of Europe.

The article also highlighted many men who received military honours for their efforts during the war.

Of note, Major David V. Currie received the Victoria Cross — the highest military accolade — for “an act of valour that aroused the admiration of the whole of Canada.” His defensive stand at Falaise, France, in August 1944 prevented many German troops from escaping even though Currie had few soldiers at his disposal. His actions also helped end the three-month-long Battle of Normandy.

Other medals that Moose Jaw men received ranged from the Military Cross to the Distinguished Conduct Medal to Mentioned in Dispatches. One seaman, R.J. Bergin, received the Purple Heart after serving in the United States Navy.

VE-Day at 80: Canada’s manpower and natural resources powered the Allies to victory

The Times-Herald newspaper’s special supplement on May 8, 1945, celebrating the end of the Second World War in Europe provided an in-depth look at Canada’s efforts at home and abroad.

“Our army shares in great victory,” read one headline, noting that “Canadians played (a) leading part in (the) toughest battles of (the) European war.” These battles occurred in the hot, blistering sun of Sicily and Italy and the rain, cold and mud of France, Belgium, Holland and Germany.

Some major battles included Dieppe in August 1942, Sicily in July 1943, the Italian campaign from September 1943 to January 1945, Ortona, Italy in December 1943, the D-Day invasion in June 1944, the Battle of Normandy from June to August 1944, campaigns in the Netherlands from late 1944 to early 1945, and northern Germany in spring 1945.

The supplement also had a full page describing how pilots “found their wings over the rolling Prairie” while training with the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan from December 1939 to early 1945.

This program turned out more than 131,000 airmen from Canada, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Poland and elsewhere, while it led U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt to dub Canada the “aerodrome of democracy.”

There were hundreds of training sites across Western Canada, with Moose Jaw hosting No. 32 Elementary Flying Training School, a Royal Air Force school, from 1940 to 1944.

The front lines

The newspaper supplement had an

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article featuring comments that were “informal, homey and, at times, ‘straight from the shoulder’” from Maj. Ed Hudson, 1st Battalion, Black Watch, who spoke to the Rotary Club at the Grant Hall Hotel a day before V-E Day.

The cook sent word at 2:30 p.m. that dinner was ready, while the padre was present to say grace after he “sneaked up the back way to see us” since it took him more than an hour to reach the building.

Then, despite being in a war zone, for over three hours, the men grabbed their food in groups and ate turkey, pork chops, potatoes, peas, stuffing, brown gravy, Christmas pudding, rum sauce,

Hudson — wounded twice in Italy and once in Belgium — discussed a letter he sent to the next-of-kin of his company, and while reading extracts from the letter, he interspersed many stories of incidents from the front that, “alternately, gave place to a solemn hush or nearly ‘raised the rafters’ because of their delightful humour.”

The letter discussed the soldiers’ celebrations of Christmas Day 1944, although they only had Christmas supper on Jan. 7, 1945, since “such is life at the front within gun range of your friend, the enemy,” as Hudson put it.

Yet, the Canucks wouldn’t let “Jerry” stop them from celebrating in the traditional Canadian way, he said. They created a banquet room in a battered house that used to be three storeys but had been “so well ventilated” by shells and bullets that it was now one storey.

tea, cake, cigarettes, chocolate bars, chewing gum and “a real orange.

The officers and senior NCOs washed dishes and served the men, while the padre served the potatoes and peas since the soldiers felt they “couldn’t trust him with the rum sauce.”

“If you could only have seen the eyes of those men, it would have repaid you a million times over for the parcels, as it paid us for our efforts,” said Hudson.

Despite the “thunder of guns and death walking almost within hand’s reach,” Santa Claus did not overlook “the jolly little party” because every man received a bag with an apple, 115 Canadian cigarettes, chocolate bars, nuts, chewing gum and candy.

The event concluded with a Highland

dance, beer, a movie and a group picture.

The home front

Meanwhile, on the home front, the war showed how Canada’s “vast natural wealth” was vital to the world’s peace since the Dominion’s supply of food, minerals and laboratory production “greatly expanded” during the conflict.

The article indicated that Canada had the world’s third-largest forest land, which provided the raw materials for products such as Mosquito bombers and fuel wood. This yield of pulpwood increased by over 200 million cubic feet during the war.

Furthermore, Canadian mining reached new highs as the Dominion led the world in producing asbestos, nickel, radium and platinum and was second in aluminum, gold, mercury and molybdenum.

Moreover, Great Britain’s wartime demands for food kept Canadian cattlemen busy providing that market with beef, bacon and other meats, while new agreements assured the producers that they would have access to that market for a long time.

Britain’s biggest needs were for meat, dairy products, eggs and poultry. These requirements increased Canadian cattle production by 32 per cent and hog production by 123 per cent.

Meanwhile, data from 1944 showed Canadian city-dwellers produced 60,500 tons of vegetables from their 226,000 Victory Gardens, farms produced 458,240,000 bushels of wheat, an increase of 60 per cent from the previous year, and Canada produced 40 billion kilowatt hours of electricity, with one-twentieth of that going to the United States.

VE-Day at 80: Moose Jaw’s celebrations in 1945 were less ‘boisterous’ than in 1918

Moose Jaw held ceremonies on May 8, 1945, to mark the end of the Second World War in Europe, but these observances were not the “boisterous type” that marked the end of the First War.

Instead, as the Times-Herald reported, residents observed VE-Day as the end of a chapter — with a further horrible war still in progress against the Japanese that wouldn’t conclude until Sept. 2.

“Many residents remembered those who had gone away to fight and will never return,” the article said. “To others, it was a day of rejoicing that sons, daughters, fathers and brothers had come safely through the ordeal of battle and been spared to return to their homes.”

The day before VE-Day, residents decorated homes, downtown businesses and vehicles with flags and bunting, while many dogs wore red, white and blue colours on their collars.

One business, Cooling’s on South Hill, decorated its window with pictures of many young residents from that area who served their country.

Meanwhile, on the morning of VE-Day, many churches held services to commemorate the conflict’s conclusion. Many events included hymns, prayers, poems, Holy Communion, and even a sermon featuring a victory speech that a British general gave earlier that morning.

A solemn and religious undercurrent marked VEDay in the afternoon, as thousands of residents gathered on Main Street to witness a parade and a public service of thanksgiving held later in the arena rink.

The parade included the Legion Air Cadet Band and long lines of marching men, including red-coated

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Mounties, veterans of the South African (Boer) War, the First Great War, and the Second Great War, a unit from Canada’s First Canadian Division that fought in Italy, other army divisions, and several army bands.

The procession included decorated floats, trucks and cars, and other paraphernalia that make up a celebratory parade. The march was led by “the indispensable Const. ‘Mickey’ Mackey and his motorcycle,” followed by cars carrying the mayor and members of city council.

A parade entry that attracted much attention were three Russian Cossacks in uniform, mounted on fiery steeds that, at times, called for expert horsemanship to control, the article said.

This “colourful pageant” moved up Main Street, turned onto Ross Street and into the arena, with citizens pouring into the building until it was packed “in a manner reminiscent of the old Miller hockey games,” the report continued.

Legion president H.R. Nickelson led the ceremony, which was quiet and religious and, compared to the “rampant war-end hysteria” that swept through Canada and the rest of the world, was “singularly absent” from city streets that day.

Mayor J. Fraser McClellan gave a brief address and honoured all in uniform and thanked God for the “unflinching men in battle” and the great war leaders. Every time he mentioned names, the crowd cheered and whistled in support.

“Now left,” the mayor added, “is the joy of looking forward to reunion with loved ones who will be

returning home from battle.”

There were prayers, hymns, a minute of silence for the fallen, a prayer for remembrance, and more hymns. Afterward, many people marched to the memorial cross

in Crescent Park, where two servicemen placed a wreath to remember the fallen. The crowd stood “hushed in silence” as the bugle sounded The Last Post and Reveille.

A highlight of the parade was that 27 original members of the 77th Battery, Royal Canadian Artillery, who were from Moose Jaw and had just returned from overseas service, were permitted to attend the VE Day observance.

A celebration was held that night at the armoury, with residents packing every inch of the building following the arrival of military personnel from the mile-long parade “that probably surpassed anything of its kind attempted in the city before,” the article said.

Organizers were forced to change the program because the “tremendous crowd” hampered maintaining a proper schedule. Yet, the program continued, and people were gripped by the Sea Cadets raising the Canadian flag, while the singing of O Canada “was a striking reflection of the sentiments and feelings of those present.”

A pageant and dedication service followed the main ceremony, with numerous community groups, students, schools and military personnel supporting these efforts.

“The fireworks display that followed on the racecourse enclosure was a great treat for the younger generation, to many of whom it was something entirely new, for fireworks in Canada during the five years and more of war have been few and far between,” the article said.

The evening then closed with a dance at the armoury that went “until a late hour.”

VE-Day at 80: Allies freed people from ‘shackles of Nazi slavery’

Editorials celebrating the end of the war in Europe and an article with comments from the King were some stories the Times-Herald featured in its May 8, 1945, special edition.

This is part four in a four-part series commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe, commonly known as Victory in Europe Day (VE-Day).

Victory Day in Europe

“Victory Day! Victory in Europe over the Nazism of (Adolf) Hitler and his foul breed. Victory after five years

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ever unleashed against the human race,” an editorial said.

In giving thanks for the “deliverance from our enemies,” the editorialist encouraged residents to approach God’s heavenly throne “in (a) humble and contrite manner,” praying that the victors would be worthy of the victory and of bringing the justice of right “into a wasted and chaotic Europe.”

Moreover, that day was a solemn national thanksgiving to God, who guided the Allied nations through the storm and led them into the calm of peace.

“We have been delivered from the shackles of Nazi slavery, from the horrors of Hades of which we have read … . Thanks be to God for such deliverance,” the editorial noted.

Continuing, the editorial said that Germany’s leader had put his trust in might and waged a war that was “more merciless, more hideous and more cruel than that unleashed by any barbarian despot in history.” Yet, the world mounted its strength to remove Hitlerism and Nazism from the earth.

VE-Day was a time of retribution for Germany since all Germans knew they would pay for supporting or condoning what their government did, the editorial said. After all, compared to the sympathy people showed the Germans on Nov. 11, 1918, Nazism merited no sympathy since it was incompatible with permanent peace and the ideal where individual freedom was assured and fear of the oppressor had ceased to harass humankind.

that family of nations … ,” the editorialist said. “It is the task of the United Nations to restore order out of chaos and it can only be done with a firm hand.”

The editorial added that citizens should also thank God for all Allied workers who, during the monotony of factory life, worked day and night to produce war material to make VE-Day possible.

His Majesty’s Empire message

An article featured comments from King George VI, which he uttered during a worldwide broadcast on VEDay.

With the “dreadful shadow of war” passing far from citizens’ hearths and homes, they could now pause for thanksgiving before turning their thoughts to the task of bringing peace to Europe and the world, he said.

The King remembered those who died during the war, saluted those who fought for the victory and thanked those who served at home while “shouldering their many burdens.”

“In the darkest hours, we knew that the enslaved and isolated people of Europe looked to us: their hopes were our hopes; their confidence confirmed our faith,” he said. “… we did not falter and we did not fail. We kept faith with ourselves and with one another … .”

“Self-determination is assured to all nations, great or small, but Germany must establish her right to enter

The King said he was comforted that those six years of darkness and danger in which the children of Britain and the Empire grew up were over forever. He added that the Allies’ efforts would be considered a failure and the blood of those killed would be in vain if the victory did not produce a lasting peace.

Moose Jaw-area women reflect on emotional pilgrimage of remembrance to Europe

Three Moose Jaw-area women who travelled to the Netherlands to honour their veteran fathers are reflecting on how emotional the pilgrimage was and what it meant to walk that “sacred” ground.

Carole Nelson, from Moose Jaw, Lana Hebert, from Moose Jaw, and Joanne Haig, from Rouleau, visited the Western European country with the group “In Our Fathers’ Footsteps” to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Dutch liberation and the end of the Second World War.

All three gave glowing reviews of the tour.

On the march

Haig said the tour was well-organized and exceeded her expectations. They attended 22 ceremonies — Canada’s Governor General was at one — and parades, walked 20 kilometres to emulate the soldiers, visited the four main Canadian war cemeteries and appreciated how the Dutch people welcomed them with open arms.

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The Rouleau resident said emotionally that it “definitely was” worth it to walk where her father, Joseph A. Braconnier, fought. The tour shed more light on his activities, which was helpful since Braconnier didn’t say much about his experiences.

Before the tour began, Haig and Hebert visited the community of Hilversum. There, they searched for the home of Joanne and Gerry Aalders, who housed their fathers — they helped celebrate Braconnier’s 21st birthday — during the war.

The Aalders later sold their home and moved to New Zealand in 1974.

Two Dutch women had to point the two Saskatchewan women toward the house because the latter’s GPS device malfunctioned. Haig said it “was awesome” to find the home, but the owners weren’t around because it was a holiday. So, she and Hebert peeked through the windows and took a picture of themselves outside.

The friends then joined up with the 132 other tour participants the next day.

Pilgrimage of remembrance

“I don’t call it a trip, I call it a pilgrimage, because in reality, that’s what it really was,” said Hebert.

It was incredible to walk in the footsteps of one’s father and understand the sacrifice that many young men made, and to experience the reverence that the Dutch people have for every soldier, she continued.

“We almost felt guilty — we did feel guilty — because they kept thanking us … ,” Hebert remarked. “Eighty years later and these people have just not forgotten.”

Hebert’s father was John Kenneth (JK) Budge, who served with Braconnier in the 10th Infantry Brigade in the 4th

Armoured Division. She said she felt his presence on the trip “over and over and over.”

The group spent much time speaking with seniors everywhere, while there were “constant tears” during the conversations, said Hebert. There were many sacred moments, while every day was emotional.

Canadians have a poor grasp of the war’s carnage because they weren’t conscripted — or worked to death — to build bunkers for the Germans, nor do they dig up bombs in their backyards, Hebert continued. Conversely, the Dutch have those connections, which is why they remember.

The Moose Javian described the battlefields as “sacred” because of the Allied soldiers’ sacrifices and how “there is blood in that ground.” They had to “hang tough” in the face of difficulty, which is not something Canadians face today.

During the final day in Holland, a senior bought Hebert and Haig ice cream and then emotionally told them how much he and the Dutch people owed them for their freedom. This act, she noted, was deeply moving.

The trip was ‘so worth it’ “It was fantastic,” said Nelson, who honoured her father, WTE Finan, who served in the 12th Army Tank Battalion (The Three Rivers (Trois Rivieres) Regiment).

Nelson described the trip as emotional, educational and enlightening. She was particularly impressed with the group’s historians and the knowledge they imparted along the journey.

The tour started in southwest Holland in

the Scheldt, a location of intense fighting between the Germans and Canadians, she recalled.

The Germans levelled the area and flooded the fields to hamper the Allies’ efforts. These actions prevented Dutch farmers from growing crops for 15 years, while residents were forced to replant trees and rebuild communities; the oldest tree and community in that area is only 65 years old.

“… the devastation was astounding,” said Nelson.

Nelson recalled a story of soldiers — forward observation officers (FOOs) — using church steeples to call down artillery fire on the Germans. During one visit, she learned that a Canadian FOO had written his name and his unit’s name on a beam in a steeple. Decades later, parishioners came across those names when replacing the steeple’s beams and kept that one piece.

Nelson also recalled that her sister’s friend’s father was a FOO who was caught behind enemy lines. He survived thanks to a little boy bringing him food and water at night. Her sister’s friend met the boy — now an old man — and his children.

“It was phenomenal,” she remarked.

Another highlight for Nelson was how well the Dutch — especially the children — celebrated their liberation and the respect they paid to the veterans and the veterans’ descendants. She noted that these efforts made Canada’s Remembrance Day ceremonies “look pitiful” since the day has become a “quasi-holiday.”

Meanwhile, Nelson’s sister took along pages from their father’s scrapbook, including a map that showed his unit’s movements in Italy and Northwest Europe. She recalled that the group’s military personnel had never seen such a map before and stayed up all night reviewing it and excitedly emailing colleagues in Canada.

“And with it, there were pictures my dad had taken during the war. God knows how he got a camera and film while he was doing battle, but he did … ,” said Nelson, noting the Royal Canadian Dragoons Museum in Oshawa, Ont., has agreed to take her father’s military things. “(Attending the tour) was so worth it, so worth it.”

Military vet helps Tunnels of Moose Jaw shine light on the Cold War

Beneath Moose Jaw’s streets lies a multi-room military bunker that offers a Canadian perspective on the Cold War, with the 1950s-era venue illuminated like a spy base — occasionally with a single light bulb or a computer screen.

The Tunnels of Moose Jaw recently celebrated its 25th anniversary by offering four special “Founder’s Tours.” Included in this celebration were several tours of “Bunker 24: Digging Deeper.”

To communicate the tour’s stories authentically, the Tunnels brought in British veteran Kevin Hicks, who lives in Saskatoon and runs the YouTube channel “The History Squad.”

Hicks, 70, served with the Royal Military Police from 1976 to 1985 and was stationed in Germany, Ireland and Cyprus. During that time, he experienced several fascinating situations, which he communicated on the tour compellingly through his storytelling.

“I had an incredible career,” Hicks said on July 22, noting that he wanted to “put some flesh on the bones” about life during that time.

Being a military police (MP) officer did not mean just keeping the peace, he said.

Skulking in Germany

The veteran was sent to Berlin, Germany, where he thought he would police a former Nazi barracks, patrol the Berlin Wall and man checkpoints. Instead, he connected with an intelligence unit and patrolled through East Germany, which was “a totally different experience.”

Hicks recalled going on patrol with the intel unit and having to urinate. So, he found some bushes and was about to do his business when a battle tank roared past

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and nearly crushed him. He submitted a report to his superiors, who then “interrogated” him for seven hours over what he said.

Afterward, the Brit learned that he was the first Westerner to see the Soviet’s newest tank, the T-72. He also learned that the British Special Air Service (SAS) had undercover agents in the area who later found the machine.

On another occasion, Hicks saw Soviet T-62 tanks that were painted in colours different from usual, so he submitted another report. He later learned that the Soviets were rearming the East German army, which would be the “spearpoint” of the Warsaw Pact’s military alliance if it attacked the West.

Undercover work in Ireland

Hicks next went to Northern Ireland for two years, with the first year spent helping the Royal Ulster Constabulary. In his second year there, after he’d “learnt all of the ropes,” he was attached to a specialist unit dealing with anti-terrorism.

“I’ve never seen so much hatred in my life,” he said. Hicks recalled attending a dinner event as part of undercover work and wearing a formal dinner jacket, which included a gun and enough ammunition “to sink a ship.” During that event, he blended in by drinking and dancing with a young woman, who unexpectedly found the gun.

On another occasion, Hicks and his unit pretended to be a TV crew so they could film a large crowd, which included several well-known Irish terrorists. He noted that the conflict between the Catholics and Protestants was really a proxy war between the United States and the Soviet Union.

“That’s the thing with history. When you talk to people about the Cold War, they have no idea that it was quite hot and desperate,” Hicks said. “And it may have just simmered a little bit, but I believe it’s on the (rise again).”

Hicks was later posted to the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, to a small “protectorate village” called Pergamos, where he had “the most incredible time.” This area has Turkish roots, so he ate goats and birds and drank German beer because of Turkey’s connection to Germany in the First World War.

A new line of work

The veteran returned to the U.K. and served with 5 Airborne Brigade, which was supporting the deployment of nuclear missiles. However, he quit the military after his best friend, Dennis, was killed, and became a regular police officer.

He served for seven years in that role before he quit after a vehicle ran over him and left him for dead. He spent five years recovering before switching his focus to educating students about history.

Hicks and his wife moved to Saskatoon 12 years ago because his son married a Saskatchewan girl after serving in Afghanistan with the British military. Hicks later filmed several videos about the Tunnels for his YouTube channel. This caught the attention of the organization’s manager, who invited him to speak during the anniversary tours.

