MOOSE JAW, SASKATCHEWAN

'Moose Jaw' is a city in south-central Saskatchewan, Canada on the Moose Jaw River 71 km (45 miles) west of Regina. Residents of Moose Jaw are known as ''Moose Javians''. It is probably best known as a retirement and tourist city that serves as a hub to the hundreds of small towns and farms that make up that part of Saskatchewan. Tourist attractions include the Tunnels of Moose Jaw, the Temple Gardens Mineral Spa [1], Casino Moose Jaw, the Murals of Moose Jaw [2], and Hopkins Dining Parlour [3].
There are many parks in Moose Jaw. Crescent Park is located downtown and features a creek, swans and an amphitheatre. "Wakamow Park" follows the Moose Jaw River and features both natural and maintained areas. There are many trails throughout the park for hiking and biking. There are also RV camping and canoe rentals in the park.
The Warriors are Moose Jaw's hockey team which plays in the Western Hockey League at the Moose Jaw Civic Centre.
Local institutions include four high schools, 15 elementary schools, and the 57-member Moose Jaw Fire Department. Moose Jaw is also home to the Palliser Campus of SIAST.
It is situated on the Trans-Canada Highway.
The largest lake in southern Saskatchewan, Old Wives Lake, is located 30 km southwest of the city.

Contents

Statistics

Origins of "Moose Jaw"

Royal Presence

Sports Teams

Tunnels of Moose Jaw

Ku Klux Klan

Media

Famous Moose Javians

See also

External links

Statistics

Moose Jaw's population grew to 32,132 in the 2006 census which showed virtually no increase from 2001. ^[1]
'Racial Groups'

★ 93.7% Caucasian

★ 4.3% Aboriginal

★ 0.7% Chinese

Origins of "Moose Jaw"

The origins of the name "Moose Jaw" are vague, though it appears to be of First Nations origin. One local legend holds that the Indian word ''Moosoochapiskanissippi'' means "the river shaped like the jaw of a moose". The name of the settlement might come from the creek that flowed through the settlement.
Another legend holds that the name comes from the word ''Moosoochapiskun'' which means "the place where the white man mended the cart with the jawbone of the moose."
A third legend explains that the name came from the Cree word ''moosegaw'' which means "warm breezes". In the winter, Moose Jaw is often warmer than the surrounding communities.
moose jaw also known as lololz is cool cause of the matrix-go there and one of the kids is named arron konieczny he will play cs with u

Royal Presence

Moose Jaw has had many members of the Canadian Royal Family visit the city. Edward, Prince of Wales, who owned a ranch in Alberta, visited in 1919, 1924, and 1927. Prince George, future king and father of Queen Elizabeth II, paid a visit in 1926. King George VI and his wife Queen Elizabeth (later known as Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother) visited during the Royal tour in 1939. Queen Elizabeth II first visited in 1959, and has come to the city a few times since.
The Earl of Wessex (Prince Edward) became Colonel-in-Chief of the Saskatchewan Dragoons of Moose Jaw on visiting Saskatchewan in 2003, when he congratulated the regiment on its "contribution to Canada's proud tradition of citizen-soldiers in the community." Involved in peacekeeping operations in Cyprus, the Golan Heights, Bosnia and Croatia, the regiment has also provided aid during floods and forest fires in the prairies. The Prince returned to visit his regiment in 2006.
The Earl of Wessex also inaugurated the Queen's Jubilee Rose Garden in Moose Jaw on his visit in 2003. Other Royal connections to the city include King George School and Prince Arthur Community School, both named for members of the Royal Family.

Sports Teams

Moose Jaw is a very athletic city. Baseball has been an important part of Moose Jaw since its first days; the city won territorial championships in 1895. Notable sports teams of Moose Jaw:

★ Moose Jaw Warriors - the city's WHL hockey team

★ Moose Jaw Millers - Western Canada League baseball team

★ Moose Jaw Canucks - former hockey team

★ Moose Jaw Robin Hoods and Moose Jaw Maple Leafs - former senior hockey teams

★ Moose Jaw Maroons - former professional team once sponsored by a local brewery

★ Moose Jaw KORCs - former hockey team

★ Moose Jaw Moose's Jaws Moose Jaws - former professional curling team (only pro. curling team)

★ Moose Jaw Diamond Dogs - former professional baseball team in Prairie Baseball League, a notable alumnus is Shawn Wooten.

★ Moose Jaw Rotary Track Club- Moose Jaw's only cross country running and track and field club.

