Moose Jaw Express, July 30th, 2025

MOOSE

Straker performing at Sukanen Museum

One of Saskatchewan’s rising stars on the music scene will perform an outdoor concert at the Sukanen Ship Museum and Pioneer Village in August.

The Aug. 10 concert will happen at the 1913 grain elevator— part of his second year performing tour at some of the remaining wooden crib elevators left in Saskatchewan.

Raised on a grain farm in the Touchwood Hills. One of his first jobs was to clean dust from the local elevator. Straker’s folk songs cover a range of themes — many of them rural things people have lost or take for granted

A song More Than Wood about old elevators is joined with a piece about Prairie skies, and a town that once was full of life, now no longer existing. The list goes on.

The long time performer at Kinsmen Telemiracle achieved fame when a song he wrote to celebrate King Charles’ coronation made it to the king

“He listened to it. He appreciated it and liked it. ’’ Straker said in a media interview. ”I was was flattered.’’

The song was written for Saskatchewan’s celebration of the coronation ceremony.

Straker

perform in September

EXPO 2025 in Osaka Japan. Visitors to the Sukanen concert can also view the heritage village. Lawn chairs should be brought to

concert.

museum.

SHA to upgrade seven positions at Wigmore Hospital to full-time

The provincial government and Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) are adding 77 “new and enhanced” permanent full-time positions to support 30 rural and remote communities, with seven positions dedicated to Moose Jaw.

All seven positions will be at the Dr. F.H. Wigmore Regional Hospital.

According to the SHA, four permanent part-time registered nurse (RN) positions will be converted to permanent full-time, one temporary part-time RN position will be made full-time and two permanent part-time medical radiation technologists will be made permanent full-time.

The government says it expects these 77 health-care positions to help improve emergency and acute care services, reduce service disruptions and continue building “a more stable health workforce.”

The positions range from RNs, registered psychiatric nurses, licensed practical nurses (LPNs), combined lab and X-ray technicians, medical radiation technologists and phlebotomists,

The Opposition NDP is criticizing the provincial government’s recent announcement about creating 77 “new and enhanced” health-care positions across Saskatchewan and says the province should do better at retaining existing workers.

Keith Jorgenson, NDP MLA for Saskatoon-Churchill-Wildwood, stood outside the Dr. F.H. Wigmore Regional Hospital on July 23 after the province’s

Jason G. Antonio - MooseJawToday.com

according to the government.

Furthermore, the province expects these new or enhanced positions to cost $6.2 million, with that money coming from annual savings from the SHA’s recent restructuring of out-of-scope administrative leadership positions; the restructuring will save $10.4 million annually after the organization eliminated 26 senior positions.

The SHA has already directed $4.2 million of these savings toward creating 27 new and 20 enhanced clinical manager positions in 45 rural and northern communities, with the positions designed to strengthen on-site leadership and improve oversight of care delivery.

Many positions will be eligible for the Rural and Remote Recruitment Incentive (RRRI), which provides up to $50,000 over three years, as part of a return in service agreement, the province says. Since its launch in 2022, the incentive has supported the hiring of more than 400 health professionals in roughly 70 communities. This has reduced vacancies, improved staffing levels and led

to better service stability.

The Hon. Jeremy Cockrill, minister of health, the Hon. Lori Carr, minister of rural and remote health, and Derek Miller, COO of the SHA, announced the development of these positions at the Wigmore Hospital on July 23.

Cockrill said the SHA posted the 77 positions this week, with the spots targeting communities experiencing service disruptions. Furthermore, he said some positions are newly created, while “the bulk” are enhanced, with most changing from permanent part-time to permanent full-time.

Continuing, he said he was unsure how long it would take the SHA to fill those positions. He pointed out that not every health-care employee is looking for full-time work; some people, especially parents, may want casual work.

“If some are part-time, I hope they would apply,” he remarked.

Cockrill said there are many opportunities in the health-care field in Saskatchewan, but people need to be interested in that industry. He added that

Jason G. Antonio - MooseJawToday.com

news conference concluded and said the announcement does nothing “to end the chaos” that rural health care is experiencing this summer.

The province, in partnership with the Saskatchewan Health Authority, may have pledged to add 77 positions, but Jorgenson said there are 1,647 vacant health-care positions in the province, based on publicly available data.

“So my question would be, if

emergency medicine is also a difficult subfield in which to recruit and retain people, especially in the summer.