Continuing, he said Bunker 24 is an “absolutely brilliant” concept that gives people the illusion that they’re underground. He added that there are many real bunkers worldwide that are now in mothballs but were necessary decades ago if “the balloon had gone up.”

Visit tunnelsofmoosejaw.com for information about Bunker 24 and other tours.

Dutch couple wrote book about sheltering Canadians during WWII

Two Moose Jaw-area women who travelled to the Netherlands recently to honour their veteran fathers also visited a home whose former owners sheltered the men during the Second World War.

Lana Hebert, from Moose Jaw, and Joanne Haig, from Rouleau, visited the Western European country with the group “In Our Fathers’ Footsteps” to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Dutch liberation and the end of the war.

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11 Canadian soldiers who stayed with them. They found nine of the men while they wrote a book about that experience, called “… and we found NINE!”

This is the story of that search. Thanks go to Haig for providing the information.

The search begins

The Aalders immigrated to New Zealand in 1956 to start a new life. In 1972, Gerry contacted the Canadian High Commission for help to find the Canadians who stayed with them.

A write-up in The Sentinel newspaper in January 1973 featured a picture of the 11 boys at the couple’s dinner table in 1945, celebrating the 21st birthday of Joseph A. Braconnier, Haig’s father. The article generated many letters, with one coming from the family of soldier Bud Warnell.

The family knew that Gerry and Joanna wanted to travel to Canada, so they gave them information about the country. The Aalders then left Auckland on May 26, 1974, to start their adventure.

They flew back to Amsterdam, then to London, England, and Halifax, N.S., arriving on July 5, 1974. A reporter with the Canadian Press interviewed them, while their story was published in many national newspapers.

The couple started looking for their 11 boys using materials they had researched and that the Warnell family provided. The Aalders eventually met with two of the soldiers, one from Montreal, and the other — Braconnier — from Regina.

On Aug. 8, the couple gave a live interview with radio station CKEN in Kentville, N.S. They also gave another

Oct. 24, the Victoria Colonist newspaper on Nov. 5 and the Vancouver Sun on Nov. 8.

In Vancouver, Gerry and Joanna spoke about how the soldiers, while staying with them, pretended to lose a key in their attic. The men had the couple travel to Amsterdam for the day while they filled the attic with onions, carrots, potatoes and wood luxuries — during a time of strict food rationing.

The Aalders returned to New Zealand but came back to Canada in 1979 to visit “their boys” again. They stayed for six months and travelled from coast to coast, visiting the soldiers and their families, relatives and friends, and continued looking for more of the men.

Gerry and Joanna met most of the boys over the years. The nine they met in person included Harry Savage, Frank Drew, Braconnier, Kenneth Budget (Hebert’s father), Cliff Sather, Larry Britton, Irving Redmond, Lawson Moser and Johnny Tougas. They also stayed in touch with Larney Barkley, who died before they could meet in person.

Joseph and Bea Braconnier visited Gerry and Joanna in New Zealand at one point, while Joanna made one last trip to Canada in 1989 after Gerry died.

After Bea’s death, Joe wanted to return to New Zealand to see Joanna. Hebert, her husband Randy, her younger brother Paul and his wife Sonya took Joe to Auckland to see Joanna in November 1997.

“We left dad to visit Joanna while we visited the North Island of New Zealand,” Hebert recalled. “Joanna and dad joined us on the South Island, travelling around in a small motor home. It was a wonderful reunion between Joanna and Joseph.”

Before the tour began, Haig and Hebert visited the community of Hilversum. There, they found the home of Joanna and Gerry Aalders, who housed their fathers during the war. They took a picture of themselves outside the building, as the current owners were absent; the Aalders sold the home in 1956 and moved to New Zealand.

The Aalders returned to Canada in 1974 to find the

It was the last time they saw each other, as Braconnier

Herbert added that she was unsure whether Bud Warnell was one of the soldiers who fought with her

15 Wing honours ‘daring aviators’ who fought in UK 85 years ago

A trumpet’s mournful wail filled the air at 15 Wing Airbase as military personnel and civilians honoured 23 Canadian pilots killed during a critical battle 85 years ago.

During a ceremony on Sept. 21, the airbase commemorated the 85th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, which began on July 10, 1940, and was the Second World War’s first major air battle.

Twenty-three Canadians — including four Saskatchewanians and 1,542 other Allied pilots — died during the campaign, which culminated with a massive aerial battle on Sept. 15, 1940. After 114 days, the Battle of Britain concluded on Oct. 31, 1940, after the Germans — who lost roughly 2,500 aircrews — began bombing English cities.

Capt. Iain Muir, a pilot with the Snowbirds, recited the

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poem “High Flight,” while he read the names of the Canadians killed.

Muir told reporters afterward that it was meaningful — especially as a junior pilot — to help commemorate the Battle of Britain, because it’s part of the RCAF’s heritage and is the reason it exists. Moreover, that history is on display throughout the base.

“It’s easy to get lost in the day-to-day (aspects of the) job, (so) … it’s good to commemorate these events. It’s our history,” he said.

Continuing, Muir said these events motivate him to do his best — “it’s almost a duty” — because the pilots who served decades ago did everything they could for the

cause, including giving their lives.

Muir said that, contrary to some opinions, younger people — especially pilots — embrace the RCAF’s traditions and heritage. Furthermore, they enjoy celebrating that history through commemorative events, which enhances their connection to the past.

Meanwhile, the captain said he was honoured to read

the names of the Canadian pilots killed. He noted that he researched every man to ensure he pronounced their names correctly and knew their ranks, while he even read about them when he should have been working.

Lt.-Col. Matthew Fullerton, acting wing commander, discussed the battle’s history during the ceremony.

Afterward, he told reporters that remembering and listening to those past stories are “exceptionally important” since the current generation must understand the sacrifices it took to defend the “great inheritance of peace, freedom and democracy” that veterans earned.

This is critical, he noted, since nondemocratic forces are challenging the “liberal international order” every day.

The acting wing commander said the Battle of Britain is remembered on the third Sunday in September because

that was when the Germans “threw everything” they had at the United Kingdom since they thought the country had few aircraft left.

However, the U.K. had secret manufacturing plants in the countryside that provided the necessary machines. This shook the German leadership and changed the battle’s outcome.

Fullerton pointed out that today’s pilots receive years of training before they acquire their wings, but airmen in the Second World War were given only 10 to 20 hours before being sent into battle. Yet, they proved themselves admirably.

Fullerton highlighted Rosthern-born pilot Ernest Archibald (PeeWee) McNab, who received the Distinguished Flying Cross for his actions during the battle.

Compared to the other pilots, McNab had over 2,000 hours in the air because he had been flying since before the war.

“… if we ever do have to go to war in the future, these are the types of legacies we want to draw from to be able to defend what we have,” Fullerton added.

During the ceremony, Padre Lt. (Navy) Graeme Carruth gave a lively spiritual reflection, saying some people today

think that humanity’s future might lie with “the law of autocratic rule,” where only the strong make decisions and “those with the gold” make the rules.

Continuing, he said that while democracy and a compassionate, justice-based world order appear to be “in apparent retreat,” people shouldn’t succumb to a “dystopic picture of humanity’s future.” Instead, they should look at how democratic countries handled major challenges 85

years ago during the rise of communist and fascist governments.

“The sweep of populist dictatorship, with its total control of news and elimination of all freedom of speech, seemed unstoppable,” Carruth remarked, noting

that some British citizens and politicians thought of capitulating.

Yet, during the summer of 1940, Allied airmen “dared to roll the dice once more against the overwhelming forces of autocratic domination” by taking to the skies in a life-and-death struggle, he said. By the end of October, “the underdogs” had forced the then-unstoppable Axis powers to withdraw.

This proved that one-man autocratic rule could be defeated and that democracy was more resilient.

“How rightly did Prime Minister (Winston) Churchill say of those pilots, ground crews and support teams, ‘Never in the field of armed conflict has so much been owed by so many to so few,’” Carruth said while imitating the politician’s gravelly voice.

Carruth added that the future is an “undiscovered country” shaped by society’s choices, including the choice to receive and hold high the torch that “those daring aviators” have tossed in defence of democratic values for future generations.

Moose Jaw airman featured in new book about plane crash in WWII

Two authors who sought information about a Moose Jaw airman have written a book about the navigator’s doomed airplane, using the additional stories they received from the community.

Dr. Trevor Kerry, an English professor, and Gaetan Sago, a French historian, have produced “The Lost Dambuster Lancaster: The Story of 617 Squadron’s Attack on Hitler’s V2 Rocket Site.” The book will be available on Nov. 30 from Amazon or local booksellers.

In 2014, Kerry discovered three graves of the crew of DV403 during a visit to Leulinghem, France, but knew nothing of their story, he said by email. He then researched the Lancaster bomber, which flew from Woodhall Spa airfield near his home in Lincolnshire.

The eight men were from 617 Dambusters Squadron and went on a bombing mission on June 24, 1944, to drop a 5,400-kilogram (12,000-pound) Tallboy bomb — one of the first missions to use it — on a V-bomb launch site at Wizernes, France. However, flak hit their aircraft.

“An engine stuttered and the aircraft began to burn.

John Edward, pilot, tried to hold course, to stay aloft for long enough for the crew to answer the ‘Abracadabra’ call to evacuate the craft,” the book’s synopsis says.

“An eyewitness ran for cover to dodge the shrapnel. A (covert) Resistance worker (André Schamp) saw crew members falling ‘like candles’ below their parachutes.”

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Of the eight crewmen, five died, while three survived the landing, and two sustained major injuries. The Germans captured the survivors, including Moose Jaw’s Lorne Thomas Pritchard, who was unhurt.

Continuing, Kerry said he gathered the story over a decade, using records from the United Kingdom and Canada, while he also found relatives of the crewmen. He later published what he knew in magazines, which sometimes resulted in readers emailing him information.

In 2024, Sagot — who has roots in Leulinghem — contacted Kerry since the former knew the family of Schamp and planned to hold an 80th anniversary memorial event. The two decided to pool their knowledge and combine all the data and photographs into a book, which became “The Lost Dambuster Lancaster.”

The authors knew Pritchard lived in Moose Jaw, enlisted with the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), was a nursing orderly, transferred to aircrew training, and became a navigator. He had a distinguished career with the same crew members in 50 Squadron before joining 617 Squadron in January 1944.

Pritchard’s navigation skills earned him a Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC), the third-highest military medal that Canada issued.

Kerry acquired further information about Pritchard from the Bomber Command Museum of Canada, residents Colleen Campbell and Michele Daniels, and Pritchard’s daughter, Bonnie. He corresponded with her intermittently, with “interesting details” emerging.

The author learned that Lorne was born in Birmingham, England, on Jan. 21, 1922, and later moved to Canada.

Furthermore, after becoming a prisoner of war in 1944, he was repatriated to Canada in 1945 and promoted to flight lieutenant. Taking advantage of a government program, Pritchard attended the University of Saskatchewan to study chemical engineering.

Pritchard later worked for the Palmolive company, but died in Calgary on Aug. 10, 1966, at age 44, leaving behind a wife and three daughters.

Kerry noted that Pritchard’s recollections, as conveyed through Bonnie, gave him an interesting piece of information about the crew’s preparations on June 24. Moreover, Pritchard also told his daughter that the crew was concerned about the ethics of strategic bombing, which became a theme in the book.

“My personal approach to history writing is that it should be as accurate as possible, and that means not merely recording events but examining the context in which they happen,” said Kerry.

“Gaetan enjoys detail. We both believe that the process of recording these events is important so that the following generations do not forget the sacrifices that were made — in the name of duty,” he continued.

Kerry added that the book has several valuable features, such as its connection with the crew’s families, its English and French perspectives, its willingness to engage with controversial topics, its readability, and a deep exploration of the men, places, equipment and weapons related to the situation.

‘Emotional’ day as Legion officially opens new building on Caribou Street West

After a year of planning and renovations, Moose Jaw’s Royal Canadian Legion has officially opened its new building, leaving many members and volunteers emotional and overjoyed.

Nearly 100 people attended the grand opening ceremony on Sept. 19 of Branch No. 59’s new venue at 693 Fairford Street West, which saw the raising of the Canadian flag in the parking lot.

Veterans Alex Cameron and Jim MacNeil helped raise the pennant, which mirrored their actions of lowering the flag during a farewell ceremony at the previous venue at 268 High Street West in April.

“Good afternoon, everyone, and thank you for joining us to officially open — our new home,” said Christine Simpson, legion president, her voice cracking as she kicked off the ceremony.

“It has taken many months of time, preparation and an unknown quantity of personnel and organizations… to make it work and make it all a reality,” she continued.

“We are truly looking forward to many functions

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and gatherings to make this establishment a place for all to feel welcome when you come through our doors.”

After the flag-raising, Padre Doug Shepherd said a blessing, followed by a ribbon-cutting and lunch inside.

Shepherd said that the event had “emotionally drained” him because of how special it was, while he was honoured to give the building-focused prayer.

Jamey Logan, owner of the Legion’s building, said it was exciting for him and his wife, Sherri, to help make the veterans organization’s “dream come true.”

Continuing, Logan said the interior looked great, and while some people may think it’s small and cramped, he thought it was the perfect size to accommodate the current membership and would allow the branch to stay there forever.

The businessman acknowledged that he was somewhat emotional watching the Canadian flag rise during the ceremony since he had goosebumps and a tear in his eye. Yet, he was more thrilled for the veterans,

since the ceremony had real meaning for them.

During a brief ceremony inside, Simpson thanked all the volunteers, members, companies and contractors that supported the project. She singled out the Logans, saying their guidance and mentorship made the new building possible.

“When they say it takes a village to complete a project, a home or a family, it certainly does,” she said. “These people, and their companies, are now part of Branch 59, the Royal Canadian Legion’s village. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”

Afterward, Simpson said she was “very emotional” about the grand opening, noting that it was a long year to transform the building into a new home. Yet, the entire process went smoothly, while the organization is now focused on tweaking things.

“We opened in May, but we said we’d wait until September when everybody was back from holidays in the summer (to have a grand opening celebration),” she said.

Simpson noted that the branch operated from its High Street West location for nearly 100 years but required a smaller space that was less expensive. So, it sold the building in 2020 and signed a five-year lease, while it looked for a new building. Also, it continued to support veterans and their families, host the Remembrance Day ceremonies and distribute money from its Poppy Trust Fund.

Ester MacAuley, a long-time volunteer and 29year member, cut the celebratory cake, which featured pictures of both Legion buildings.

Legion luncheon focuses on ‘appreciating veterans over time’

Remembrance Day and Decoration Day give Canadians the opportunity to thank veterans for their service, but it’s smaller events like luncheons that allow communities to show their appreciation more deeply.

Moose Jaw’s Royal Canadian Legion recently held its annual veterans’ luncheon, the first such event in its new building at 693 Fairford Street West. Over 100 people packed into Branch No. 59’s venue to socialize, with at least half of those attendees — including some from Regina and Mossbank — veterans.

The luncheon’s theme was “Appreciating veterans over time,” and Sue Knox, the poppy committee chairwoman and event MC, asked the special guests to raise their hands. She then had others raise their hands if they were connected to a veteran.

Continuing, Knox encouraged everyone else to consider their heritage and whether their grandparents, great-grandparents or great-great-grandparents came

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here from other countries. If so, then they were likely veterans in their home countries.

“Conflicts in this world, as we know it, have been going on since the dawn of time. Fighting over personal property, land, countries and even human beings has been a way of life on this Earth forever,” she said.

Skirmishes, battles and wars created veterans out of people, including attendees’ ancestors who likely faced conflict in their homelands, Knox noted. Even if attendees weren’t veterans by the typical definition, they were present because of the sacrifices that past soldiers, sailors and airmen and airwomen made to secure today’s freedoms.

Generations of people have fought to acquire their rights, with many having to shed blood to “banish perpetrators” who expanded their material comforts at the expense of others, she said.

“Not all would consider themselves veterans, but if they have fought for their countries, their families and the protection of others, I would think they should be considered a veteran,” Knox added. “… our history is full of veterans.”

Knox reflected on her family’s military history, saying she had a step-uncle who fought in the Second World War, three great-uncles — all brothers — who fought in the First World War, and relatives who fought in the Fenian Raids in Ontario in the 1860s, the American

Indian Wars, the U.S. Civil War and the Scottish Battle of Culloden in the 1700s.

While she didn’t have much information about her great-great-grandfathers, she knew their activities resulted in her being alive. Pausing to contain her emotions, she noted that they were veterans who fought and returned home to raise families, of which she became a part.

Knox pointed out that attendees likely have similar stories of ancestors who fought in battles centuries ago and returned home to start families.

The freedoms Canadians have gained over time are due to veterans — past, present and future — who willingly gave up everything to keep Canadian heritage alive and oppose oppressors, she said.

“For this, I thank every one of you. Your commitment, integrity, selflessness and love for our country have brought us together as a nation,” Knox continued.

The navy veteran commended younger veterans for their service and for attending the luncheon and urged them to be proud of what they do, to mark their achievements and make them count, and to look after their families.

Knox acknowledged families are part of veterans’ lives and are the reason military personnel can go to far-off lands and follow orders.

Knox added that the “Missing Man Table” was a silent way to honour soldiers, sailors, aviators and RCMP officers who were unable to join the luncheon — or their families’ tables — because they had died in the line of duty.

The crowd then stood and silently toasted veterans with their drinks.

Meanwhile, Paul Valiquette, the provincial homelessness representative and provincial service officer for the Royal Canadian Legion’s Saskatchewan Command, discussed the organization’s programs.

In particular, he highlighted the poppy campaign, which raised $1.3 million in Saskatchewan last year; the service dog program, which costs $15,000 to buy such animals; the Leave the Streets Behind homeless initiative; and employment initiatives.

“So you can see we have many programs offered by the Legion. Moose Jaw branch has (also) been phenomenal (with its support) … ,” Valiquette added. “Because without the branches, we can’t function.”

Visit https://sasklegion.ca/ for more information.

Moose Jaw soldier freed from PoW camp after Japan’s surrender 80 years ago

Imperial Japan’s formal surrender to the Allies on Sept. 2, 1945, officially ended the Second World War after six long years, while it also kick-started the process to repatriate thousands of prisoners of war — including Canadian soldier Adam Schnell.

Japan had announced on Aug. 15, 1945, that it would quit the war, a decision likely influenced by the United States dropping two atomic bombs earlier that month and the Soviet Union invading the Imperial power’s puppet state of Manchukuo, in Japanese-occupied Manchuria in northeast China.

The surrender ceremony occurred in Tokyo Bay on the battleship USS Missouri, with hundreds of dignitaries and military personnel from the Allied powers in attendance, along with senior Japanese officials.

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Lawrence Moore Cosgrave, who was the military attaché to Australia.

Meanwhile, in Hong Kong and Japan, roughly 1,400 Canadian soldiers were still awaiting their release, including Adam Schnell.

Schnell had originally enlisted with the South Saskatchewan Regiment in 1940, but because he wanted to see some overseas action, he transferred to the Winnipeg Grenadiers.

Lance-Cpl. Schnell was one of 1,975 soldiers who were later sent to defend Hong Kong in November 1941, but the garrison surrendered to the Japanese on Christmas Day, and the remaining 1,689 Canadians were sent into captivity at the Sham Shui Po POW Camp.

The garrison could have held out longer against the invaders, but equipment that was destined for Hong Kong was rerouted to Manila, Philippines, after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on Dec. 7, 1941.

“We lost 557 men (in total). Two hundred and sixty-eight of those died in captivity,” Schnell told the Times-Herald in 1991, according to an archival article.

Many men spent “the best years of their lives” dying from malnutrition, dysentery and other diseases, he recalled. What was worse was that Japan hadn’t signed the Geneva Convention, which meant prisoners didn’t have much protection.

“It was wicked. In battle, you have a chance. In the prison camp, you didn’t know what to expect,” Schnell said. “Any of the guards could call you and slap or beat you.”