Tunnels of Moose Jaw

People from Moose Jaw have been told about the tunnels underneath their city for many generations. They were told that smugglers and criminals, such as legendary American gangster Al Capone, used to use them as hideouts. The tunnels are now used as a tourist attraction and two interactive tours of the tunnels are now available. One tour is about the bootlegging days of Al Capone; the other is about the Chinese immigrants who lived in the tunnels in the early part of the 20th century. It is Moose Jaw's main tourist attraction[4] and has attracted people from all over the world.
For years, rumours have abounded that a third tunnel tour, focusing on Saskatchewan's days as a haven for whiskey smugglers taking their product into the U.S., would be started.

Ku Klux Klan

Although Moose Jaw is known as the 'Friendly City', it is not well-known that the city was the centre of the Ku Klux Klan in Saskatchewan. The first KKK rally in Moose Jaw was held on June 7, 1927, with over four hundred members attending. The second (and last) Klan rally was held on the 26th of October, in 1927. It was held only ten days after the KKK organizer Hugh Emmons's arrest. Over one thousand people attended. It was the last rally, but in 1929 the KKK sponsored a Labour Day picnic in River Park. There were racist speeches and a cross burning, but the focus of the day was on sporting events. Soon after the picnic, the Klan faded away from Moose Javians minds.

Media

★ ''Moose Jaw Times-Herald'' - daily newspaper - Website

★ ''800 CHAB'' - Oldies - Website

★ 100.7 CILG-FM ''Country 100'' - Website

★ inmoosejaw.com - Moose Jaw's Local Link Center - Website

Famous Moose Javians

Notable persons who were born or lived in Moose Jaw:

★ Lorne Calvert - Premier of Saskatchewan (2001- )

★ Reggie Cleveland - baseball player (the first and only Saskatchewanian to start in a World Series game (in 1975, while playing with the Boston Red Sox.)

★ Scott Munroe - AHL hockey player, Philadelphia Phantoms

★ Clark Gillies - hockey player

★ Art Linkletter - radio/TV personality

★ Reed Low - hockey player

★ Theresa Sokyrka - singer; Canadian Idol runner up 2004

★ Lisa Franks - paralympic athlete [5]

★ Doug Smail - former hockey player

★ Benjamin deForest (Pat) Bayly - WW2 communications genius, second-in-command of WW2 spymaster [6]

★ Robert Currie - author, poet [7]

★ W.G. "Bill" Davies - leftist politician and member of the Order of Canada [8] )PDF)

★ Theoren Fleury - NHL hockey player

★ Ethel Kirk Grayson - author, poet [9]

★ Peter Gzowski - CBC Radio host of Morningside from 1982 to 1997; Worked at the ''Times-Herald'' newspaper in 1957-58.

★ Gary Hyland - author, poet, among other things [10]

★ John Kern - Leader of the Green Party of Saskatchewan

★ Joy Kogawa - author, poet, activist

★ Sleg Langenfelter - film-maker, artist

★ Jim McLean - author, poet, artist

★ Ken Mitchell - author [11]

★ Carrie Olver - Broadcaster

★ Fergie Olver -- Canadian TV Personality [12]

★ Lewis Rice - early 20th photographer

★ Greg Schick - Businessman

★ Mike Mintenko - freestyle and butterfly swimmer

★ Kid Moose - boxer

★ Jack Reddick - boxer, Canadian Light Heavyweight Champion, early 1920s [13]

★ Ken Doraty - hockey player for the Toronto Maple Leafs

★ Phyllis Dewar - swimmer who went on to the Olympics and broke many records [14]

★ Emile 'The Cat' Francis - hockey player for the Moose Jaw Canucks, and later played and was an executive in the NHL [15]

★ Karen Solie - author, poet

★ Mike Blaisdell - former hockey player/Coach

★ Atomic Betty - Fictional 12-year-old girl of the Canadian animated series named after her.

★ Lacey Smith - Six sport athlete who was recently named the cities top woman athlete.
''See also'': List of mayors of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan

See also

★ Monarchy in Saskatchewan

External links

★ City of Moose Jaw Website

★ Moose Jaw Community of Churches Website

★ Evangelical Church in Moose Jaw

★ Moose Jaw & District Trauma Response Program

★ Five Hills Health Region Spiritual Care Services

★ Murals

★ Prairie South School Division

★ Earl of Wessex Visits Saskatchewan Regiment (2003)

★ Royal Visits to Saskatchewan

★ Wakamow Parks

★ Moose Jaw Flying Club

★ IntelAir Aircraft Services - Moose Jaw

★ Moose Jaw Forum discussion and chat on topics of interest to current and former area residents