Carr said this initiative is the latest step in the government’s plan to strengthen rural and northern healthcare teams so they can support rural residents.

Continuing, she said these efforts include the RRRI program, which has added hundreds of new and enhanced positions in over 70 communities, and the implementation of a virtual physician program and expansion of a pointof-care lab testing program.

These initiatives reduced service disruption days in rural and remote communities by 28 per cent between June 2024 and June 2025, she added. Also, the virtual physician coverage and pointof-care lab testing have helped prevent more than 2,700 service disruptions.

MooseJawToday.com will feature comments from the Saskatchewan NDP in a separate article.

they’ve been unable to fill those 1,647 vacant positions, what leads the public to believe (the province and SHA are) going to have success in filling these new 77 positions that they’ve created?” he said.

He also pointed out that, based on available information, Moose Jaw’s hospital experienced 231 days over the past five years where lab services or imaging services were unavailable because of vacant positions.

An NDP news release said there have been interruptions in other services, such as obstetrics and gynecology, MRIs, CT scans, basic radiography services and intensive care services. It also said that the hospital has allegedly been without emergency stabilization services for 51 days since 2020, while the hyperbaric chamber has not fully operated since closing four years ago.

Asked if people are just not interest-

ed in working in health care, Jorgenson said all the various training programs in the province are full. Instead, he thought the problem was one of retaining staff instead of recruiting them.

Continuing, he said he recently travelled to four rural communities that had hospital closures and heard that it was employees leaving their positions who caused the service disruptions. So, he thought the province should focus on understanding why workers are leaving and why they’re dissatisfied with their jobs.

Jorgenson alleged that Saskatchewan’s health-care system is “empirically” in last place nationally. Continuing, he said he has not heard of anywhere else in Canada where hospitals are closed for three straight weeks and where “confusing notices” are posted at health-care centres about whether the venue is open or closed or does or does not have a doctor.

Business community hears from minister about immigration issues

Jason G. Antonio - MooseJawToday.com

Moose Jaw’s business community is concerned with changes that the federal government has made to immigrant nominee programs and has expressed those worries to the province’s immigration minister.

The Hon. Jim Reiter was in Moose Jaw on July 24 to speak with businesses and the Chamber of Commerce about immigration issues, along with other issues connected to his portfolios of career training, labour relations and workplace safety.

Before his day began, Reiter spoke to the media in MLA Tim McLeod’s office about the concerns he’s hearing about immigration issues. He also touched on health care and finances.

Reiter said that the federal Liberals “control the gates” on the immigration programs and have “drastically scaled back” the number of nominees allowed into the provinces. He pointed out that Ottawa accepted 7,200 people last year through such initiatives, but, “for economic reasons,” cut that number to 3,600 this year.

Continuing, he said the feds tightened the restrictions on three-quarters of those positions, which means 2,700 must be filled from current temporary residents and not new or international

immigration.

This has resulted in the Saskatchewan government limiting the industries where nominees can work, with the province targeting areas of health care, the skilled trades and agriculture since those areas need workers, Reiter added.

Meanwhile, Reiter said that provincial and territorial immigration ministers met recently with their federal counterpart, where they told her that they wanted more input on these decisions since they are partners and not general stakeholders.

“In our view, they (the feds) have caused some immigration problems, largely on the front of student visas and on the temporary (foreign workers) side,” he remarked. “And now they’re trying to fix the problems they’ve caused there with the provincial economic streams, which is just the wrong way to go.

“… We’re hopeful that we can get some changes from the federal government in the next while.”

Reiter had asked Ottawa in May for a two-year extension on work permits to allow immigrants to continue working. He noted that he raised that topic with the federal immigration minister during the recent meeting and learned the

Liberals had granted extensions to only Manitoba and Yukon.

“So, the minister didn’t commit to it, (but) basically, she said she would look at this,” he said, noting he hoped for positive news this fall.

Reporters asked Reiter why Saskatchewan-born residents aren’t prioritized to fill some positions, with the minister saying the province and business community are attempting to “find that balance” between using immigrant nominees and native-born citizens.

Continuing, he said Saskatchewan has the lowest unemployment rate in Canada, while some sectors of the economy have greater needs for workers than others. He pointed back to health care, where recruiting workers can be difficult, and finding skilled tradespeople in areas such as electrical.

“So, it’s about finding the right economic streams, using the right labour force data, and (trying) to target the industries that need it the most,” Reiter said.