Adding insult to injury, one of the guards, a Japanese-Canadian named Kanao Inouye, was the worst of them all. The article noted that after the war, while the Allies gave some camp guards life sentences, they executed Inouye for treason since he killed three prisoners and injured many others.

Schnell recalled living in the POW camp for 18 months before being shipped to Japan for slave labour. He spent a year working in a shipyard in Yokohama and

then worked in the coal mines at Sandai before his liberation in September 1945. He noted that prisoners of war worked seven days a week.

“There was no such thing as Sunday,” he said, adding that men could wash their clothes every three weeks, while cleaning the latrines was their only break. Even though they worked hard, the Japanese fed them poorly.

“We ate rice, dried fish and grasshoppers,” the veteran continued. “We used a lot of animals in the shipyard, and if one of them died, it would be in the stew for a few days.”

During his 44 months of captivity, Schnell, who stood 5-9, went from 145 pounds to 85 pounds, although he noted that he “was in good shape compared to others.”

Schnell and just over 1,400 other surviving Canadian POWs returned to Canada in late 1945 and were released in

According to the Hong Kong Veterans Commemorative Association website, in March 1946, Schnell married Joan Allen and worked for the Canadian Pacific

Attending ‘historic ceremony’ that officially ended WWII a thrill for Canadian officer

Col. Lawrence Moore Cosgrave suffered an eye injury while fighting in the First World War, which may have contributed to a writing blunder when he represented Canada during Japan’s formal surrender 80 years ago.

Cosgrave, who fought with Lt.-Col. John McCrae — who wrote In Flanders Fields — in 1915, was Canada’s military attaché to Australia during the Second World War and was an impromptu representative — and the only junior officer among admirals and generals — during the surrender ceremony.

During the formal event on Sept. 2, 1945, representatives from nine Allied countries signed the “Instrument of Surrender” document. However, Cosgrave signed his name just below the appropriate spot, on the line reserved for the French delegate.

“The mistake forced the subsequent signatories to also put their names on the incorrect lines, up to the New Zealand representative, who put his signature on the blank portion at the bottom,” a Legion Magazine article said.

The dismayed Japanese delegation refused to accept the error-filled copy, so

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U.S. General Douglas MacArthur’s chief of staff, the notoriously mercurial Lt.Gen. Richard Sutherland, hand-wrote corrections to the Allied titles under each signature, the article noted.

Sutherland tersely dismissed the Japanese, who retired to their launch in Tokyo Bay, clutching the disfigured certificate that acknowledged their unconditional surrender. The emperor had to make do with a marked-up copy.

Sutherland’s quick thinking turned what could have been an embarrassing diplomatic incident into a minor, now largely forgotten historical footnote, and — eight decades on — a punchline, the magazine added.

Cosgrave’s error wasn’t his first,

though, as, according to the book “From Flanders Fields to Tokyo Bay,” he apparently signed McCrae’s attestation paper on the wrong line when they volunteered for the First World War.

After the ceremony, Cosgrave cabled Ottawa, saying, “Surrender ceremony completed this morning.” Continuing, he wrote that Canada had been accorded

“every courtesy and consideration” during the event.

“Admiral (Chester) Nimitz (head of the U.S. Navy) and General MacArthur asked me to send their warm personal and official greetings to Prime Minister (William L.M.) King and their keen pleasure (with) Canada’s participation,” Cosgrave wrote.

The colonel added that the first group of Canadian prisoners of war would likely be released within 48 hours, although no details were known.

Cosgrave made no mention of his historic faux pas in his official typewritten report to the Canadian embassy in Australia, as his recollection of the day was different and more personal, the Legion article noted.

In his note to the embassy, Cosgrave simply listed those who signed and in what order and wrote that “the Allied representatives made a colourful, impressive group.”

His notes reflected the sense he was in august company. But instead of being awed by MacArthur or Nimitz, his attention was drawn to the emaciated figures of newly freed MajorGen. Jonathan Wainwright, ill-fated commander of American troops who surrendered on Bataan in 1942, and Lt.Gen. Arthur Percival, the defeated British commander in Singapore.

“I shall remain eternally grateful to the authors of my appointment to this historic ceremony,” Cosgrave wrote, adding wistfully, “Twill always remain the highlight of my not uneventful career.”

Canada’s Pacific war began three weeks after the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in December 1941, when 290 of 1,975 Canadians from the

Quebec-based Royal Rifles of Canada and the Winnipeg Grenadiers were killed defending Hong Kong, which fell on Christmas Day in 1941, according to a Global News article.

Almost as many Canadians subsequently died of starvation, disease and brutality in Japanese prisoner-of-war camps, with roughly 1,400 surviving.

Canada contributed fewer soldiers, sailors and airmen to the Pacific Theatre — roughly 10,000 personnel — compared to the European Theatre, but still played an important part, nevertheless.

Soldiers fought in Alaska; airmen flew troops, ammunition and other supplies in the China-Burma-India Theatre, and were pilots, navigators and gunners with the Royal Air Force in Southeast Asia; and sailors supported the U.S. Navy in the final months of the war.

Canada was preparing to send 70,000 military personnel — including 25,000 soldiers — to help with the expected invasion of Japan in November 1945, but the latter’s surrender ended those plans.

Formal ceremony that ended WWII was ‘the greatest drama in modern times’

Japan’s unconditional surrender to the Allies during a formal ceremony on Sept. 2, 1945, was “the greatest drama in modern times,” a Times-Herald editorial stated, especially since the event was broadcast live.

“It would have been a dramatic event — the complete capitulation of a modern military power — in any circumstance, but when, through the medium of radio, the entire world listened in on the event, there was a theatrical aspect to this making of history,” said the editorial 80 years ago.

The formal surrender officially ended the Second World War, a conflict that killed roughly 85 million people, 75 per cent of whom were civilians. During the war, 1.1 million Canadians and Newfoundlanders served, with 45,000 killed and 55,000 wounded.

Victory over Japan

Japan had announced on Aug. 15, 1945 — VJ-Day — that it was quitting the war, which prompted jubilant celebrations in the same vein as when Germany officially surrendered on May 8, 1945, or VE-Day.

Moose Jaw held two celebrations to commemorate VJDay, one that was spontaneous and one that was official.

A Times-Herald article from August 1945 reported that the spontaneous celebrations on Aug. 15 saw residents “ready to ‘whoop it up,’ to make a noise and let go their feelings at the end of a long and terrible war.”

The official event on Aug. 16, meanwhile, was a national holiday, which included church services, a parade and a street dance. There was also plenty of enthusiastic noise — motorists honking horns, children using instruments and other objects, and people shouting from buildings — throughout the evening.

“The rejoicing at the close of the 1939-45 war was kept up until the early hours of Wednesday morning, many

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being loath to call it a day and go home to bed,” the article added.

A solemn event

The editorial commended U.S. Gen. Douglas MacArthur, the supreme commander of the Allied forces in the Pacific, for being the author of the ceremony and an actor in it. Moreover, the article praised him for how he arranged his supporters and the surrender table on the deck of the battleship USS Missouri, along with his “significantly phrased epilogue.”

The editorial pointed out that the world was again at peace, while for the people of China, “the great drama of Tokyo Bay” likely held more meaning and hope for them since their country was the first victim of Japanese aggression; 20 million Chinese died during the war.

“Peace in the Orient and in the Far East and throughout the islands of the Pacific means much to … our own Dominion of Canada,” the article said, noting “great wisdom and tact” would be required to maintain that peace since Japanese militarism could easily re-emerge.

The editorial pointed out that MacArthur would work to ensure the Japanese understood their defeat, since it was “a most difficult undertaking to impress upon a semi-civilized, semi-barbaric peoples” who believed they were unbeatable because they had never in their history been defeated.

“… it was most evident that he was making the event solemnly impressive to the Japanese nation as well as to the world,” the article added.

Said MacArthur during the ceremony, “It is my earnest hope and indeed the hope of all mankind that from this solemn occasion a better world shall emerge out of the blood and carnage of the past — a world founded upon faith and understanding — a world dedicated to the dignity of man and the fulfillment of his most cherished wish — for freedom, tolerance and justice.

“As supreme commander for the Allied powers, I announce it is my firm purpose, in the tradition of the countries I represent, to proceed in the discharge of my responsibilities with justice and tolerance,” he added, “while taking all necessary dispositions to (ensure) that the terms of surrender are fully, promptly and faithfully complied with.”

Meanwhile, the United States would be largely responsible for educating the Japanese people “to the standard of world nations who abhor war and love peace,” the article noted.

“With the historic events which took place in Japan (on) Sunday, Sept. 2, 1945, the world enters a new epoch. … with the six terribly devastating years behind, the world on Sept. 3, 1945, starts on the uphill climb to the new era in which fear of the aggressor and the other fears which have borne so heavily on the minds and souls of mankind for countless years are to be banished,” the editorial added.

Newest veterans’ banners feature first woman in the collection

Jason G. Antonio

Twenty new banners featuring Moose Jaw-area veterans — including the first woman — now hang from light poles downtown, as part of city hall’s project to honour those who served in war and peace.

Below are the biographies of husband and wife Helen Isabelle Pashia Tillie and Alexander Tillie II.

This is part 1 of 7 in a series.

Helen Tillie

Tillie was born in Croydon, England, to an English mother and a French father who served in the French Foreign Legion from 1914 to 1916. She attended private and art schools, became a skilled painter, and lived a sheltered life.

During the Second World War, she and her friend Elizabeth trained with the Royal Air Force (RAF) and joined the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF, or “WACKS”), working mainly at night.

Tillie met her husband, Alexander, when he was caught stealing onions from a garden. They married in London, where she adapted to a difficult lifestyle, even though she had been raised in comfort. She and her husband later moved to Moose Jaw, with help from family, including her Aunt Jessie. They farmed at Mortlach, where Tillie learned to cook, garden, and manage farm life despite hardships.

She raised children, endured struggles with money,

and worked hard to support the family. Though life was challenging, she adjusted from a city upbringing in England to rural life in Canada.

Alexander Tillie II

Tillie moved to Mortlach in 1927 with his parents, two brothers, and three sisters. His family had strong farming roots, raising cattle and horses, and many of his siblings married and settled in nearby communities.

During the Second World War, Alexander joined the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) as a sergeant and flew planes overseas. His squadron’s plane was named “We Go Like Hell.” He documented much of what he saw with photographs and kept in touch with family by sending photos and letters. He was eventually injured and spent time in the hospital before returning to Canada.

After the war, Alexander married, settled in Moose Jaw for a time, and later moved to Chamberlain and Mortlach, where he and his wife raised 13 children. They farmed modestly with cattle, chickens, and crops, and Alexander also drove a school bus for many years.

Later in life, the family moved to Victoria, British Columbia. Alexander Tillie II passed away in 1983 at the age of 73.

D-Day soldier, elite commando featured on newest downtown banners

Jason G. Antonio

A soldier who landed on Juno Beach during D-Day and a commando who put the fear of God into the Germans in Italy are featured on the newest banners in downtown Moose Jaw.

This story features the biographies of Edgar V. Dalgarno and Fayne (Spud) Elliott, with information from the City of Moose Jaw’s heritage advisory committee.

This is part 2 of 7 in a series.

Edgar V. Dalgarno

Dalgarno was born on March 17, 1922, to Kenneth and Lily Dalgarno in the Pioneer district, northwest of Moose Jaw, and at 22, he volunteered to serve in the Second World War. Although he initially hoped to join the Royal Canadian Air Force, his colour blindness prevented that path, so he enlisted in the army instead.

He underwent training in British Columbia and, in early 1944, was deployed to England as a member of The Rocky Mountain Rangers. Edgar was part of the first wave of troops to land on the French beaches of Normandy during the D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944. While his landing was successful, he was later seriously wounded near the village of Caen.

After a lengthy recovery in an English hospital, Edgar returned home to Canada. He and his wife, Olive, raised three children and farmed the land where he grew up. He

lived and worked there until his death in February 2010.

Fayne (Spud) Elliott

Elliott enlisted in the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders in 1939 and later joined the 2nd Canadian Parachute Battalion in 1942, where he volunteered for the First Special Service Force (FSSF), “The Devil’s Brigade.”

The Devil’s Brigade was a joint Canadian-American unit that kept the Germans on their toes and in fear in Italy and France.

Elliott served in the Aleutian Islands, Italy, and Southern France until the FSSF was disbanded in 1945, while he was honourably discharged in 1946.

The veteran settled in Moose Jaw, where he raised a family, managed Subway Texaco, and was an active member of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch No. 59, where he co-ordinated the Colour Party and earned a Lifetime Membership.

The decorations he received included 1939–45 Star, Italy Star, France & Germany Star, Defence Medal, Canadian Volunteer Service Medal, War Medal, US Silver Star, Bronze Star with Valour, Purple Heart, and the FSSF Congressional Gold Medal (2015).

Three veterans from Coderre area newest inductees in banner program

Three of the newest veteran banners in downtown Moose Jaw feature men from the Coderre area, including one soldier who served in both world wars and two who helped liberate Italy and Holland.

Below are the biographies of David Weir Wilson, Walter Johnstone and Samuel Mervyn Mainwaring, with information from the city’s heritage advisory committee.

This is part 3 of 7 in a series.

David Weir Wilson

Wilson was born in Ayrshire, Scotland, and immigrated to Canada in 1902. He worked on ranches in Saskatchewan and later homesteaded near Gravelbourg. In 1916, he married Pauline Wilson and enlisted in the Canadian Forces Artillery, serving in England and France during the First World War.

He returned to Canada in 1919, receiving the Great War for Civilization Service Medal. He later managed the BW Bar Ranch with his brother.

During the Second World War, he enlisted again in 1943 as part of the Veterans Guard of Canada and earned the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal. He died suddenly of a heart attack at a POW camp in Lethbridge, Alta., in 1945, and was buried at Grace United Church Cemetery in Coderre.

Jason G. Antonio

Walter Johnstone

Johnstone was a 25-yearold farmer from Coderre when he enlisted in the army as a trooper on Jan. 5, 1943. He completed his basic training in Bordon, Ont., before being deployed overseas, where he served in Italy, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands.

For his service, Walter was awarded several honours, including the 1939–45 Star, Italy Star, France and Germany Star, Good Conduct Badge, and the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with Clasp.

He was honourably discharged on April 4, 1946, and the pride he carried from serving his country and defending the freedom of others stayed with him throughout his life.

Samuel Mervyn Mainwaring

Mainwaring was born in Winnipeg on Sept. 20, 1914, to Samuel and Winnifred Kate (Lloyd) Mainwaring. In 1915, the family moved to a farm near Mazenod, Sask., where Mervyn attended school.

They relocated south of Coderre in 1929, where Mervyn farmed with his father and worked for other locals.

Mainwaring later spent a year at an aeronautics school before enlisting in Regina as a mechanic with the Royal Canadian Air Force on July 12, 1940.

On Sept. 13, he spent six weeks at the Toronto Manning

Pool, and in November, he was transferred to No. 1 Technical Training School in St. Thomas, Ont. — the only base of its kind in the province during the Second World War. This school trained skilled ground crews for active wartime service.

In January 1941, Mervyn was posted to No. 4 Service Flying Training School (S.F.T.S.) in Saskatoon, and on Feb. 25, 1941, he married Jean Wilson at Grace United Church in Coderre — the first military wedding held there. The couple returned to Saskatoon.

On June 2, 1941, Mervyn was transferred to No. 11 S.F.T.S. in Yorkton, where he received his Leading Aircraftman (L.A.C.) with B Group in July. He earned A Group status in October, corporal stripes on Feb. 1, 1942, and sergeant stripes on March 1, 1943.

Mainwaring’s final posting was at Rivers, Man., at No. 1 Central Navigation School (C.N.S.) on Oct. 28, 1944. Mervyn was later discharged in November 1945, and the couple returned to the family farm. He managed lumberyards for years and was a talented musician who enjoyed creating little jingles to entertain his nieces and nephews.

In 1967, the couple moved to Moose Jaw, where Mervyn worked in maintenance at the Union Hospital until his health declined. He passed away on April 6, 1986, and was interred at Grace United Church Cemetery in Coderre.

Polish PoW, British paratrooper newest veterans on downtown banners

A Polish soldier who became a prisoner of war, a British paratrooper who survived a hell-on-earth fight with the Germans and an airman who fought the Japanese are the latest veterans honoured on downtown banners.

Jan (John) Smolak, Albert French and Harold A. Benson all fought during the Second World War and have their biographies — provided by the heritage advisory committee — presented below.

This is part 4 of 7 in a series.

Jan (John) Smolak

At 25 years old, Smolak joined the 52nd Regiment, Polish Infantry shortly before Germany invaded Poland on Sept. 1, 1939. He fought in Poland during the occupation until he became a prisoner of war (PoW) in 1942.

The soldier was sent to Majdanek Concentration Camp in Lublin, Poland, for forced labour. However, he escaped this camp five times, each time hiding in the woods and finding food from his parents’ home in Turza at night. After the fifth escape, he surrendered because his family was threatened. He was put in charge of ensuring no other prisoners escaped, under threat of death.

In 1943, he was transferred to Natzweiler Concentration Camp, and in 1944, to the infamous Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp, where he remained until liberation in April 1945.

Smolak stayed in Germany until 1948, then immigrated to Moose Jaw, where he worked for the condition.

Jason G. Antonio

Despite his doctor advising against it, Smolak continued to march in the veteran’s parade on Remembrance Day. On Nov. 11th, 1970, while marching down Main Street to the Legion, Jan died.

Albert French

French was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, the son of a newspaper printer. Trained as a stone mason, he practised his craft for over 50 years, including work on a monument at Edinburgh Castle.

During the Second World War, he served in the British Airborne, fighting in Algeria, Tunisia, Italy, and notably surviving nine days during Operation Market Garden before swimming across the Rhine to safety.

Market Garden was the Allies’ attempt to capture three bridges in the Netherlands to end the war by Christmas. However, unexpected resistance from the Germans prevented this, with over 1,700 British paratroopers captured or killed in Arnhem — the famed “bridge too far.”

French emigrated to Canada in 1948, settling in Edmonton, where he married Bernice and raised six children. In 1957, the family moved to Moose Jaw, where he worked at Moose Jaw Marble and Granite, was active in the church and community, and briefly served with the Saskatchewan Dragoons.

He was also known for teaching his children and grandchildren lessons of good citizenship, hard work and patience.

Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) in 1940, where he trained as a fighter pilot and served in England.

He flew Spitfires with 401 Squadron in Europe and later Hurricanes with 146 Royal Air Force (RAF) Squadron in India and Burma. From 1944 to 45, he flew 94 missions in P-47 Thunderbolts in the Burma campaign, supporting ground forces. After the war, he served as a duty officer in Burma until the war ended.

Benson earned a civil engineering degree from the University of Saskatchewan in 1950, worked with Mannix Co., and married Tommi Tomlinson in 1952. They raised four children while moving around Western Canada and the United States for hydroelectric dam construction projects.

Benson passed away in Calgary in October 2001.

Benson was born in Moose Jaw and later joined the

Last Allied soldier killed in WWI newest banner inductee

Two soldiers who fought in the First World War — with one the final Allied death — and a veteran who fought with a famed armoured regiment in the Second World War are the newest veterans’ banners inductees.

Presented below are the biographies of George Lawerence Price, Philip Myrtle Chambers and John Barnett, with information from the city’s heritage advisory committee.

This is part 5 of 7 in a series.

George Lawrence Price

Price was born in Nova Scotia in 1892 and later became a resident of Moose Jaw, where he enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force in 1917.

The soldier served with the 28th Canadian Infantry Battalion, was wounded by gas in 1918, and returned to action. However, on Nov. 11, 1918, just two minutes before the Armistice, he was killed by a German sniper — becoming the last Commonwealth battle fatality of the First World War.

Price is buried in Mons, Belgium, and posthumously received the British War Medal and Victory Medal. A memorial to him also stands in Moose Jaw’s Crescent Park.

Philip Myrtle Chambers

Chambers enlisted in the First World War in Listowel, Maryboro, Wellington County, Ont., at age 23, on March 21, 1916.

