PAGE A22 • MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday,Sept 11, 2019
Murder mystery darkens local tea room’s door Larissa Kurz
The suspense is building as A Little Prairie Charm tearoom gets closer to its inaugural murder mystery party, featuring a tale that could only go well with scones and a proper tea. On Sept. 14, all those named in the will of the richest man in town will gather for the reading of his last will and testament — that is, if you’ve purchased your ticket to Murder She Steeped, a murder mystery party hosted by Mari’s Escapes. For those who show up, in character and in costume, they will be treated to the rumour that this man’s death wasn’t exactly the suicide it looked like, and the suspicion that the murderer is in the room. From there, it’s each guest on their own in the quest to prove their innocence of the crime while seeking the truth about who the killer at this party really is. The party is so unlike what is usually hosted at A Little Prairie Charm, and owner Shirley Clark is looking forward to seeing the tearoom branch out, just over a year after initially opening. “I think it’s going to be super fun. It’s a first for us, something new for us so that’s exciting,” said Clark. “[These events are special] because people enjoy our vintage china, and the space is decorated quite nicely.” Until now, the tearoom has seen all kinds of other parties — birthdays, anniversaries, showers, and friendly gatherings — but never a murder mystery.
Murder isn’t usually a topic that gets discussed over tea at A Little Prairie Charm, although it will be on Sept. 14. For Mari Grubler, owner of Mari’s Escapes and the mastermind behind the mystery, she thought A Little Prairie Charm was the perfect place for a murder mystery party. “The murder mysteries are a lot of fun because it’s one big evening,” said Grubler. “It’s so lively and everyone gets to interact, and people really get to know each other well, and their characters.” The party will operate just like any other murder mystery, where each guest is given their character beforehand to keep a secret, and to show up in costume and prepared to be someone else.
Grubler will direct the story and toss some twists and turns at the group throughout the night — none of which, of course, that she could disclose. Grubler hosts travelling escape rooms and murder mysteries all over the province, and always looks forward to doing something new in a community. With a love for Moose Jaw, Grubler decided to work with a local business to host an event and happened upon A Little Prairie Charm. “It was like clouds parted. I was like, ‘wow, this is really interesting. I just have to go in here,’” said Grubler. “I just knew it would be great for a murder mystery, especially with Shirley’s energy and enthusiasm and how friendly her staff is.” This may be the first of many events hosted by Mari’s Escapes in Moose Jaw, as Grubler admits she would love to work with other businesses to bring more special event parties to the city. She’s already looking ahead to Halloween and New Year’s themed possibilities. “That’ll remain a mystery for now, because we love the mystery,” said Grubler. Currently, there are 32 spots to fill on the guest list for Murder She Steeped, and Grubler has room for more interested murder suspects. Tickets are $50, and can be reserved by calling Grubler at 1 (306) 620-9727 or by stopping in at A Little Prairie Charm at 35 High St. E.
Families for Change cleaning out their closet for fall Yard Sale Larissa Kurz
The Moose Jaw Families for Change has had so much continued support in community donations, they are sorting through their storage for the things they have in excess for their first Yard Sale on Sept. 13. Katie Statler, community coordinator for MJFFC, promises there will be books, clothing, home decor, art supplies, and more to check out during the sale. “Over the winter months we had put a call out for ‘people’s junk,’ — just for crafts and things like that we could maybe upcycle — and we had quite an influx of do-
nations,” said Statler. “We’ve been able to make use of a lot of those items both here in our centre and in some of our group homes, but for the items we can’t make use of, we hope to put them up for sale at a reasonable price and make a fundraiser out of it.” The funds raised will go directly back towards the Kinsmen Inclusion Centre, and some yet-to-be-announced programs that the MJFFC has coming up this year. The Yard Sale is a first for MJFFC, but they’re hoping it will bring community members out to interact with the Kinsmen
Inclusion Centre — and if the sale isn’t enticing, they are also planning to have a barbecue at the same time, weather-permitting. “Garage sales seem to be very popular in Moose Jaw, so we thought that would be a
great way to give some more exposure for Moose Jaw Families for Change and for the Kinsmen Inclusion Centre as well,” said Statler. The Yard Sale will take place at the Kinsmen Inclusion Centre from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and members of the public are encouraged to stop by, browse the sale, or grab some food. Questions about what may be available on the Yard Sale can be directed to the MJFFC’s Facebook page, or by calling the Kinsmen Inclusion Centre at 1 (306) 693-2271.
Key issues like climate change could be deciding factor in OctoberLarissa election, poll suggests Kurz A recent poll from the Angus Reid Institute suggests that a slim majority of Canadian voters are “uncommitted” to any particular party going into the unofficial election season. With a 52/48 percent split, undecided voters make up the majority of the electorate, leaving party leaders to choose carefully which issues to support to win over potential support. Currently, the Conservative Party is working with the least amount of pliable uncommitted voters, as 66 per cent have not ruled out the NDP, 62 per cent have not ruled out the Liberals, and only 53 per cent have not ruled
out the Conservatives. Uncommitted voters are more likely to be female, with three-quarters of the female population under the age of 35 undecided on a party. Conversely, men over the age of 55 are most likely to have decided on a party already. When asked to identify the key issue that would affect their decision in the election, an overwhelming number of uncommitted voters identified the improvement of health care access and transparency in the federal government. Following closely were the issues of climate change, affordable housing access, and taxes. The younger age group, 18 to 34 years old, are more likely to place climate change and health care as first priorities, while Canadians over the age of 55 are more likely
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to be concerned about health care, immigration policy, and the federal deficit. This data leaves the universal Pharmacare program and climate change initiatives as top priority issues for the upcoming election, as well as the Liberal’s SNC-Lavalin scandal. The Conservative Party has double the committed voter base than the Liberal Party but has a smaller uncommitted base of voters to draw from. Male uncommitted voters are more likely to be considering the Conservatives, while female uncommitted voters lean more towards the Liberals. The NDP, though considered to trail behind the governing and opposition parties, has undecided voters showing substantially more faith regarding key issues than either the Conservatives or Liberals. The data suggests that the upcoming election is ripe with both opportunities and burdens for each party, as they compete to lock in the malleable segments of voters without alienating the groups who have already declared their support.
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