The minister noted that the Sask. Party had “significantly increased” training spots for nurses and doctors since forming government in 2007. Moreover, he thought it was about “attacking (the vacancies) from all fronts,” which included increased training and “an immediate need” for immigration.

Reiter also said that a “pragmatic approach” is required to address the issue of using foreign-born workers versus native-born ones, while it’s about doing what’s best for the economy and Saskatchewan citizens.

“So, I don’t view it as a left(-wing) or right(-wing) thing,” Reiter added. “I view it as … let’s do what’s best for the economy.”

Editor’s Note

JOAN RITCHIEMoose Jaw Express EDITOR

With grandkids in tow, we went to peruse this year’s Brickspo exhibit on Sunday at the WDM. It was a good deal and entertaining, and the best part was that there was no entrance fee for the kids, so I got away cheaper than expected. There were a couple of exceptional creations but my personal thought was that last year’s had more amazing creations that not only were eye candy but also more functionable. Nevertheless, the creations this year were also amazing and building lego creations is certainly a skill not every person has the ability to attain.

Playing or creating with legos is more than a toy and something universally satisfying that not only a kid sprawled out on the living room floor or an adult in their leisure time can do, but it can be therapy, education, and creativity that takes problem solving. All

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

this and more packed into a box of lego bricks. Building LEGO is rewarding because it taps into our human instinct to build, solve, and create. You start with a pile of random bricks with no shape or form and with some patience and design, you create a structured masterpiece that is both beautiful and possibly serves a purpose. The sense of accomplishment, of turning nothing into something makes you a creative genius. Your brain cells high-five each other as you revel in the rewards of the experience.

But believe it or not, beyond the fun, LEGO teaches real-life skills. First off, it develops patience and focus. In a world built on instant gratification, sitting down to carefully following an instruction manual or design, your own creation takes a level of discipline that spills over into other areas of life—school, work, and even relationships.

It also builds problem-solving. You’re constantly visualizing, rotating pieces in your head and troubleshooting when things don’t fit as planned, just like you do when putting a puzzle together. These are the same mental muscles used in engineering, architec-

ture, surgery, coding—you name it. You’re training your brain without even realizing it.

Then there’s creativity. Unlike some other hobbies, LEGO doesn’t come with built-in limits. Sure, you can follow instructions, but the real magic happens when you take your creativity and skill to the next level. The creations are endless and there are no wrong creations, so this innovation becomes beyond the limits of individual thinking.

And one of the major benefits is that it’s a bridge between generations. Grandparents can sit with grandkids and build together, and no one feels out of place. It levels the playing field and encourages communication, teamwork, and bonding.

In a time when mental health is fragile and attention spans are shrinking, LEGO offers a rare mix of calm, challenge, and joy. It’s play with purpose. So, whether you’re 6 or 66, dumping out a bin of bricks might be one of the most constructive things you do all week, whether you are alone or hanging out with the kids

Why donating $15 to the food bank is more powerful than a can of soup

When it comes to supporting the Moose Jaw & District Food Bank, financial donations pack more power than most realize.

Thanks to bulk-purchasing programs and supplier partnerships, a single $15 donation can often be stretched to buy $30 or $40 worth of groceries. That extra buying power is helping the food bank deliver fresh produce, dairy, meat, and culturally relevant food to individuals and families facing food insecurity in the city.

“We have bulk buying power through our local grocers,” said Jason Moore, executive director of Moose Jaw’s food bank. “It gives us the ability to fill in the gaps in our inventory and buy the fresh items we don’t normally receive through donations.”

The Moose Jaw & District Food Bank is one of many across the country that benefits from national initiatives like Food Banks Canada’s Marketplace program, which connects local agencies to wholesale distributors at significantly reduced rates. In many cases, food banks can save 25 to 50 per cent on essential items, including perishable goods that rarely come in through traditional food drives.

Fresh produce, in particular, is a critical gap the food bank works to address through its Harvest Pantry Program.

“Canned goods and non-perishables are still appreciated,” Moore noted, “but they’re not enough on their own. Bulk purchasing lets us provide fruits, vege-

Aaron Walker - Moose Jaw Express

Both monetary and non-perishable food donations help support the Moose Jaw & District Food Bank’s mission to end hunger in the community. Photo by: Moose Jaw & District Food Bank

tables, and dairy — the things that bring real nutritional value to the families we support.”