He embarked for France on the HMT Olympic from Halifax with the 153 Battalion C.E.F., and was later wounded and returned to Canada in 1918.

Jason G. Antonio

The veteran moved west to join his brothers Jim and Norman to farm in the Weyburn area. He eventually ended up working for Canadian Pacific Railway in that community, while he also met and married his wife, Jean.

Chambers and his family — including children Franklyn, Vernon, Douglas and Helen — moved with the CPR to Moose Jaw in the early 1940s, where he resided until he died in 1981.

John Barnett Barnett, from the Lillestrom District near Moose Jaw, enlisted in the South Alberta Regiment in 1942, trained across Canada, and deployed to England to prepare for D-Day. His unit became the 29th Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment, part of the 4th Canadian Armoured Division, and landed in Normandy in July 1944, a month after the landings in France.

Barnett fought in major campaigns throughout the summer of 1944 and served in the same unit as Major David Vivian (D.V.) Currie, who earned the Victoria Cross —the only such award to a Canadian Armoured Regiment in the Second World War — for heroism in France and

helped close the Falaise Gap, thereby ending the Battle of Normandy.

The honours the regiment earned included Falaise Gap, St. Lambert-sur-Dives, The Scheldt, The Lower Maas, Kapelsche Veer, The Rhineland, The Hochwald, Twente Canal, Bad Zwischenahn and North-West Europe (1944–1945).

Veterans who flew bombing missions, drove trucks on newest banners

The veterans’ banners throughout the downtown feature men who had interesting lives, including one who survived 35 bombing missions in the Second World War and another who was a transport driver.

Below are the biographies of four men who appear on the new flags, with the information from the City of Moose Jaw’s heritage advisory committee.

This is part 6 of 7 in a series.

Ambrose Alexander Coghill Coghill was born in Congress, Sask., on July 10, 1921, to James Dunnet Coghill and Margaret Coghill (née Fordyce). He moved to Assiniboia to complete his Grade 12 and worked at Alliance Grain elevator to pay for his room and board.

Ambrose joined the Royal Canadian Air Force’s Bomber Command and graduated from Mount Jolie, Que., in 1942. He served in Canada from June 3, 1942, to Oct. 22, 1943, and a day later, was stationed in England on active duty as a mid-upper air gunner on a Halifax Mark VII bomber.

While in England, he completed a full tour — 35 trips over enemy territory before returning home to Canada on Nov. 14, 1944. Ambrose then served in Canada from Nov. 15, 1944, until his release on March 2, 1945.

After the war, Ambrose went to the University of Regina for one year, then came to Moose Jaw and worked for Scott National Fruit. In 1947, an employment opportunity arose at the Moose Jaw Union Hospital as an orderly, where he also met Jessie McLeod, who was a nurse in training, and they married in 1948.

Ambrose continued his employment at the hospital and went from orderly to medical records and finally

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director of purchasing until his retirement in 1985.

In 1951, Ambrose built the home where he and Jessie raised their four children and lived there until his death on Dec. 23, 2016.

Milton Allen (Casey) Steele

Steele, one of 10 children born to George and Lona Steele, was born in Parkbeg, Sask. He enlisted in 1942 with the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps and served as a transport driver in Great Britain, Italy, France, Germany, and the Netherlands, where he took part in the liberation of Dutch residents.

Awarded several service medals and later the Dutch Medal of Remembrance, he seldom spoke of his experiences but carried the memories throughout his life.

After the war, he returned to Parkbeg and operated the Western Oil Bulk business until 1971. He also drove the school bus and served on town council, the school board, and in his church. Milton and his wife Mildred raised three children — Roscoe, Marlene, and Joyce — and retired to Moose Jaw in 1972, where he continued to be active in church and community life.

The medals he received included the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal; CRT Star 1939-45 for operational service; Defence Medal for non-operational service; France-Germany Star for service in France, Belgium, Netherlands or Germany; War Medal 1939-45 for overseas service.

The Dutch Medal of Remembrance was awarded posthumously on May 4, 2003.

David Tweedle

Tweedle proudly served in the Canadian Army from 1939 to 1945 and was a member of the 8th Recce Division.

Throughout his service, he distinguished himself with honour and dedication. His children were fortunate to have preserved some of his belongings, including his medals and Soldier’s Pay Book, as lasting reminders of his sacrifice.

The medals he received included two GRT Star Medals, the Defence Medal and George IV’s Voluntary Service Medal.

“Our family is very proud of him and deeply grateful for the life we are able to live because of his service. His courage and commitment continue to inspire us today,” his biography added.

William (Bill) J. Royds

Royds was born in Moose Jaw in 1926, and like many young men, he felt compelled to join the forces in the Second World War and fight for democracy. He enlisted in the army in May 1945 in Regina and was discharged on June 4, 1946.

Royds was sent to Peterborough, Ont., for basic training, then to Camp Borden, but he never left Canadian soil.

When Royds was discharged, he returned to Moose Jaw — for 30 days after discharge, he had to wear his uniform and carry his papers — and received an embossed certificate from the city thanking him for his service. In 2013, he was made a life member of the Legion.

Baildon soldier survived Japanese PoW camp, but died in U.S. submarine attack

Jason G. Antonio Baildon’s Kenneth A. Dunlop was one of 132,000 Allied military personnel whom the Japanese captured during the Second World War, while he was also one of nearly 21,000 men killed in American submarine attacks.

According to Moose Jaw historian Richard Dowson, Kenny — born on Jan. 13, 1899 — and two friends left Baildon in the 1920s for a new life in California. Work was plentiful and life was good. Ken worked in road construction, was married and later acquired a job in a shipbuilding yard.

Seeking adventure and probably more money, Ken left the United States in early 1939 for the Philippines to work for an American company building and expanding naval bases in the region, Dowson wrote. The opportunity looked rosy, as the United States was a neutral country and not at war with anyone — no worries.

Dunlop was in the Philippines when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbour on Dec. 7, 1941 — “A date which will live in infamy,” as the U.S. president said. In early 1942, the former Saskatchewanian was taken prisoner at Corregidor, where, as a prisoner of war (PoW), he was placed in different camps.

It would be more than a year before Dunlop’s mother, Mrs. Andrew Dunlop of 472 Stadacona Street West, learned that her son was “safe and in good health,” but a PoW, according to a TimesHerald article from Sept. 7, 1943.

Mrs. Dunlop learned about her son’s condition after receiving a clipping from a Berkley, Calif., newspaper that Dunlop’s wife sent, the article continued.

“I am interned at Philippine prison camp No. 9. My health is excellent. I am uninjured and well,” Kenneth wrote on a Japanese form postcard. “Pay my insurance. Take good care of yourself. I am doing fine and do not worry.

“Please give my best regards to all the gang and Chester. All my love, Kenneth.”

The clipping highlighted Dunlop’s previous employment at the Richmond shipyards, while the reference to Chester was about a friend with whom he worked closely on construction projects, the Times-Herald article said.

The article noted that Dunlop sent the message to his wife in New York, with the postcard showing censorship and mailing marks of the Japanese Imperial Army. The missive was also the first word from him since the fall of Corregidor.

Mrs. Dunlop told a Times-Herald reporter that Kenneth last wrote at Easter in 1942, just before Corregidor’s capture.

“She had never given up her belief that he was still in the land of the living and definite word from him that he was uninjured and in excellent health was overwhelming good news,” the article added.

However, the tide of war began turning against Japan after 1942, and in 1944, the Philippines looked like it would fall to the Americans, so the Japanese decided to move their prisoners to Japan for slave labour, Dowson wrote.

Dunlop and others were put on a ship, the Arisan Maru, in mid-October 1944 and taken to Manila, where the ship became part of a Japanese convoy. On Oct. 21, 1944, the Arisan Maru and other ships left for Takao, Formosa (Taiwan), where they would be sorted and sent on to Japan.

Before reaching Formosa, however, the United

States Navy submarine Snook (SS-279) attacked the convoy, sinking the Arisan Maru on Oct.

24, 1944. Only five prisoners survived, while the remaining 1,783 prisoners, including Kenneth Dunlop, died.

U.S. subs — the Snook was sunk in April 1945 — unknowingly killed more than 21,000 Allied PoWs, whom the Japanese transported on unmarked “hell ships,” according to the U.S. National Archives.

“The International Red Cross has sent to the American government an official list obtained from the Japanese government, after long delay, of American prisoners of war, who were lost while being transported northward from the Philippine Islands on a Japanese ship, which was sunk on Oct. 24, 1944,” a Times-Herald article from July 20, 1945, said.

“Kenneth Andrew Dunlop was among those listed as lost … and may be presumed to have lost his life.”

Dunlop left behind his mother in Moose Jaw; his brother Edgar of Baildon; his sister Mrs. J.E. Lindasy of New Westminster, B.C.; and Gertrude of Moose Jaw.

‘Glory’: Veteran recalls the joy of working in West Germany during Cold War

Being stationed in West Germany during the Cold War was exciting for Bryce Warren, since he was able to maintain well-known airplanes and investigate the cultural and tourist attractions.

Warren was stationed in Baden-Baden, Germany, with 4 Fighter Wing for four years, where he was responsible for maintaining planes like the Lockheed T-33A Shooting Star, the CF-100 Avro Canada Canuck — or “Clunk” — and the Canadair F-86 Sabre jet.

“That was glory,” laughed Warren, 87, about his time in the Central European country. “I was young and single and I had a good time. I had enough money in my pocket (that) I could spend and … save.”

Jason G. Antonio

airplane mechanic taking a snooze beside a busy runway. He noted that the mechanics worked long hours to maintain the squadrons’ planes, while everyone grew used to the noise of jets landing and taking off.

Continuing, Warren said that the repairman decided to lie down on the grass beside the runway to sleep. His workmates saw this, picked some flowers and placed them in their dozing colleague’s hands, almost like he was in a coffin.

“It gave the pilots a laugh as they returned,” chuckled Warren. “They’d come in on the taxiway and this is what they saw.”

Warren joined the Canadian military in

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, We will remember them.

Laurence Binyon, For The Fallen

He worked for three years in the civilian world before re-mustering with the air force in July 1967 as a flight simulator technician. He repaired those machines until retiring in March 1994.

During his 34-year career, the Belleville, Ont.,-born veteran spent 12 years working at 15 Wing Airbase in Moose Jaw, with five years in the military and then seven years as a civilian working with a contractor to maintain flight simulators.

“Well, Moose Jaw’s a good place. … (It) was good for me,” he said, noting that it was less expensive to live here than in Ottawa.

Meanwhile, Warren recalled working for the RCMP for four months in the 1980s while stationed at a base in Iqaluit, Nunavut, about 900 kilometres straight north of Montreal. His job was to maintain and operate equipment at the airbase, including a forklift and a machine that de-iced planes’ wings.

never been up there,’ so … they accepted me up there,” he said.

Warren served at the airbase from October to December, in a climate that was snowy and cold. Even though temperatures sometimes plummeted to a bone-chilling minus-60 Celsius, he pointed out that there was no wind, so “it was nice to walk” — if he wore the proper clothing.

The airbase at Frobisher Bay was a refuelling stopover for planes flying further north to Alert, Nunavut, where Canada had a military base at the north end of Ellesmere Island. Located 817 kilometres from the North Pole, Alert is the northernmost permanently inhabited place in the world.

Warren recalled that Lockheed CC-130 Hercules cargo planes regularly flew from Frobisher Bay to Alert, carrying vital equipment, supplies, entertainment and food — and beer, of course — to the isolated base.

During one particular trip, a “Herc” was unable to fly directly to Alert because of the weather, so the pilot landed at the Frobisher Bay airbase to stay overnight, the veteran continued. He and others unloaded the plane and then closed the hangar. However, because of the aircraft’s size, its tail stuck out the door.

Chuckling, Warren added that they stored the beer in the hangar because it was too cold outside and they feared the precious liquid might freeze.

The next day, with the weather improved, the Hercules loaded up and flew north to Alert to drop off its supplies —

In Flanders Fields

BY JOHN MCCRAE

In Flanders elds the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, at mark our place; and in the sky e larks, still bravely singing, y Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved, and now we lie, In Flanders elds.

Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw e torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders elds.

From The Kitchen

By Joyce Walter - For Moose Jaw Express

A bully beef stew, topped with slugs was often served to Canadian soldiers serving overseas in the Second World War.

In today’s language, the stew was made from canned corned beef and topped with dumplings. In my Father’s case, there was no affection for either food item even many years after he came home.

According to military museum facts, Canadian soldiers ate canned meats such as Spam and Bully Beef, either alone or in stews. They also consumed high energy and emergency rations such as hardtack biscuits, chocolate and cups of tea.

Roast pork and mashed potatoes might have been served on special occasions such as Christmas. And they might have mixed powdered milk with sugar and tea leaves in a cup of hot water as a special drink for taste and warmth.

Meanwhile back at home, eggs, cheese, tinned tomatoes, rice, peas, canned fruit and breakfast cereals were the foods eaten most often by civilian Canadians during the Second World War.

Rationing also added some difficulty in preparing meals with bacon, butter and sugar being the first items to be rationed. To fill the void, potatoes, fruit and fish products were not

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• Quality 100% cotton fabric: solids, themed, Indigenous

• We carry interfacing, notions, thread, embroidery thread, batting, panels, ribbon skirts, 1 1/2" satin double faced ribbon, broadcloth, Metis content. Kokum scarves and felt.

Button Day is every rst Tuesday of the month!

Spam hash on wartime menu

rationed but were often difficult to find in stores.

This week’s recipes reflect some of the food eaten during wartime. The Canada War Cake recipe produced a very dense cake with an extra-long shelf life. Packed properly it survived being mailed overseas and was a welcome gift for soldiers.

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WARTIME SPAM HASH

2 large potatoes

1/2 medium onion

1/4 can Spam

1 tbsp. butter or margarine

Wash potatoes and cut into quarters. Cook in water until just firm. Drain off water and let potatoes cool.

Chop the onion and chop the Spam into chunks.

Add butter to a large frying pan, add onions and cook gently until soft.

Chop the potatoes into smaller chunks. Add potatoes and Spam to the frying pan and continue to fry, stirring often.

Cover the frying pan and continue cooking for 5-10 minutes. If texture is too sticky, add a bit of water and stir.

Serve hash while hot, possibly with an available vegetable. Serves one. Recipe may be increased by doubling and doubling again

Hot Pressure Washers!!

all the ingredients.

•

CANADA WAR CAKE

2 cups brown sugar

2 cups water

2 tbsps. shortening

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. cloves

1 ½ – 2 cups raisins

3 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. hot water

In a saucepan, combine the brown sugar, water, shortening, salt, raisins, cinnamon and cloves. Bring to a boil and cook for five minutes. Allow the mixture to cool. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and line pans with parchment paper. Dissolve the baking soda in one tsp. of hot water.

In a large bowl combine the raisin mixture with the flour and baking soda slurry. It will form a dense and sticky dough. Form into two loaves. Bake for 45 minutes. Allow to cool on a wire rack before slicing.

Joyce Walter can be reached at ronjoy@sasktel. net

Photo Story: RAF memorial at Runnymede U.K.

I know that your readers will appreciate a Remembrance Sunday special. Here’s some very recent photographs of the RAF memorial at Runnymede ( where King John signed the Magna Carta, from which UK and Canada’s laws derive).

Submitted by Bryan Wilcockson (U.K.)

The memorial is for the 20,000 plus UK and Commonwealth aircrews, who were missing presumed killed in action.

Gieni honoured with national award for decades of tennis leadership

The national tennis spotlight turned to Moose Jaw this fall as local volunteer Gerry Gieni received Tennis Canada’s Distinguished Service Award for his decades of leadership on and off the court.

Gieni’s passion goes far beyond competition. Through more than two decades of volunteering, his work has also helped grow the sport locally by inspiring more young people to try something new and see what all the “racquet” is about.

“(The recognition from Tennis Canada) was quite a surprise — I wasn’t expecting it at all, so it was kind of nice,” he said. “Of course, you can’t say much, because other people do lots of stuff too … a lot of people deserve it as well.”

Gieni first joined the Moose Jaw Tennis Club in 2001. Two years later, he put his name forward with Tennis Saskatchewan, beginning a volunteer journey that would connect him to the national level.

Gieni’s volunteer leadership with Tennis Saskatchewan began in 2003, when he was first elected to the provincial board. Over the next two decades, he served in multiple executive roles, including two terms as president — first from 2007–08 and again during the pandemic years of 2021–22 — representing Saskatchewan nationally and helping guide decisions at the national level.

“I actually served … from 2003

Aaron

Walker - Moose Jaw Express

(talks to) Tennis Saskatchewan and they say, ‘Can you put Gerry’s name forward for this award with Tennis Canada?’ Then, Tennis Saskatchewan submits it to the federal organization,” he explained. “They were kind enough to give me an award.”

The award was presented during the Moose Jaw Tennis Club’s annual general meeting, with Saskatchewan Tennis Association’s past president and current regional Crown prosecutor Rob Parker delivering the recognition.

Now in his 70s and playing since the late 1960s, Gieni sees himself as proof that tennis can remain part of an active lifestyle for decades. He pointed to two local role models, longtime Moose Jaw Tennis Club members Joan Buckmaster, 87, and Andy Shepherd, 85, who continue to play regularly.

Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic play live in Toronto in 2008. “They were all going strong, but that would have been back in 2008. They were in their prime,” he said. “It couldn’t get any better.”

Looking ahead, Gieni isn’t stepping away from the sport anytime soon. He continues to serve on the Moose Jaw Tennis Club board, helping guide programs and encourage new players to get involved.

“Like I say, if you get hooked on (tennis), it can be a fun, lifelong sport.”

To keep the club going strong, members are focused on recruiting a new generation of players to enhance the current average of 130 registered players. The club offers group lessons both indoors and outdoors, with several classes already booked for the next season.

Club

right up to this year,” he said. “This was my last year … I decided that I needed a break.”

Although the honour was a surprise, Gieni said the gesture was meaningful because it came from both the national body and his home community.

“What happens is … the local club

“You know, we’re not going to beat the young kids anymore, but it’s a sport that even in later years you can … get a little exercise and it’s a great social thing,” he said.

One highlight of Gieni’s volunteering came while representing the province as president of Tennis Saskatchewan.

“Of course, Tennis Canada brings all the reps in when the Rogers Cup is going on, so we got to watch some live tennis,” he recalled. Gieni saw topranked players including Roger Federer,

“We’re always trying to get (youth) interested in tennis,” he said. “We had a very good batch (of new recruits) last year — I think we had over 60 who took lessons.”

The Moose Jaw Tennis Club meets outdoors at the Crescent Park tennis courts until mid-October and indoors at the Golden Ticket Sports Centre, located at 1599 Main Street North.

For more information, visit MooseJawTennisClub.com or email MooseJawTennisClub1@gmail.com.

DMJA spreads Halloween spirit throughout downtown Moose Jaw

Halloween spirit swept through the city’s core on Oct. 31 as the Downtown Moose Jaw Association (DMJA) made the rounds, handing out candy and small gifts to local businesses, shoppers, and tourists alike.

Dressed for the occasion, DMJA co-ordinator Shannon Simpson walked along Main Street North, stepping into storefronts and cafés to offer treats and friendly conversation alongside a volunteer from the “Helping Hands” program. French fry coupons donated by local McDonald’s franchise owners Doug and Marilyn Dooley added an unexpected bonus to the visit, along with her distribution of Popeye candy sticks, Warheads, and classic candy

Aaron Walker - Moose Jaw Express

necklaces.

“This morning I wanted to come down and give out some candy,” Simpson said. “Yvette Moore (who founded the event) was so happy that she lent me her witch’s hat because I didn’t know what to dress up as … I just visited all the stores on Main Street, went into a couple coffee shops, and gave their patrons candy — they all loved it.”

Simpson noted the outreach offered a small nod to Halloween, responding to comments from residents who felt the occasion had been overshadowed by Christmas in October.

Her route included a stop outside city hall and visits to The Perfect Find, the Temple Gardens Hotel and

Spa, Timothy Eaton Centre where she planned to share candy with seniors, and others.

Simpson noted that “the streets are actually pretty quiet today,” but said people she met “enjoyed it.”

She said the visit was also intended to encourage people to come downtown and enjoy the area during the holiday season. “It’s just part of the DMJA giving back. We want more people to come down, enjoy our beautiful downtown, and see it with the lights on and (see) all the hard work our store owners have put into decorating.”

To learn more about the Downtown Moose Jaw Association, visit DowntownMooseJaw.ca.

‘SmashFest’ to boost confidence and core skills for young volleyball players

Young athletes will have a chance to discover volleyball in a fun, fast-paced setting next month as the Thunder Creek Volleyball Club prepares to host the city’s first-ever “SmashFest” development program on Nov. 15 at A.E. Peacock Collegiate.

Designed for children ages six to 11, the one-day event introduces basic volleyball skills, gameplay, and friendly competition through an accessible format known as “Smashball.”

The goal is to help kids build confidence on the court while making new connections in the sport, and event co-ordinator and coach Krysta Caplette said she hopes SmashFest will create a foundation for future athletes.

“I am hosting Moose Jaw’s first-ever SmashFest,” Caplette said. “It is basically to get younger kids involved in volleyball and learning basic skills.”

Caplette added that she is “very excited to have Tom Ash in from Sask Volleyball to help me run this event,” noting that the Prairie South School Division “very graciously donated gym time” to support the program.

SmashFest will feature two age-grouped sessions. The FUNdamentals stream, for children in Grades 1 to 3, begins with registration at 9:15 a.m. followed by Smashball activities, a short break, and a FUNdamentals tournament. The Learn to Train division, targeting Grades 4 to 6, focuses on arm swing mechanics and hitting technique before moving into a longer Smashball tournament.

Aaron Walker - Moose Jaw Express

A young athlete bumps a volleyball over the net during a Thunder Creek Volleyball Club training session, part of the grassroots development efforts highlighted in this month’s inaugural SmashFest event. Photo by: Thunder Creek Volleyball Club/Facebook

Teams in both divisions are guaranteed at least four matches, and registration is open to boys, girls, and co-ed teams. Individuals may also register and will be grouped into teams as needed.

Smashball modifies traditional volleyball to make gameplay faster, simpler, and more accessible. Players may catch the ball after an attack or a bounce to continue the rally, and courts are narrower with a lowered net. The

format uses lighter volleyballs and a three-on-three system to ensure maximum touches per athlete.

There are no trophies or medals awarded. Instead, organizers want athletes to enjoy the sport, learn fundamentals, and leave with a positive first experience.

Beyond player development, SmashFest carries a deeper purpose this year.

“All proceeds are going to the Polupski family to help with costs associated with the passing of Jana Polupski, long-time teacher and coach at Peacock,” Caplette said.

Space is limited to 15 teams in each division, and no previous experience is required. The recommended team size is six players, with a minimum of three and no upper limit.

Entry costs are $10 per child and registration closes on Thursday, Nov. 6. Teams or individuals can sign up online through a link on the club’s Facebook page, “Thunder Creek Volleyball Club.”

For more information about Smashball or program details, contact Ash at 306-527-4897 or Tom@SaskVolleyball.ca. For any questions specific to registration, contact Caplette at ThunderCreekVC@gmail.com.

To learn more, visit “Thunder Creek Volleyball Club” on Facebook, “tcvc_volleyball” on Instagram, or email ThunderCreekVC@gmail.com.

A.E. Peacock Collegiate is located at 145 Ross Street East.

ACFMJ names best zombie and fastest runner after 2025 ‘Zombie Run’

The sprinting survivors and shambling undead of Connor Park have officially earned their bragging rights for the season, as the Association communautaire fransaskoise de Moose Jaw (ACFMJ) announced the winners of this year’s Zombie Run awards.

Following the Oct. 4 event, which once again brought English- and Frenchspeaking residents together through friendly Halloween-themed competition, two participants stood out among the horde. Taking home this year’s Best Zombie prize was Tacha Ngomo, who received a themed gift basket sponsored by Domino’s Pizza. Meanwhile, the title of Best Runner went to Samuel Wenga, who claimed a Shoppers Drug Mart gift basket for their efforts.

Aaron Walker - Moose Jaw Express

The

and con-

Participants were challenged to dash through a two-kilometre course while protecting their “life flags,” all while the undead attempted to intercept them before the finish line.

Event organizer and ACFMJ community development officer Christian Poumeni said he appreciated the support shown again this fall.

“Thank you for coming to Connor Park for our Zombie Run and making this event even better,” he said, congratulating both winners and all who contributed to the annual run.

The Zombie Run is set to return to Connor Park in the fall of 2026 with further details to follow.

For more information, visit ACFMJ. ca or call 306-692-8112.

Pair of third period goals help Regina Pats secure win over Moose Jaw Warriors

Regina scores three answered on way to 5-2 victory in Moose Jaw

Randy Palmer - MooseJawToday.com

The Regina Pats turned in a solid defensive performance and used three unanswered goals in the second half of the game to secure a victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors in Western Hockey League action on Friday night.

The Pats improve to 5-7-1-1 and leapfrog Brandon into eighth place in the Eastern Conference, while the Warriors fall to 7-7-1-0 and remain sixth in the Conference.

Regina forward Matt Paranych goes hard to the net on his way to scoring the Pats first goal of the game on Friday night. Nick Pettigrew

Jonah Sivertson scores thirdperiod winner as Prince Albert Raiders sneak past Moose Jaw

Raiders remain undefeated in regulation after 6-4 victory in Prince Albert

Randy Palmer - MooseJawToday.com

The beat just keeps on keeping on for the Prince Albert Raiders.

Jonah Sivertson scored the game-winning goal with just over seven minutes remaining, and the Raiders would go on to a 6-4 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors on Saturday night at the Art Hauser Centre in Prince Albert.

The win sees the Raiders improve to 10-03-0 and they remain the only team in the Western Hockey League yet to lose in regulation this season. Moose Jaw falls to 7-8-1-0 and remain in sixth place in the Eastern Conference.

The Warriors are back in action on Wednesday when they host the Calgary Hitmen (7 p.m., Temple Gardens Centre) while the Raiders are also next on the ice Wednesday when they travel to Lethbridge to face the Hurricanes.

Moose Jaw Warriors acquire NHL-drafted goaltender Chase Wutzke from Red Deer

Netminder Matthew Hutchison traded to Regina Pats in second deal on Saturday

Randy Palmer - MooseJawToday.com

The Moose Jaw Warriors have acquired 19-year-old goaltender Chase Wutzke and a 2026 second-round pick from the Red Deer Rebels in exchange for a first and third-round pick in 2026, a second-round pick in 2027, a fourth-round pick in 2028, and a conditional fourth-round pick in 2029.

The Debden, Sask. product was drafted in the fifth round of the 2024 NHL Draft by the Minnesota Wild and signed his entry-level contract with the Wild at their training camp this past September.

In nine games so far this season with the Rebels, Wutzke posted a record of 3-5 with a goals against average of 2.73 and a save percentage of .889.

Wutzke was drafted 40th overall by the Red Deer Rebels at the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft. In the 102 WHL appearances, Wutkze has posted a career record of 43-40-7-3, a goals against average of 3.17, and a save percentage of .896.

Wutkze took little time to make his Warriors debut, as he joined the club in Prince Albert for Saturday night’s game against the Raiders

Not long after that deal, the War-

riors sent goaltender Matthew Hutchison to the Regina Pats for a sixth-round pick in the 2028 WHL Prospects Draft. Hutchison, 19, owns a 5-4-0 record this season with a 4.69 goals-against average and .864 save percentage. The Nanaimo, B.C. native is in his third WHL campaign and has compiled a 4.36 GAA and .878 save percentage over 72 career appearances split between the Vancouver Giants and Moose Jaw Warriors.

The 6-foot-3, 176-pound netminder was originally selected by Vancouver in the third round (63rd overall) of the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft. Hutchison was acquired by Moose Jaw last season, where he went 5-10-3 with a 3.89 GAA and .899 save percentage in 19 games. -- with files from WHL.ca

O’Leary sets new Warriors coaching milestone with franchise-leading 361 games

Moose Jaw Warriors head coach Mark O’Leary added his name to franchise history on Oct. 24, becoming the longest-tenured bench boss in the club’s record books with 361 games coached.

The milestone came in a 4-2 victory over the visiting Lethbridge Hurricanes. For O’Leary, the moment was more about the players and the years of development that led to this point.

“First and foremost, it’s just an opportunity to reflect on all the years here in Moose Jaw, starting way back in 2012 when I started out as an assistant coach … (and on) Mike Stothers and Alan Millar giving me, a young guy, a chance to learn and grow as a coach,” O’Leary said.

He credited general manager Jason Ripplinger as well for continued trust in his leadership. “There’s not a day I take for granted. I still love coming to the rink every day and time flies when you’re having fun.”

Friday’s victory saw a strong performance from goaltender Kyle Jones, who finished the game with a .920 save percentage and was credited with only two goals against. The Warriors “bought in,” according to defenceman Connor Schmidt, who said after the game: “It was good to get the win for (O’Leary).”

O’Leary was even named “player of the game,” joining his athletes in the post-game celebration. He admitted that the honour caught him off guard.

“That was a nice little surprise,” he said. “I mean, at the end of the day, it’s the players that are doing all the work. It’s nice to be in the mix with them on a night like that.”

The franchise also presented him with a framed gift featuring the game sheet from his first night as head coach alongside a selection of photos — a small gesture that meant a great deal.

Aaron Walker - Moose Jaw Express

Mark O’Leary hoists the Ed Chynoweth Cup during the Warriors’ 2024 WHL championship run, one of the signature achievements of his coaching tenure. Photo by: Moose Jaw Warriors Hockey Club/Facebook

Over his tenure, O’Leary has watched players skate onto the ice as teenagers and leave as professionals, including defenceman Morgan Rielly — who played for the Warriors from 2010-11 to 2012-13 before joining the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2013 — and forward Brett Howden, who wore a Warriors jersey from 2014-15 to 2016-17 and has played in the NHL since 2018 with the New York Rangers and now the Vegas Golden Knights. That growth, he said, is the heart of the job.

His philosophy boils down to incremental prog-

ress. “It’s being better today than you were yesterday, and better tomorrow than you were today,” he explained.

That process helped shape the club’s greatest highlight during his time behind the bench: their WHL championship when the team hoisted the Ed Chynoweth Cup and nearly earned the Memorial Cup in 2023-24.

“It’s even the years leading up to that season,” he said. “We had that group of kids who played for three or four years and grew up together, going through the ups and the downs … and then to be holding the trophy at the end of the year just makes it even more special.”

On the ice, his teams are built on fundamentals.

Off the ice, communication is constant and although necessary, it’s sometimes difficult.

“For each player, I just want them to know that we’re in it together and we want the same thing. You know, sometimes those are hard conversations and you’re telling players not what they want to hear, but what they need to hear,” O’Leary said. “You just hope that, in the end … maybe something they learned here in Moose Jaw made them a better person.”

Pondering what advice he’d give his younger self, he offered words refined across hundreds of games. “The good advice is: This too shall pass,” he said. “You just have to trust your beliefs and your own process.”

Despite the milestone, his focus remains on improving to face the next opponent. For now, it’s business as usual.

“Whether we won … or lost the last game, I get excited. I wake up in the morning, put my boots on the ground, and come to the rink to work,” O’Leary said on Oct. 31. “(For now), I’m just trying to win tonight against Regina.”

Moose Jaw WINMAR Warriors remain undefeated in regulation after shutout win overContacts

Wawryk records first SMAAAHL shutout, Warriors go one to 5-0 victory in Saskatoon

The Moose Jaw WINMAR Warriors have seen nothing but success since the start of the Sask Male AAA Hockey League season, and that continued this past weekend.

The Warriors scored five second period goals and goaltender Steven Wawryk picked up his first

Randy Palmer - MooseJawToday.com

career shutout as Moose Jaw took a 5-0 victory over the Saskatoon Contacts on Saturday in Saskatoon.

Moose Jaw remains unbeaten in regulation and have improved to 11-0-1-0 to sit a single point ahead of the Regina Pat Canadians in first place in the 12-team league.

After a scoreless first period, the Warriors got things rolling early in the second, scoring goals in bunches to take the lead.

Moose Jaw outshot Saskatoon 33-9 in the period, with all of their goals coming at even strength.

The Warriors put on the defensive clamps and that would be enough for Wawryk to earn a 26save shutout.

The WINMAR Warriors are back in action Thursday when they travel to Swift Current to face the Legionnaires, with puck drop at 7:30 p.m. at the IPlex.

Central Cyclones advance to provincial football championship after win over Prince Albert Carlton

Central overcomes early deficit, go on to 31-24 victory in Prince Albert, to face Regina Johnson for SHSAA title on Saturday in Moose Jaw Randy Palmer - MooseJawToday.com

With the way things started for the Central Cyclones in the SHSAA 5A 12-Aside provincial football semifinal on Saturday, they had to be feeling a touch of deja vu.

The Cyclones had gone undefeated through the regular season in 2024 and advanced to the provincial semifinal game, only to endure a tough 31-3 loss at the hands of Saskatoon Bishop Mahoney.

And this time around, there the Cyclones were, undefeated once again, on the road for the semifinal once again, and trailing the Prince Albert Carlton Crusaders 14-3 in the first half.

The Cyclones would score three straight touchdowns, build a 31-17 lead and go on to a 31-24 victory at Max Clunie Field in Prince Albert to advance to the SHSAA provincial championship game.

It was a proud moment for head coach Colin Belsher, especially with how his troops were able to put their

running back Kayden Nightingale looks for running room during the provincial semifinal. Central Cyclones

experience last season to good use this time around.

Now, it’s on to the provincial final.

The Regina Johnson Wildcats defeated

Dog Agility and Halloween Collide

By Robert Thomas

There were devils, dragon flies, Thumper and even a bride and groom in the special costume class as the Moose Jaw Dog Club held its annual Halloween Howl agility trials.

Held over the weekend, the event featured dogs going through the trials, but at the same time, it was a special custom class and Saturday afternoon for Halloween.

Tracey Cook show secretary and president of the Moose Jaw Dog Club said the event was well attended.

Cook also said that having the event with costumes really added to it, it was a nice layered way to break up the weekend.

off is 1 p.m.

“We’ve shared film from all our games this year, and now we’re going to try and find their weaknesses as they will for us and try and exploit them,” Belsher said. “It’ll just come down to execution, the boys will be ready, but we can only get them so ready, the rest will fall to them and how they play on that day.”

Bishop Mahoney 12-7 in the other semifinal, and as a result Central will face Johnson for the SHSAA title on Saturday afternoon at Gutheridge Field. Kick-

She was very impressed with without much effort and thought it went into many of the costumes that were worn by dogs and created on Saturday afternoon. Here is a selection of photos from the event on Saturday:

https://www.mjindependent.com/ lifestyles/2025/11/1/ybzp7swj57lgvcpk4h1v403shx9ff7

Remembrance, creativity, and community fill the public library’s November calendar

As autumn winds down and winter approaches, the Moose Jaw Public Library (MJPL) is keeping the community busy with a new month of events, programs, and activities designed to inform, inspire, and entertain.

Movie club

The library’s movie club meets twice monthly to watch a film and engage in a short discussion starting at 6 p.m. in the library’s theatre.

• Patton: Directed by Franklin J. Schaffner, Patton explores one of “the most controversial figures in military history,” including the strategic panache, combative attitude, and spiritual eccentricities of the general through his career in the Second World War. Show date: Monday, Nov. 10

• The Zone of Interest: Jonathan Glazer’s The Zone of Interest offers a narrative interpretation of life in Auschwitz. Show date: Monday, Nov. 24

The library’s Documentary Night showcases documentary films that rarely hit theatres and takes place on the last Thursday of each month starting at 6 p.m. in the library’s theatre.

• Won’t You Be My Neighbor?: Director Morgan Neville explores the life, philosophies, and legacy of children’s television host Fred Rogers, celebrating a career that many call “the model of wholesomeness.” Show date: Thursday, Nov. 27

A few movie matinees will be screened for audiences of all ages in the library’s theatre starting at 2:30 p.m. Admission is free, and everyone’s welcome.

• Wicked: The untold story of the witches of Oz will show on Saturday, Nov. 29 (rated PG)

Maker nights

Maker nights provide an evening dedicated to learning and creating with others. Register by calling 306-692-2787. The program runs from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Herb Taylor Room for ages 13 and up.

• Maker night: Guests will make hanging charms on Monday, Nov. 17. Advance registration is required.

• Maker Saturdays: Guests will make paper pill bugs on Saturday, Nov. 8, and LEGO Spike Prime on Saturday, Nov. 22 at 2 p.m. Advance registration is required for both events.

Children’s programming

LEGO Weekends: Are open for ages four and up during the library’s regular business hours on Saturdays and Sundays. In this selfguided activity in the Children’s Department, children can have fun building wild LEGO

Aaron Walker - Moose Jaw Express

creations that they’re invited to put on display.

Children’s Storytime programs run on separate days in the Children’s Program Room starting at 10:30 a.m. Here, young readers can enjoy a short story, rhymes, and songs as caregivers learn ways to improve early childhood literacy.

• Preschool Storytime: Wednesday, Nov. 5, 12, 19, and 26

• Daycare Storytime: Monday, Nov. 3, 10, 17, and 24

Be sure to check out TumbleBooks for Kids featuring an online collection of animated, talking picture books to teach children the joys of reading in the Digital Library.

Standalone events

• Remembrance Day exhibit: A special collection of high resolution scans, Moose Jaw and the Great War in 19 Objects, will be available for viewing at the library starting in the first week of November. This exhibit provided courtesy of the Ley and Louis Smith Collection, History Department, Western University in London, Ont., can also be viewed online at MJLibrary.ca/remembrance.

• World War 1 Remembrance in Archives: Guests are invited to explore photos, documents, and more materials related to the history of WW1 in and around Moose Jaw. Everyone is welcome to attend this drop-in program and attendees are welcome to ask any questions they might have about the archives process and materials related to the war on Monday, Nov. 10, from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. in the Archives Department.

• Paper Moon Writing Collective: Paper Moon is a monthly gathering for writers and creatives of all levels, offering guided prompts, quiet writing time, and optional sharing in a supportive, judgment-free space. Each session is led by Kara and explores a different theme on the first Tuesday of each month. For more information, email PaperMoonWritingCollective@gmail. com

• Come and Go Play: Enjoy a story, sensory activities, play, and meet new people in the Children’s Program Room from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 6, 13, 20, and 27. The free event is a dropin program and you can come and go as you please.

• Friends of the Library puzzle sale: The Friends of the Library are holding a used jigsaw puzzle sale to support library programming on Saturday, Nov. 15, from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Guests are asked to

bring their own bag. The sale is cash-only.

• Shake & Search ‘I Spy’ bottles: Guests will make a fun bottle to take home and enjoy, as children explore and develop literacy skills on Saturday, Nov. 15, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.

• Métis dot art: Guest presenters Marquita Neufeld and Val Trudel will teach participants about Métis culture and traditions through a dot art activity on Saturday, Nov. 29 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. in the Herb Taylor Room. The activity is intended for children ages eight to 12 and all materials will be supplied. Registration is required for each child who plans to attend.

• Dinosaur prints in playdough: Guests will join Miss A for a dinosaur-themed storytime and will make dinosaur prints in playdough on Saturday, Nov. 29, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. in the Children’s Program Room. The activity is intended for children ages two and up and registration is required.

Youth programming

The library’s Teen Anime+ Club meets on the fourth Wednesday of each month from 6:30 to 8:30 to watch anime, read manga, draw, chat, and eat Asian snacks. Anyone ages 12 to 19 is welcome to attend in the library’s theatre and yes — cosplay is welcome.

• Next Anime+ meeting: Featuring “Seirei Gensouki: Spirit Chronicles” on Wednesday, Nov. 26

The Teen Arts & Crafts program takes place once a month for youth ages 12 to 19 and runs from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Herb Taylor Room. The program features art, crafts, snacks, and the chance to meet new friends.

• Melty beads: Wednesday, Nov. 19

The Teen Gamers program provides an evening of video, card, and board games for youth ages 12 to 19. The program is held once a month in the Herb Taylor Room with snacks provided from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. and no registration is required.

• Next Teen Gamers meeting: Wednesday, Nov. 12

Libby

Patrons can browse a collection of eBooks with no waitlist on the Libby app, available with a valid library card.

Hoopla

Patrons are invited to explore seven days of unlimited access to thought-provoking, quirky, and award-winning independent documentaries, series, and films, available on the Hoopla app with a valid library card. Kanopy

Explore “the adventure of a lifetime” as seen

through the eyes of acclaimed filmmakers for free through the Kanopy app, available with a valid library card.

Study Space: The public library has plenty of open space for students to study, work in small groups, or just hang out. This includes free Wi-Fi access and staff who can help students access a wide variety of library resources.

Regular events

The Moose Jaw Chess Club provides biweekly chess games every other Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. in the South Meeting Room.

• Upcoming chess games: Sunday, Nov. 9 and 23

Magic: The Gathering is held on Saturdays at 2 p.m. in the Reading Room. No registration is required, with all experience levels welcome.

• Magic: The Gathering: Saturday, Nov. 1, 8, 15, 22, and 29 Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) is typically played from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Archives Room and players ages 12 to 16 across all experience levels are invited.

• Digital D&D: Will take place Fridays on the youth Discord channel for ages 16 to 25 from 4 to 6 p.m. Email Youth@ MJLibrary.ca to inquire.

• D&D Obojima: Tales from the Tall Grass: Will take place in two separate groups with Group 1 meeting Tuesdays from Nov. 4 to Dec. 16 (with no program on Nov. 11), and Group 2 meeting Thursdays from Nov. 6 to Dec. 18 Tech Time: Tech Time offers one-on-one instruction with modern electronic devices. Call the library to book a session.

Library of Things

The MJPL offers more than just books, including a telescope kit, radon testing kit, SaskBats bat detector kit, C-Pen Readers for patrons with print-reading barriers, and more through its Library of Things collection. Ask a staff member at the front desk for more information.

French-language programs

L’heure du conte is a French-language program for children ages five and under with their caregivers. The program is held in the Children’s Program Room starting at 10:30 a.m.

• L’heure du conte: Saturday, Nov. 8

The Moose Jaw Public Library is located at 461 Langdon Crescent and can be reached at MooseJawLibrary.ca, by calling 306692-2787, or by emailing Ask@MJLibrary. ca. Check the library’s Facebook page for updates, as programs may be cancelled or rescheduled.

Cultural centre’s ‘dream’ of opening 1920s-themed bar/gathering space now reality

After nearly three years of planning and construction, the former Moose Jaw Cultural Centre has opened an upstairs bar that harkens back to a century ago to flapper dresses and Al Capone.

Music from the 1920s filled the Moose Jaw Centre for Arts and Culture (MJCAC) on Oct. 24, as dozens of people celebrated the opening of “The Ballad and Bard” pub on the second floor.

The arts and culture organization teamed up with the Moose Jaw Co-op to refurbish the bar, with the latter providing $40,000 over four years through its Caring for the Community Fund.

Wearing a three-piece suit, Jared Robison, the cultural centre’s board chairman, was mixing drinks for guests, something he loves to do since he built his own British-style pub in his heritage home. He even brought his own “bar tools” to make special concoctions.

Taking a sip from a New York Sour, guest Kelly Carty said, “It’s delicious.”

The organization wanted the bar to have a “sympathetic construction” style so that it felt like it had always been there, Robinson explained. So, the arts centre hired community business Everything Wood to build the structure.

Robinson pointed out that the board created a “pub subcommittee” to pursue this project. Members tossed around names that sounded appropriate not only for a pub, but that connected to the theatre. So, “The Ballad and Bard” made sense and stuck.

Continuing, Robinson said that not only will the new bar generate much-needed revenue, but it will also give people a place to drink after a show or for parties.

Jason G. Antonio - MooseJawToday.com

“So the more of that sort of thing we can do, the more programs we can support and make sure that this organization does well,” he added. “So I’m very excited about it … . I think this is just another example of what’s possible in this building.”

Geoff Anderson, the Coop’s general manager, was also mixing drinks, something he said he did in his younger days. He noted that the upstairs transformation looked beautiful, while the updated lounge offered many opportunities for people to socialize and learn about the venue’s programs.

He explained that the proposal intake for the Caring for the Community Fund is twice a year, so the Centre for Arts and Culture applied and qualified. He acknowledged that the project was expensive but pointed out that arts and culture spur economic development.

“… they bring a lot of tourism to our downtown (and) a lot of business to our community, and not to mention, it celebrates the great diversity … (in) Moose Jaw,” Anderson said. Anderson added that if

be classy and appealing but not “too campy or kitschy.” Moreover, it wanted to celebrate the heritage of the community’s buildings and embrace the Capone-gangster theme.

Simison noted that the board thought “The Ballad and Bard” was a fun name, since the former connected to poetry or music and the latter connected to poets or playwrights. More-

over, the name gave the space its own identity and differentiated it from the building’s other rooms.

The executive director added that Robinson was “the visionary” behind the project, while she handled the behindthe-scenes administration work.

This space is rentable so for inquires please contact the Moose Jaw Cultural Centre.

PUBLIC NOTICE

RESORT VILLAGE OF SUN VALLEY NOTICE OF INTENTION TO ADOPT BYLAW NO. 2-2025

Public notice is hereby given that the Council of the Resort Village of Sun Valley intends to adopt a bylaw, under The Planning and Development Act, 2007, to amend Bylaw No. 04-2017, known as the Zoning Bylaw.

Moose Jaw has an arts and culture scene, then it can “keep our soul in this community” and continue to enhance its economic sustainability.

Sarah Simison, the MJCAC’s executive director, said she was excited about “The Ballad and Bard,” especially since the upstairs space was originally “not very attractive.” Furthermore, the bar itself was “in pretty bad shape” since it was a mobile structure that had been donated more than 20 years ago.

“So yeah, we had this vision. So we started pricing some things out … . We’re a city building, but we weren’t sure if the city would pay for this dream of ours,” she continued.

The CAC board approached the Co-op for sponsorship since it does so much in the community and has supported the arts organization over the years, Simison said.

“We’re just thrilled to work with them. They’re fantastic,” she remarked.

Simison said the 1920s feel is “pretty purposeful,” as the board wanted the bar/lounge to

INTENT:

The proposed bylaw will incorporate some minor additions to the Zoning Bylaw:

1. The table on page 46 Site Development Regulations for Single Detached Dwellings will be amended to include the following: Attached Garages - Attached garages may not exceed the size of the living quarters and in any case may not exceed 111.5 m² (1200 ft²) whichever is less.

2. The table on page 47 Site Development Regulations will be amended to include the following: Attached Garages - Attached garages may not exceed the size of the living quarters and in any case may not exceed 111.5 m² (1200 ft²) whichever is less.

REASON:

The reason for the bylaw amendment is to accommodate future development and to clarify specific situations.

PUBLIC

INSPECTION:

Any person may inspect the bylaw at the Resort Village of Sun Valley Office between 9:00 am and 3:30 pm on Thursdays and Fridays excluding statutory holidays. Copies are available at cost at the Municipal Office.

PUBLIC

HEARING:

Council will hold a public hearing to receive submissions on the proposed bylaw on the 21st day of November 2025 at 10:00 a.m. at the Regional Municipal Plaza, Municipal Office Boardroom. Council will also consider written submissions received at the hearing or delivered to the undersigned at the municipal office before the hearing. For further information, please contact the municipal office at 306-694-0055.

Issued at the Resort Village of Sun Valley this 23rd day of October 2025.

Signed

Melinda Huebner, Administrator

Artists connect with community at annual ‘Moostletoe’ showcase

A cozy atmosphere, curious conversations, and hands-on creativity filled artisaNGrounds Studio on Nov. 1 as the Moostletoe Artists’ Spotlight returned for another year of artist demonstrations and early holiday shopping.

Featuring work by Nissa GieniWareham, Patti Lewis, Tanya MacKay, Jude Radwanski, Beth Crabb, and Mariia Ablitsova, the showcase invited visitors to explore handmade art, learn about the creative process, and watch their work unfold with on-the-hour live sessions. Although crowds were thinner than last year, artists said those who attended offered thoughtful questions, encouragement, and support.

“Moostletoe was nice. It was a very cozy atmosphere,” said studio owner and host Nissa Gieni-Wareham. “We didn’t see quite the traffic we had last year … but the people who came really

Aaron Walker - Moose Jaw Express

… we had lots of onlookers and a lot of good conversations.”

Lewis, who began painting more than 30 years ago, said her paintings often spark friendly conversations. “A lot of my subjects are actual places,” she added. “People who discuss my paintings often say, ‘Hey, I recognize that place.’”

Coloured pencil illustrator Tanya MacKay used her demonstration hour to continue work on a portrait of her aging dog, a subject close to her heart.

actually make all of these?’ Yes, I did — and I dyed all the colours before that. It’s a labour of love.

“I think Moostletoe is important, because (it highlights that) these are all handmade creations. There’s nothing out of a box … it’s a nice celebration of local creativity.”

Looking forward to Moostletoe’s return in 2026, Gieni-Wareham said she hopes the showcase will continue to grow and attract even more artists.

enjoyed it. They love to see the demonstrations and take part in the hands-on lessons, and it was received very well.”

Carved out as an alternative to the busy market circuit, Moostletoe lets artists slow down and speak to the questions shoppers rarely get the chance to ask between long lineups. Gieni-Wareham said that is part of the purpose.

“It goes back to the different (format) where people can see behind the scenes of what artists do,” she said. “People were really engaged with the artists and the creative process, and it was just nice to see that interest.”

For watercolour painter Patti Lewis, the opportunity to instruct was an added highlight. During her hour-long artist’s feature, she guided visitors through an ornament painting on watercolour paper.

“It was a lot of fun,” she said. “We had a little painting for everybody to do

“I showed the paper I use, how I make the fur on my dog, and how I blend it,” she said. “I had lots of people give me some wonderful compliments and encouragement, and it’s great to connect with the community that way.”

Jude Radwanski focused on polymer clay wreaths, similar to the material she uses to craft earrings. She said events like Moostletoe help audiences understand the value of handmade work.

“It celebrates handmade arts and crafts in Moose Jaw … and (I like how we) meet the public and (show) them what we do,” she said.

Basket and weaving artist Beth Crabb repeated last year’s popular wreath-twining demonstration, which drew close to a dozen participants this time around.

“It was nice to see such genuine interest from people who were here,” she said. “A lot of people asked, ‘Did you

“It has been very well received with the one-spot location, and we’ll just keep growing it from here,” she said. “Hopefully we can get bigger and have more artists come out. If that means a new venue, then we’re ready to go.”

The artisaNGrounds studio is located at 262 Athabasca Street East. For more information, visit ArtisanGrounds. net or call 306-630-9963.

Most farmers took off above average crops

Most Saskatchewan farmers harvested an above average crop this year, according to the weekly crop report by the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture.

Grades were pretty good too.

Drought in the southwest impacted yields negatively in the province.

Provincially, canola crops averaged 42.9 bushels an acre with flax running 26.6 bushels and mustard averaging 880.1 pounds an acre.

Hard red spring wheat averaged 51.5 bushels an acre with durum wheat running 39.5 bushels.

Highest yield was oats at 94.4 bushels an acre. Barley ran 70 bushels.

In pulse crops, peas averaged 40.8

Ron Walter - For Moose

bushels with lentils at 1785.5 pounds while chickpeas ran 1716.2 pounds Canary seed averaged 25.5 bushels an acre.

Eighty-six per cent of canola graded number one with 41 per cent of peas number one and 22 per cent of lentils the top grade.

Sixty-three per cent of spring wheat was number one with 27 per cent of barley at that grade.

Only 22 per cent of durum was rated number one.

Grades in the southwest, which includes Moose Jaw. were generally lower.

Southwest canola saw half the crop at number one with 63 per cent of flax

number one. Only eight per cent number one grades were achieved for durum, barley, lentils and chickpeas.

Spring wheat averaged 33 per cent number one with 12 per cent of oats and 10 per cent of peas grading at the top. Provincially hay crop yields varied with 11 per cent excellent, 63 per cent adequate, 22 per cent fair and four per cent poor.

Alfalfa averaged 1.39 tonnes per acre but only .69 tonnes in the southwest. Going into winter crop land topsoil moisture was 11 per cent excellent, 55 per cent adequate, 33 per cent fair and four per cent poor.

Pasture land moisture was rated three per cent excellent, 29 per cent adequate, 33 per cent fair, 21 per cent poor and 10 per cent very poor.

OPINION EDITORIAL: TRADING THOUGHTS

By Ron WalterFor Moose Jaw Express

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.

Bring back Canada Savings Bonds plan

Canada needs enormous amounts of investment to re-jig the economy in this changed world of trade patterns and global alliances.

The Donald Trump-driven trade wars and geopolitical alliances that make war seem imminent spell disaster for trading nations like Canada.

Canada relies on trade friendships around the world, especially our U.S. neighbours who no longer want to play with us.

Given that our once closest ally seems to want to drive Canada out of business, this country has no choice but to sacrifice and rebuild, unless we cave in to the 51st state plan.

Re-inventing the economy to become more self-sufficient and shift trade away from the U.S. will require years of hard work, not to mention oceans of money.

As this is being written the prime minister is in Asia hunting for trade options and investors.

One option for investment that has been floated involves the massive amounts of money in pension plans.

The $714 billion Canada Pension Plan has only 12 per cent of assets invested in Canada — a drop from 14 per cent in two years.

Pension plans in general have reduced assets invested in Canada from 28 per cent to four per cent during the last 20 years.

Requiring more pension fund investment sounds like a good source of capital for Canada.

Pension plans are required to get the highest returns to ensure pensions can be paid out when needed.

Limiting long term investments to Canada could reduce the money available to pay pensions.

The federal government has encouraged these plans to invest more in Canada.

One option not yet been floated is reviving the Canada Savings Bond (CSB) program.

Canada Savings Bonds were used twice — in the First World War and the Second World War— to assist the war efforts.

The bonds paid competitive interest rates, were always redeemable for cash and offered citizens a way to help the war effort. The bonds also soaked up a lot of cash that couldn’t be spent because of rationing on essential items.

The Canada Savings Bond became a staple in many households. The bonds were often bought by payroll deduction.

Many redeemed the newly paid up bonds to pay for one-time expenses like property taxes and insurance premiums.

From 2004 on the finance department recommended cancelling the program due to costs. In 2017 the feds ended the CSB program.

Renewal of the CSB plan would have some interesting impacts.

— It could force banks to pay more interest than the current pittance.

— It would see the interest payments paid to Canadians instead of leaving Canada.

— It would provide a safe investment vehicle to retired savers who are venturing into risky stock markets while trying to keep abreast of inflation.

— The program would soak up savings from what will be an inflationary economy if Canada proceeds with most of the major projects on the drawing board.

Canadians had $350 billion in savings in 2021 – a handsome sum to tap into for re-building of the economy.

One is surprised the CSB plan hasn’t been raised as one option to assist in accessing investment funds.

Ron Walter can be reached at ronjoy@ sasktel.net

SCOTT WOODS

Can you find the hidden words? They may be horizontal, vertical, diagonal, forwards or backwards.

Sudoku #5 - Challenging

9 4 8 3 9 3 2 6 7 6 8 2 6 5 4 8 7 2 9 4 7 1 3 5 8 2

2025 KrazyDad.com

Fill in the blank squares so that each row, each column and each 3-by-3 block contain all of the digits 1 thru 9.

If you use logic you can solve the puzzle without guesswork.

ACTOR, ALLEY, BOOR, BOWLING, CARNAGE, CENTER, COAST, DEATH DETERMINE, EVERYWHERE, HISTORY, IMAGES, INFLICT INSIDE, PACT, PAPER, PETITION, PROFESSOR, PROFOUND, PUBLIC, RECYCLE, RESTRICTION, SHOWER, STATE, SUSPECT, TENSE TEST, THERE, THREAT, TOOL, TRADE, VAST, VOICE

ACROSS

1. Possessing necessary skills

5. Dig (into)

Need a little help? The hints page shows a logical order to solve the puzzle. Use it to identify the next square you should solve. Or use the answers page if you really get stuck.

10. Marshes

14. Bleats

15. Illicit sexual relationship

16. Type of sword

17. Satisfactory

19. Lady’s escort

20. Foot digit 21. Holdup

22. Rubber wheels

23. Entangle 25. Pee 27. S

28. Priestlike 31. Seaweed 34. Former 35. Anagram of “Eat” 36. Defeat decisively 37. False move 38. Musty 39. Frozen water 40. Feeling

Pauses

42. Deny responsibility 44. Women’s ___

45. Prickle

46. Narrative of past events

50. Grain stubble

52. Condition

54. C

55. Impoverished

56. Warranties

58. Excited

59. Extraterrestrial

60. Gesture of farewell

61. What we’re called

62. Pleasantly without extremes

63. Anagram of “Nose” DOWN

1. Diminish

2. Breakfast strip

3. Shoestrings

4. East southeast

5. Anagram of “Stared”

6. Electronic letter

7. Tosses

8. Predatory

9. Before, in poetry

10. Starts

11. Short amusing operas

12. Heredity unit

13. Adjusts

18. Stage

22. Stratum

24. Tidy

26. Violent disturbance

28. Light refractor

29. Advanced

30. Long-haired wild oxen

31. Dry

32. Hubs

33. Bedroom for visitors

34. Almost an island

37. Foreboding

38. Amount owed

40. At low speed

41. Above the horizon

43. Accuse

44. Tedious address

46. A group of concubines

47. Large body of water

48. Pass a rope through 49. Affirmatives

50. Bridge 51. Roman robe 53. Follow 56. Gossip 57. One plus one

205 WANTED

Looking To Rent - Garage/warehouse/ or unused semi-trailer unit. Prefer downtown area. Will consider other options. Can be reached at 306-313-3439.

I pay cash for unwanted firearms, ammunition, and other firearm related items. Also, free pick up of unwanted yard, garden, and acreage equipment, chainsaws, ATV’s, snowmobiles, etc. Call or text 306-641-4447.

210 SERVICES

Cleaner with 20 years experience. Carpet cleaning also available. Please call Rebecca at 306-990-0387.

Will pick up, move, haul, and deliver any appliances, TVs, furniture, or anything large in and around Moose Jaw, $45 and up. 45-gallon plastic barrels, great

for rainwater, $20 each. 1000 Litre plastic totes - $60. 45-gallon metal barrels, $15 each. 306681-8749

160 MISCELLANEOUS

Washer/Dryer/Freezer (14 cu ft.), 8’ steel loading ramps, snow machine track lift, patio table, and benches. Please call 639-5380799.

For Sale - Plot, Sunset Cemetery, Moose Jaw. Section 222, Lot No. A, Plot No. 4, Plan Christus. $1200.00. Please call 306-6302143.

One Door, one screen door. Standard size, accessories included. Can be seen at 1270 3rd Ave NE, Moose Jaw.

220 HELP WANTED

Looking for someone to help with small repairs around my apartment. Please call 306-972-8855.

MJPS charges two people following seizure of drugs, weapons, cash

Joseph Bohnenschuh, 31, and Kala Leflar, 41, were arrested and charged following an incident on October 28, 2025.

On October 28, 2025, members of the Moose Jaw Police Service’s Community Policing Division and K-9 Unit responded to the 300 block of Main Street North to a report of an individual who was attempting to steal the license plate off of a parked vehicle.

Once on the scene, police discovered an individual, later identified as Bohnenschuh, sitting in the front seat of a vehicle, brandishing a bladed weapon. Later, Bohnenschuh was arrested on several outstanding firearms-related warrants from an incident on September 25, 2024.

During the arrest of Bohnenschuh, Leflar exited a business and began to argue with the police.

Police later discovered that the vehicle Bohnenschuh was in was registered to Leflar.

By MooseJawToday.com staff

A subsequent search of the vehicle yielded 59.4 grams of Fentanyl ($2950$5900 street value), 12.1 grams of Methamphetamine, 28 pills of Lorazepam, and eight pills of Hydromorphone. Additionally, police discovered approximately $3600 in Canadian currency, brass knuckles, and other drug paraphernalia. Leflar was arrested and charged with:

• Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking Fentanyl

• Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking Methamphetamine

• Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking Hydromorphone

• Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking Lorazepam

• Possession of a Weapon Dangerous to the Public x2

• Possession of a Prohibited Weapon

• Possession of Property Obtained by Crime

Bohnenschuh was arrested and

188 HEALTH & BEAUTY SUPPLIES

Mobility Scooter for Sale: The Express Element – Range 50 km, tubeless tires, LED lights, horn, speed up to 25/km, rear basket, under seat storage, and bag hook. BRAND NEW $3995.00. Call 306-694-1322 for more information.

charged with:

• Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking Fentanyl

• Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking Methamphetamine

• Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking Hydromorphone

• Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking Lorazepam

• Possession of a Weapon Dangerous to the Public x2

• Possession of a Prohibited Weapon

• Possession of Property Obtained by Crime

• Mischief Interfering with Lawful Use, Enjoyment, or Operation of Property

Bohnenschuh and Leflar made their first appearance in Moose Jaw Provincial Court on October 29, 2025. If anyone has further information, please contact CRIME STOPPERS at 1-800-222-8477 or the Moose Jaw Police Service at (306) 694-7600.

Operation Christmas Child aims to fill kids with joy through shoeboxes

More than 2,500 children benefited from the generosity of people in the Moose Jaw area during last year’s Operation Christmas Child, while thousands more will be blessed during this year’s campaign.

The shoebox-filling, Jesus Christpromoting program kicked off recently, with collection week occurring at Moose Jaw Alliance Church from Monday, Nov. 17 to Sunday, Nov. 23. The church will accept the shoeboxes during that week — except Saturday — from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and on Wednesday night between 7 and 9 p.m.

On that Sunday, after collecting and packing the shoeboxes into larger

Jason G. Antonio - MooseJawToday.com

containers, volunteers will deliver the donations to Regina, where they will be shipped to Calgary.

From there, Samaritan’s Purse, which runs the program, will deliver the shoeboxes to thousands of children in El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Ukraine, Senegal, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, and the Philippines.

Judy Rysavy, the drop-off team leader in the Moose Jaw area, said most shoeboxes come from residents in Moose Jaw, Caronport and Mortlach; Moose Javians contributed 725 boxes last year. Besides the usual shoeboxes, some donors have filled fishing tackle boxes and toolboxes and donated those to the cause.

This is Rysavy’s third year as the drop-off team leader, as she took over from a friend several years ago.

Besides receiving shoeboxes filled with items such as pencils, crayons, toys, hygiene items, stuffed animals and sunglasses, the children also receive pamphlets about “The Greatest Journey,” a 12-week discipleship course that teaches them to know Jesus Christ and share Him with others, she continued.

This makes the program a “winwin” and “very important,” since some

children may not have heard about Christianity or the gospel, Rysavy remarked. The booklets help them hear this message, while they are encouraged to accept it.

Children’s reactions to receiving a shoebox are “very, very positive,” based on videos that Samaritan’s Purse has shown to volunteers, the team leader said. However, one item they will no longer be receiving is bar soap, which was recently banned since it’s considered a liquid.

Rysavy and her husband travelled to Calgary one year to help sort the shoeboxes into larger containers that were destined for the nine countries. Chuckling, she noted that neither she nor her

husband has any desire to travel overseas with Samaritan’s Purse to deliver shoeboxes to children since they are seniors.

It was at the warehouse in Calgary where she saw the videos showing the children’s reactions and learned about what items were prohibited — like candy, gum, toothpaste, liquids, chocolate, or glass — from going into a container.

“It was so well organized,” she said, noting that there were many conveyor belts with shoeboxes zipping all over.

Meanwhile, each volunteer was given a cubicle to look through boxes to remove prohibited items, with those items later sent to the food bank or needy families.

Rysavy said it is “very positive” that Samaritan’s Purse donates the banned items to families in need, considering those individuals may not receive such gifts at Christmas.

Rysavy added that people should donate a shoebox since it’s a good feeling to help children, while it’s also “priceless” to introduce them to Jesus.

For more information, contact Judy at jrsavy@sasktel.net.

Information about Operation Christmas Child can be found at www.samaritanspurse.ca/operation-christmas-child.

Nanan Academy showcases young innovators at ‘Ideas to Impact’ event

From robotic hand designs to studentrun business ideas, local students joined peers from Regina and Saskatoon for Nanan STEM Academy’s biannual Ideas to Impact: Student Project & Business Showcase.

Held Oct. 25 at the Saskatchewan Science Centre in Regina, the event featured youth from Moose Jaw demonstrating hands-on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) projects and small business ventures they developed after months of afterschool learning at the academy.

“We had an excellent event today. There was a lot of energy,” said Shaun Nanan, founder and academic director of the academy. “The students showed confidence as they presented their projects to the public. Communication and public speaking are among the most im-

Aaron Walker - Moose Jaw Express

group photo during the “Ideas to Impact: Student Project & Business Showcase” on Oct. 25 in Regina. Moose Jaw youth were among those presenting

portant skills for the future of work.”

One standout was Moose Jaw student Ranie Garnes, who used Fusion

360 to design a 3D model of a robotic hand — a project that drew plenty of attention from visitors.

“She was excited to showcase the design,” Nanan said.

Students from the academy also demonstrated business skills learned through its entrepreneurship course. Class participants, including Ridley Panko and Emily Nanan, produced their own slime products, learned to market them, and sold them from their own booth during the showcase.

“They learned about business processes, marketing, promotion, and financial literacy,” Nanan explained.

Other projects built in the afterschool program included 3D-printed fidgets designed in Tinkercad, robotics using Edison devices, and video game development using Scratch, RPG Maker, and Python. Nanan Academy is based in Moose Jaw, with youth programs running

Continued on next page

Rev. Dr. John Kreutzwieser is a retired pastor from Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Moose Jaw, SK. He graduated with a doctorate degree in 2006 from the Robert Webber Institute for Worship Studies in Florida.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.

Enervate vs Innervate

“Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” This quote describes the path of our society today. More and more people are living by the creed that only “I can determine what is right for me.” This philosophy enervates the lives of humanity. A successful and prosperous society must have some base of moral direction for the whole. If many would abandon the Christian morality of the past, there need be a standard to replace it, or anarchy and lawlessness will fill the void.

The Book of Judges in the Old Testament of the Bible is focused on an enervated people. Strong leaders came and went while the people continued to descend every deeper into moral decay and disintegration of community. The final phrase of the book is: Everyone did what was right in his own eyes. (Judge 21:25)

Enervate means to reduce the mental or moral vigor of people. Enervate suggests a lessening of vitality and potency. Enervate people are lacking in physical, mental, or moral strength.

There is another English word that sounds similar and gets confused with enervate, that is innervate. Both words share the Latin root word nervus, meaning sinew, but are different in meaning. To enervate is to lessen the force, while to innervate is to supply with energy.

In the early 1600s the English word enervate was derived from the Latin enervare, to cut the sinew or to be cut from the muscle. Enervare probably had its roots in butchering animals. Soldiers would try to enervare an enemy to easily defeat them in battle. Eventually enervare implied weakening someone or something by draining them of vitality or force. Enervate came to mean to weaken or wear down. A three hour lecture on the mating habits of blue jays might thrill a few, but it would enervate most people.

Innervate was originally a medical term meaning to supply with nerves. Different levels of the spinal cord innervate different areas of the body. The nerves that supply the fingers exit the central nervous system at one level of the spinal cord, and the nerves that supply the toes exit at another level. When nerves go into muscle fiber, they innervate the muscle fiber. Innervate came to mean to stimulate or energize in other contexts. Passionate responses and vivid memories can be innervated by music. Nervousness can innervate the hairs on your arms, stimulating them to stand up.

Enervate denotes to weaken or to be drained of energy, while innervate means to stimulate or excite. The long workday enervated the workers and they

went home exhausted. The music innervated the crowd and they began to dance.

Unnerve, unman, emasculate, and enervate all suggest to be deprived of strength and the capacity for effective action.

Unnerve implies a temporary loss of courage, selfcontrol, or power to act. She could not drive home as she was unnerved by the near collision.

Unman suggests a loss of vigor, fortitude, or spirit. The soldiers retreated hastily unmanned by the terrors of battle.

Emasculate stresses a depriving of characteristic force by removing something essential. The amendment proposed by the MLA emasculates the existing safeguards in the law.

Enervate implies a gradual physical or moral weakening until one is too feeble to even try. Seniors are often enervated by age to accomplish all the Fall yard work.

Being enervated brings you down, while being innervated lifts you up. In your relationships work on innervating people and not enervating those around you.

Columnist John Kreutzwieser loves to research words and writes this weekly Word Wisdom column for Moose Jaw Express/MooseJawToday.com. He has an interest in the usage, origin, and relevance of words for society today. Greek and Latin form the basis of many words, with ancient Hebrew shedding light on word usage.

John would like to know if anyone has a sincere interest in a relevant word that he could possibly research for an upcoming column. If so, please send your requests to wordwisdom2021@gmail.com . Words will be selected according to relevance and research criteria. We cannot confirm that all words will be used.

Nanan Academy showcases young innovators at ‘Ideas to Impact’ event, continued

Thursday evenings and Saturday afternoons in the city. The school’s vision is “to create a world where every learner, at any stage of life, has the skills, confidence, and cultural awareness to thrive in a rapidly changing future,” according to Nanan.

That vision includes removing barriers for local families to access specialized instruction. Many participating students are from Cowessess First Nation and Piapot First Nation and regularly attend programming in the city. A number of additional students commute from surrounding rural areas and can access the academy’s online learning resources.

“We work with schools in rural areas to provide course material through our Learning Management System platform,” Nanan said.

Equity-focused programming is supported by multiple industry partners who support the local student experience.

enjoyed hands-on opportunities at the showcase, which included robotics demonstrations, mobile app development, 3D scanning technology, and a crowdpleasing visit from the Unitree Go2 Air robot dog.

Nanan added that skills like coding, technology design, and entrepreneurship help prepare youth to take on emerging career pathways while building confidence, leadership, and problem-solving abilities.

rity training, and digital literacy courses for seniors.

The after-school youth program runs on Thursday evenings and Saturday afternoons at the Phoenix Academy, located at 279 Fourth Avenue Northeast. For more information about upcoming classes, visit NananAcademy.com or contact Shaun Nanan at Shaun@NananAcademy.com.

“Our industry partners made this possible,” Nanan said. “Our First Nations Family STEM Program is funded by K+S Potash Canada and Enbridge. Laptops were donated by Yara Belle Plaine.”

Students from Moose Jaw also

“Youth programs from kindergarten to Grade 12 ignite creativity and problem-solving through (applying) handson STEM (principles) and entrepreneurship. The school offers after-school programs, resources for public schools, summer camps, and workshops,” Nanan said. “The purpose is to teach essential skills to foster our future leaders.”

Nanan Academy also offers adult and post-secondary programming, including game development, cybersecu-

Memorials

In loving memory of my husband

Douglas John Buchholz

Nov 4, 1933 – Nov 5, 2002

Sometimes I just sit in silence and let the truth wash over me — you're gone, and nothing I do will change that. It's no longer about searching for reasons or chasing answers. I just miss you and our dear parents, Fred and Mary Buchholz, and Fred and Elsie Mochnowed. I miss the way I felt when you were all here; nothing will ever be the same without you.

Love you always and forever,

Louise

" How lucky I am to have had something that makes saying goodbye so hard."

2+5 = Enough for All

By Rachel Mullens, Founding Executive Director, Hope Ministries Moose Jaw

A little boy once offered his lunch—two fish and five loaves of bread—and a crowd of thousands was fed. That story, of something small multiplied into abundance, is the heartbeat of Hope Ministries’ new capital campaign: 2+5 = Enough for All.

For the past year, Hope Ministries has been cooking meals in borrowed kitchens and serving them in parking lots and church halls. We’ve done it with the help of volunteers, donors, and friends who care deeply about the most vulnerable in Moose Jaw. The work hasn’t always been easy, but every day, people in need have found a meal and a place of welcome.

Now, we are taking a bold step forward. Hope Ministries has made an offer to purchase the former Central Lutheran Church at 27 Hochelaga Street West. This building would become our home—a place to prepare and serve hot meals, provide daytime warming space, and connect people with the supports they need. But there’s a catch: we have just 60 days to raise $500,000 and finalize financing.

More Than Bricks and Mortar

This campaign isn’t just about buying a building. It’s about stability for our organization and dignity for those we serve. It’s about creating a space where people who feel forgotten can sit down, eat a warm meal, and know they belong.

Facing Concerns Honestly

I know this kind of project raises questions. People wonder about safety. They worry about cleanliness. Businesses ask what it will mean for property values. These are valid concerns, and we take them seriously.

Hope Ministries is committed to engaging openly with the community. We want dialogue. We want to listen. And we want to work together on solutions so that our presence strengthens—not divides—the neighborhood.

An Invitation

Raising half a million dollars in 60 days will take a miracle. But we’ve seen many small miracles already: a grandmother baking pies that raise hundreds of dollars, a class of high school students fasting to raise funds for those in need, neighbors who give what little they can because they believe no one should go hungry.

When we come together, what we have is multiplied. That’s why I believe two plus five really can equal enough—for all of us.

I invite you to join us in this work. To donate, volunteer, or simply come to the table with your questions. Together, we can make sure that hope has a home in Moose Jaw.

Support the campaign at: https://www.zeffy.com/ en-CA/donation-form/capital-campaign-24

Drive

SK S6J 0C2

694-0373

I think remorse ought to stop biting the consciences that feed it.

-- Ogden Nash

Humour keeps woman strong through 45 years of arranged marriage

It’s been 45 years since Daljit Kaur Mall married her husband in an arranged marriage, a custom then prevalent in Indian society, and since then, humour has helped her weather their difficulties.

Mall (née Bhagga) was 20 years old when she wed Ramu Singh in the basement of the Moose Jaw Co-op grocery store on Oct. 26, 1980, having arrived in Canada 18 days earlier, she told the Moose Jaw Genealogy Club during its Oct. 22 meeting.

“Then we started our life, which was hard because we … didn’t know each other,” Mall said.

A marriage interview

Mall was born in India, where all marriages were once arranged by a “common person” who knew both families. In her case, the common person — a teacher in Crane Valley, Sask. — knew her future husband’s family in Canada and her sister’s husband in India.

He flew to India to interview Mall about her education, her goals and her responsibilities, and, pleased with the answers, he flew back to Canada to report to Ramu’s parents, she recalled.

Smiling, Mall said her interview was much easier compared to how those meetings usually go. Typically, the girl serves tea and speaks with the common person and some of the groom’s relatives, which allows them to see if she has physical disabilities, speech impediments, is cross-eyed, or is deaf.

She added that the common person also matches couples based on characteristics like age, weight, height, profession and skin colour.

A suitable arrangement

Continuing, Mall recalled that her fiancé’s parents thought she was suitable, so they contacted her parents, and both began talking. Satisfied with the marriage arrangement, Ramu’s family filled out the immigration papers, and Mall hopped on a plane for the 13-hour flight to Canada.

“I was scared. I never flew in a plane before,” she said. “I did not know anybody in Canada; not one person.”

However, Mall said her mother and grandmother had prepared her and her sisters for their arranged marriages. Yet, her situation was different because she was moving across the world and hadn’t even met her fiancé’s parents or

Jason G. Antonio - MooseJawToday.com

how long her colleagues would stand in the freezer holding the frozen fowl.

“Oh, she laughed so much…,she almost peed her pants,” Mall chuckled.

Meanwhile, Mall said her marriage — it produced three children, who chose their spouses, and five grandchildren —

hasn’t been easy, as her husband had a stroke in 1996 that took away his speech, while in 2018, he developed cancer.

“It’s not an easy life for me, but you have to laugh to keep you going,” she added. “Otherwise, you know, you have to deal with the sad days.”

family; she wouldn’t see Ramu until the ceremony. Both families would typically visit each other’s houses, allowing them to develop relationships.

What made the ceremony tougher for Mall was that she had no family present. So, the common person and his wife acted as her parents.

Arranged vs. ‘love’ marriages

Typically, on the wedding day, the groom’s family — ranging from 30 to 50 people — goes to the bride’s house to meet her family, while they exchange gifts and serve tea, she explained. Afterward, everyone sits on the floor, the minister reads from the Bible and the ceremony happens.

Mall compared “love marriages” to arranged marriages, saying there are advantages to the latter. This is because the families are involved and take responsibility for supporting the woman, especially if her husband has bad habits or poor character.

While this approach worked in the “old days,” she acknowledged that it doesn’t today. Also, while couples once sacrificed for each other, she noted that many today are selfish and rarely do.

English hiccups

In one situation, Mall heard one coworker say that she had quit smoking “cold turkey.” She figured her colleague was referring to a deep freezer since Ramu stored food there at home.

She admitted going “crazy that day” and thinking that, since smoking involved the hands, her co-workers would stand in the freezer holding turkeys. She asked her friend, the building’s cook,

UPCOMING EVENTS IN MOOSE JAW

If you would like your notice or event added to this list, contact us at: joan@moosejawexpress.com

FALL SUPPERS IN AND AROUND MOOSE JAW: Nov. 8: Spring Valley Hall. Doors open at 5 p.m. Adults $30. Ticket information and evening details at 306-313-8780.

The Moose Jaw Cosmo Centre fall Crafts and Trades Fair on Saturday, November 8, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. We have over 40 Vendors attending this Fall, with 16 Vendors being new to the Fair. Why not stop by and get an early start on your Christmas shopping. You will surely find something for everyone on your list. You can find the full list of Vendors on the Cosmo Centre’s Facebook Page. The Concession will be open and offering tasty food. Some of the food items include homemade soup, sandwiches, cinnamon buns and an assortment of homemade pies.

There will be a Penny Parade and 50/50 tickets will be sold. So, come on down, do some shopping, eating and possibly win some money. The Cosmo Senior Centre is located at the corner of 3rd Ave. N.E. and Fairford St. For more information contact Anita Duncan at (306) 630-1256.

STS Moose Jaw Superannuated Teachers LUNCHEON on Wednesday, November 19 at the Masonic Temple Hall, 1755 Main St N, Moose Jaw. 10:30 – 11:00 Coffee Chat - circulate and connect with past colleagues/11:00 - Program: Curtis Dumont and Dacey Seaborg from MJ Parks and Rec/12:00 - Turkey Dinner- Catered by Charlottes/12:45 - Meeting for those of you who wish to stay. Cost: $20 per STS member and spouse. $25 for non-members

Please RSVP to Rosalie by Sunday, November 16, 2025, @ 306-691-0696, email: stsmoosejaw@ gmail.com, or click on the link in your latest STSMJ Newsletter. (If you haven’t received your newsletter, please check your junk/spam mail or follow the directions on www.stsmoosejaw.com

K of C Ham & Turkey Bingo Father Gilpin Council #9760 Family Fun on December 7th, 2025 Early Bird Starts at 6:50 pm. Concession Open at Church of Our Lady Community Centre, 566 Vaughan St. Moose Jaw Duplicate Bridge Club is holding Beginners’ Duplicate Bridge Lessons. The Lessons will be every Thursday night, 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m., until November 27, 2025 at the Comfort Inn. Lessons are $40. STS Moose Jaw Superannuated Teachers LUNCHEON Wednesday, November 19, 2025 Moose Jaw Lawn Bowling Club invites everyone to drop in on Tuesday &Thursdays @10am for lawn bowling on turf @Yara Centre. All abilities and ages included for recreation, fitness and FUN. (Competitive option also available). (Yara Centre fees only) for info call 306-631-8160

Women’s Choir…Women over 50 years of age who are interested in joining the Heritage Singers are invited to contact Brenda Johnson by text or phone 306-631-8095 for more details.

Scottish Country Dancing has resumed at 7 pm on Thursdays @Timothy Eaton’s Centre, 510 Main St. N. No partner required. Ages 8 and up including grandparents. Contact: Val, 306-630-5790

White Heather Youth Pipe Band in Moose Jaw looking for new players ages eight and older. New players will have the opportunity to try out drum sticks on pads and practice chanters with the instructors and will be introduced to some of the children already members of the band. Contact Michelle Carline at <mcarline@hotmail.com>

Moose Jaw Camera Club meeting was held October 20; new meeting to be announced. Guests are welcome for a $10 fee that can be used towards a membership if they decide to join the club. Photographers of all levels are welcome. We hope to see you there!

The Prairie Hearts Quilters Guild is held 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month at 7 pm. At Zion church from Sept to May.

The Moose Jaw Stamp Club has resumed meeting the second and fourth Wednesday nights of the month at 7:00pm at the Lindale School staff room. For information call 306-693-5707.

The Moose Jaw Art Guild will meet at the MJMAG, October 30, 1 - 4pm for an Art Creation time. Visitors are welcome. Bring your supplies and create. For more information call 306-692-6667.

Moose Jaw Parkinsons Support Group meet at 1:30 p.m. on the last Monday of the following months: October, November, January, February, March, April and May. Meetings are held at Hillcrest Apostolic Church, Moose Jaw. Call or text 306 756 2819

Moose Jaw Town N Country Square Dance Assoc. 2025-2026 Program on Monday nights from 7-9 pm at St. Margaret’s School, 449 5Th Ave NE. Dance in square with family and friends. For information contact Valerie Wright at 306.691.0579. Beginners, singles, or doubles welcome!

Nature Moose Jaw will hold their meetings on a once-a-month status to take place on the third Friday of each month

Church of Our Lady Bingo takes place at the Church of Our Lady Community Centre, 566 Vaughan Street on Tuesday evenings. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. Bingo begins at 7:00 p.m.

Are you struggling with addictions? Do you know someone who is? Or do you want to learn more about overcoming addiction to help others? Pastor Cory Havanka and his wife Brenda will be offering an in-person, small-group, course that will explore how to overcome addiction that is based on Biblical foundations. For questions - Call or text Cory at 306-684-1464 or email firmfoundationministries. inc@gmail.com. Firm Foundation Ministries provides other services as well: -Bible study - Monday evenings at 630 p.m/Prayer meetings - Wednesday evenings at 7 p.m/Pastoral counselling. Check Facebook or Instagram for updates on services, events, bible study notes and words from the Lord. Islam and Christianity in Bible Prophecy: International speaker and author Tim Roosenberg demonstrates that the Bible is not silent regarding Islam and Christianity in these last days. Meetings on October 31st to November 9th , nightly at 7:30 PM—repeated the next day at 5:45 PM. Held at the Moose Jaw Seventh-day Adventist Church, 409 Oxford Street West. FREE admission, FREE light supper at 6:45 pm, FREE childcare at 5:45 pm meeting. Meetings will be livestreamed. For more information visit: http://moosejaw22.adventistchurch.org

Nar-Anon Meetings every Monday 7—8pm (Moose Jaw Nar-Anon Family Group) is a twelvestep program for relatives and friends affected by someone else’s drug use and is in-person at Moose Jaw Alliance Church, 14 Neslia Place. Come in Main Doors – Meeting Rm 103. Your anonymity and what you say at meetings will be carefully guarded.

TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) Weight Loss Support Group Meets at the Cosmo Senior Citizen’s Centre, 235 – 3rd Ave. N.E. The group meets every Wednesday morning. Weigh ins are 8-8:45 am. Meeting to follow. . scale weighs up to 350 pounds. Join for friendship and support on your weight loss journey. For more information go to www.tops.org

TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) offers meetings every Wednesday evening too in the Alliance Church located at the corner of 9th Ave NE and Thatcher Dr. Use the West side entrance and you’ll find us down the hall in room 107. Weigh ins are 6:30-7 followed by a half hour meeting. Scale weighs up to 500lbs. Join us as we support each other on our weight loss journeys. Visit www.tops. org for more information.

Moose Jaw Public Library (MJPL), 461 Langdon Cres. Phone 306.692.2787. Visit their website at https://www.moosejawlibrary.ca or visit ASK@

MOOSEJAWLIBRARY.CA. Some library programs require registration by calling 306-692-8210 or emailing nsetter@moosejawlibrary.ca

Royal Canadian Legion – Branch 59 Moose Jaw, 693 Fairford St W. Contact: 306-692-5453

Facebook @ ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION-Branch 59 Moose Jaw

Instagram: @Royalcanadianlegion59

OFFICE HOURS: Monday – Friday 9:30am-4:00pm

LOUNGE HOURS: Monday 10am-8:30pm; Tuesday-Friday 10am-10pm; Saturday 11am6pm; Closed Sundays

VETERANS MORNING COFFEE – Monday–Friday @ 10am

BINGO – Monday @ 6pm

CRIBBAGE – Tuesday @ 1:30pm LEGION DARTS – Thursday @ 7pm DROP IN SHUFFLEBOARD – Friday @ 7pm

MEAT DRAW & CHASE THE ACE - Saturday @ 3pm - Everyone welcome LEGION CURLING – Sunday @ 10am @ Temple Gardens Curling Centre – Always looking for spares.

REMEMBRANCE DAY SERVICE & PARADE OF VETERANS -- Tuesday, November 11th @ 10:30 am @ Temple Gardens Centre. Please be seated by 10:30 am. Following the service, we invite ALL Veterans who are able, to join the Legion Colour Party at the corner of 2nd Ave NW & High St W (by Minute Muffler) to march in the Parade of Veterans. OPEN

HOUSE - at the Royal Canadian Legion Lounge, 693 Fairford St W (adults only), following the service and parade. Light lunch will be served. Cadets & Scouts are invited to go upstairs @ the Temple Gardens Centre for refreshments.

DIVA’S – One Woman Show with Bonnie Kilroe –Saturday @ 7pm. Advance Tickets $30/$35 at the door. Available on-line or at the Legion. Moose Jaw and District Seniors: For more information Call: 306-694-4223 or Email: Email: mjsenior@shaw.ca The centre is now open Mon-Thurs 8am – 8pm. For more information Call: 306-6944223 or Email: mjsenior@shaw.ca

The centre is now open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 8am – 8pm.

Fitness Level & Indoor Walking Track open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. Friday’s 8am4pm

Wood working area – Monday to Friday 8 am – 4 pm

Timothy Eaton Cafe open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. Cinnamon Buns are on Thursday’s. Tuesday is pie day. Kitchen is open Monday to Friday. Everyone is welcomed.

Billiards open daily from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. as well as Monday & Thursday evenings from 4:30 – 8 p.m.

Pickle Ball – Monday Thursday mornings @ 9 a.m.

- Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday afternoons @ 1 p.m.

- Monday & Thursday evenings @ 7 p.m.

- Wednesday pickleball @ Cancelled for summer

Fitness- Chair/Low Impact Fitness Tuesdays 11:30 & Thursdays @ 1:00 p.m.

Cribbage – Wednesdays @ 1 p.m.

Whist – Cancelled

Hand & Foot Card Game for Beginners – Thursday @9:30 am.

Mah Jong – Wednesday @1 p.m. Beginners is Monday @1pm

500 Cards – Cancelled

Full Body work out – Cancelled

Scrabble – Cancelled

Spades – Cancelled

Line Dancing – Tuesdays @ 10 a.m.

Intro to Line Dancing – Wednesday’s @ 11am

Art & Crafts – Monday, Tuesdays & Wednesdays @ 1 p.m.

Floor Shuffleboard – Tuesdays & Thursdays @ 1

p.m.

Paper Tole – Tuesdays @ 1 p.m.

Circle Dancing – ON HOLD

Nickle Bingo – Fridays @ 1 p.m.

Quilting – Every Friday 9am to 4pm, Every Tuesday 9am -4pm starting September

Lounge – Friday’s from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Jam Sessions – Friday’s 9 a.m.

Texas Hold’em - Thursday @ 6:30pm

Floor Curling – Wednesday and Fridays @ONHOLD for summer

Bingo – Monday afternoons 1:30pm -3:30pm and NEW Wednesday evenings 6:30pm-8:30pm

Cosmo Senior Citizens’ Centre Weekly Activities – 235 3rd Ave. N.E. Phone 306.692.6072 or email cosmo@sasktel.net Check them out on Facebook.

Monday: Indoor Walking - 8:15am and 11:30am/ Pickleball 9am/Shuffleboard 1pm/Pickleball 3:45 Tuesday: 9:30am-Jam Session/1pmPickleball/7pm-Friendship Bridge/7pm-Beginners Only Pickleball/ Indoor Walking - 8:15am and 11:30am

Wednesday: 8:30am-TOPS/8:30amPickleball/1pm-Floor Shuffleboard/ Indoor Walking - 11:30am/Art Drop In - 1:00pm/Pickleball 3:45pm and Beginner Pickleball 7:00pm Thursday: 10am-Line Dance/1pm-Pickleball/ Indoor Walking - 8:15am and 12:00pm/ Hand/Foot Canasta - 1:30pm/Beginner Pickleball - 3:15pm and Advanced Pickleball - 6:30pm Friday: 9:00am-Beginner Pickleball/1pm-Regular Pickleball/ Indoor Walking - 8:15am and 11:30am Saturday: Advanced Pickleball - 9:30am and Pickleball - 1:00pm

November 8 - Cosmo Crafts and Trades Fair, 9:00am - 3:00pm. Admission - $2/pp. 40 Vendors attending this Fall, with 16 Vendors being new to the Fair. Why not stop by and get an early start on your Christmas shopping. You will surely find something for everyone on your list. You can find the full list of Vendors on the Cosmo Centre’s Facebook Page.

The Concession will be open and offering tasty food. Some of the food items include homemade soup, sandwiches, cinnamon buns and an assortment of homemade pies. There will be a Penny Parade and 50/50 tickets will be sold. So, come on down, do some shopping, eating and possibly win some money.

The Cosmo Senior Centre is located at the corner of 3rd Ave. N.E. and Fairford St. For more information contact Anita Duncan at (306) 630-1256. November 15 - Social Dance - Sugar Top, 7:30pm - 11:00pm. Admission - $15/person Moose Jaw ANAVETS: Army, Navy & Air Force Veterans Unit #252 – 279 High St. W, Moose Jaw. 306.692.4412 or anaf252@sasktel.net

Monday & Tuesday 1-6:30 pm

Wednesday 12-6:30 pm/Smear starts at 12:30 Thursday 12-6:30 pm/Smear at 12:30 Friday 1-10pm/Shuffleboard starts at 1pm/Pool & Darts starts at 7pm

Saturday 1-6:30 pm/Meat draw starts at 4:30-10 meat draws, 50/50 and gift card FRATERNAL ORDER OF EAGLES #3395

EVERY THURSDAY: Ladies Auxiliary “Meat Draw” – ticket sales start at 5:30 pm, draws start at 6:00 pm – Meat Draw, 50/50, “Chase the Ace” EVERY SUNDAY: Aerie “Meat Draw” – ticket sales start at 2:30 pm – Meat Draw, 50/50, Mystery Draw, “Chase the Ace” MONDAY THRU SATURDAY – DROP IN POOL –1:00 pm to 1:30 start time. Singles and Doubles. Partners draw from those attending to play.

FIRST AND THIRD SUNDAY – Aerie meeting –11:30 am

FIRST AND THIRD TUESDAY – Ladies Auxiliary meeting - 7:00 pm Western Development Museum; 50 Diefenbaker Drive, Moose Jaw. For more information, visit the museum’s website at WDM.ca/Moose-Jaw. Call 306-693-5989 or email ajones@wdm.ca

306-694-4747

324 Main Street N. Moose Jaw, SK

Derek McRitchie REALTOR® (306) 631-1161

E.G. (Bub) Hill REALTOR® (306) 631-9966

Tanya Minchin REALTOR® (306) 630-6231

Cassie Nichol REALTOR® (306) 631-0691

Justin Hammer REALTOR® (306)684-4266

Christmas in October returns to downtown Moose Jaw

Downtown Moose Jaw was bustling as the annual “Christmas in October” celebration returned this fall, offering an early start to gift shopping for residents, tourists, and local businesses preparing for the busy holiday retail season.

Christmas in October

For the Downtown Moose Jaw Association (DMJA) that organizes the annual event, this year’s turnout reflected strong community support and a growing tradition.

“Christmas in October is always a magical event in Moose Jaw,” said Shannon Simpson, co-ordinator with the DMJA. “We had beautiful weather … it brought out so many people. The majority of people I spoke with at a lot of businesses, 85 to 90 per cent were from Regina or out of town, which is amazing that our town can draw in this many people … so that’s fantastic.”

Simpson said Thursday evening was particularly busy, while Friday slowed slightly due to Game 1 of the World Series featuring the Toronto Blue Jays taking place simultaneously. She added that the Festival of Trees, also held downtown at the Temple Gardens Centre on the same weekend, helped increase foot traffic.

“(These events are) not usually on the same weekend, but (the Moose Jaw Health Foundation) opened up (a bydonation public tour so residents could) view the trees, so we incorporated that into Christmas in October,” she said. “That brought in more money for the Health Foundation as well, so it’s kind of a win-win.”

Aaron Walker - Moose Jaw Express

Mrs. Claus, left, and Santa, centre, ride with Prairie Percherons during downtown horse-drawn sleigh rides as part of Christmas in October. The event proved so popular that the Downtown Moose Jaw Association has invited Santa back for additional rides on Nov. 15 and Dec. 6. Photo by: Downtown Moose Jaw Association

For downtown retailers, the weekend delivered a welcome boost in foot traffic and sales.

“It was great. It was fantastic,” said Tracey Marta, co-owner of The Perfect Find. “We were really busy on Thursday. Friday night was a little slower because of the Blue Jays game, but we had a great weekend. Lots of people came in from out of town, and lots of people were here from in town.”

She said the timing made a measurable difference.

“The difference it makes in our sales is phenomenal. It’s a great way to kick off Christmas, and it’s early enough as we’ve got a lot of inventory we need to get through. The fact that we get to start in mid-October is perfect,” said Marta, whose business has been participating since 2016.

The event, first launched from inside Yvette Moore’s home more than 30 years ago, has since grown into a signature downtown showcase. As Christmas decorations cast a warm glow along Main Street before coming down ahead of Remembrance Day, Simpson said the goal remains simple: bring people together and support independent shops.

“We just want everybody to be able to come out, enjoy family time, and see how we love giving back to the community,” she said.

Upcoming sleigh rides and free movie

Families and shoppers could be seen lining Main Street for free sleigh rides hosted by the DMJA, accompanied by Santa and Mrs. Claus, with a brief cameo from Mayor James Murdock. The rides were so popular that two additional dates have been scheduled.

“(The sleigh rides) were really well received … I just want to make sure (residents) know we’re offering it two more times this season,” Simpson said.

Holiday lights line Main Street North during Christmas in October, marking the early start of downtown Moose Jaw’s Christmas shopping season. Photo by:

These upcoming sleigh rides will return on Saturday, Nov. 15, and Saturday, Dec. 6, from 2 to 4 p.m. on both dates.

The DMJA will also host a free Christmas movie on Dec. 19 at 7 p.m. at the Centre for Arts and Culture, with the film to be selected through a community poll on the association’s Facebook page.

For more information on upcoming sleigh rides or to vote for a movie, visit “Downtown Moose Jaw Association Inc.” on Facebook. To learn more, visit DowntownMooseJaw.ca.

Festival of Trees raises $204K for local health care at ‘Disco in Denim’ gala

Generosity took centre stage as the 34th annual Festival of Trees raised $204,000 in support of diagnostic imaging enhancements at the Dr. F.H. Wigmore Regional Hospital through the Moose Jaw Health Foundation (MJHF) this October.

This year’s theme, Disco in Denim, blended country charm with retro sparkle for a night built around gratitude and spirited community pride. The sold-out gala featured live entertainment from country artist Drew Gregory, a high-energy auction led by auctioneer Donny Peacock and Kelly Carty, a live performance by the Dance Images Express Troupe, and a Texas-style barbecue buffet sponsored by JGL Livestock that quickly became a highlight among guests — particularly for the tender smoked brisket.

Introductory remarks were delivered by radiologists Dr. Nicolette Sinclair and Dr. Greg Kraushaar, who served as MCs, with greetings from MJHF chair Ryan Hrechka and grace led by committee member Jaymin Stewart. Behind the scenes, MJHF staff member Sherryn Boszak, volunteer co-ordinators Taryn Pierce and John Paul Hickie, master builder Marc D’Entremont, and tree design artist Cathy Glasser — among others — helped bring this year’s theme to life.

MJHF CEO Kelly McElree said community support helped make this year’s event stand out.

Aaron Walker - Moose Jaw Express

“Festival of Trees was a resounding success, and that’s because of the incredible volunteer committee led by Kim Waldo,” he said. “The wonderful thing is, Festival brings out the best in the people of Moose Jaw. They came out for a night of country charm meets disco glam, and people had a fantastic night … we appreciate everyone. It’s really an entire community effort to make Festival successful.”

SNAPSHOT: New school, new chapter

Aaron Walker - Moose Jaw Express

The upgrade will expand capacity by 25 per cent, reduce wait times, and introduce advanced cardiac imaging services by way of the MJHF’s “Faster Scans, Better Care” campaign. McElree said the project will directly benefit families across Moose Jaw and surrounding communities.

“It was just a magical night as we raised funds to upgrade the MRI at our hospital to go from 7,600 scans per year to about 10,000,” he noted.

lowing residents to view the displays by donation. More than $1,200 was raised during the tour, with visitors from local seniors’ residences among those in attendance.

“We didn’t know how the public would respond to that, but people came by and they made a donation at the door,” McElree said. “It was great to see so many people come out, and I’m sure we’ll be doing that again next year.”

Long-time supporters returned alongside first-time attendees, while hospital staff volunteered throughout the evening. The following afternoon, tribute artist Rory Allen performed as part of the celebrations, and the hospital auxiliary donated an additional $15,000 to the campaign.

“Festival has changed a lot over the years … many people come out to Festival every year, but there were many new faces, and they kept coming out to support the MJHF and the work of health care professionals,” he said.

This year’s $204,000 total surpasses the $184,000 raised in 2024 and follows $237,000 raised in 2023, contributing to the more than $5.5 million Festival of Trees has generated to date in support of patient care and medical equipment at Moose Jaw’s hospital.

“There’s a reason why there have been 34 Festival of Trees galas,” McElree said. “It’s because Moose Jaw loves the event and they love (showing their support).”

For more information, visit MJHF. org.

SNAPSHOT: The Moose Jaw Warriors made their first-ever visit to Our Lady of Hope School last week as part of the club’s “Read to Succeed” literacy initiative. Goaltender Dimitri Fortin (No. 33, left) and defenceman Brady Ness (No. 2, right) stopped by in late October with other players to read with students, helping promote a love of books and community engagement in the city’s new joint-use school. Educators interested in inviting the Warriors to their classroom can contact James Gallo at Communications@ MJWarriors.com. Photo by: Moose Jaw Warriors Hockey Club/Facebook

Several local businesses donated auction items, covered sponsorships, and helped decorate the curling rink as elaborately designed trees lined the venue. This year’s signature moment came when JGL Livestock secured naming rights to the hospital lobby tree with a $30,000 bid, followed by a matching pledge from Golden West Trailers for a $60,000 total.

“The radiologists were overwhelmed by the generosity of the community, and we’re very thankful to everyone who came out,” McElree said. “We had a great time and raised a whole heck of a lot of money to help a lot of people in our community. It’s really inspiring.”

The weekend included a new public tree tour held Saturday morning, al-

Moose Jaw

REALTOR®/OWNER/BROKER darren@bostockrealty.com

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