Another major benefit of monetary donations is the ability to purchase culturally appropriate foods. Many long-time residents who donate are unaware that items like lentils, halal products, or specific spice

blends are in high demand but rarely received. Many residents also don’t typically purchase these items, so they seldom have extras to give.

“Culturally appropriate items are often scarce,” Moore said. “Having cash on hand means we can ensure all families in our community feel seen and supported with food that suits their needs.”

The importance of cash-based giving is something the food bank is aiming to educate the public on, particularly as demand grows and inventory needs become more specialized.

“It also reduces waste and storage challenges,” Moore added. “Perishable items can be bought as needed to ensure freshness, and we’re not left with a surplus of one item while running out of others.”

While events like the upcoming Zumba for a Cause: Move for Meals fundraiser on Aug. 2 provide fun and creative ways to raise funding and awareness, Moore said community members and businesses are always welcome to get involved in other ways.

“If there’s a gym, business, or organization that wants to do a fundraiser for us, we’d love to partner with them,” he said. Whether it’s a cheque, an e-transfer, or the proceeds from a community fundraising initiative, Moore said every dollar counts.

For more information or to help out, visit MJFoodBank.org, email EndHunger@MJFoodBank.org, or call 306-692-2911. The Moose Jaw & District Food Bank is located at 270 Fairford Street West.

July 07/25: MOOSE JAW 2025 FLOOR SHUFFLEBOARD UPGRADE AND SCHEDULES OPENING REMARKS: THE SENIOR CENTER IN MOOSE JAW HAS THE STATURE OF BEING A ONE-OF-A- KIND FACILITY IN SASKATCHEWAN. REGINA OR SASKATOON DO NOT HAVE ANYTHING CLOSE TO WHAT WE HAVE HERE. WITH OUR PLAYING ATMOSPHERE, WE HAVE VISITORS WHO COME TO PLAY FROM ALL OVER CANADA AND ALSO, WE HAVE PLAYERS WHO JOIN FROM THE USA. THEY ENJOY PLAYING AND THEY REALLY ENJOY OUR FRIENDLY ATMOSPHERE. MANY PLAYERS RETURN YEAR AFTER YEAR WITH THEIR ANNUAL VISITS. WE ALSO PLAY FLOOR SHUFFLEBOARD 12 MONTHS OF THE YEAR.

AS OF JULY 07/25, THE SHUFFLEBOARD UPGRADES HAVE ALSO BEEN COMPLETED WITH THE ROUGHRIDER GREEN TONE’S AND THE YELLOW BASEBOARD UPGRADE. THIS PLEASANT ATMOSPHERE IS A JOY TO PLAY ON. WE ARE PROUD OF WHAT WE HAVE!!!! WE WANT TO EXTEND AN OPEN INVITATION TO EVERYONE WHO WANTS TO MEET AND PLAY THIS ENJOYABLE RELAXING GAME. MOOSE JAW HOSTS THREE TOURNAMENTS EACH YEAR:

· THE AIME AND ALICE CLASSIC. MAY 26 27 & 28. 2025. THIS WAS A TEAM TOURNAMENT PLAYED WITH ROUND ROBIN FORMAT. 28 PLAYERS - 7 TEAMS. ROUND ROB IN. TOTAL POINTS. · THE BOB AND CORINNE COBBE CLASSIC JULY 21,22,23 & 25. THIS SINGLE SHUFFLEBOARD TOURNAMENT IS DEDICATED TO: AS OUR “ MILLY SHULTZ

268 Mulberry Lane

Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, S6J 1N1 (306) 693-4550

www.moosejawfuneralhome.com

Proudly Independent Locally Owned and Operated

T. Eaton Floor Shuffleboard

Submitted by EARL BERARD - PRESIDENT SSA

MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT”

HELD THEIR OPENING CEREMONIES JULY 21,2025 AT 10:00 A.M.

· THE EARL ANDIONE BERARD CLASSIC OCTOBER 6, 7, 8 & 9. THIS TEAM CONCEPT TOURNAMENT IS DEDICATED TO: AS OUR “ONE ERNST BERARD MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT,” THIS FLOOR TOURNAMENT IS A COMPLETE 4 PLAYER TEAM CONCEPT WITH EACH TEAM HAVING A ASSIGNED TEAM CAPTAIN.

DAY ONE ENTRY’S IS FOR REGULAR TEAM SHUFFLEBOARD PLAY. DAY TWO ENTRY’S IS FOR THE HORSE COLLAR GAME. DAY THREE ENTRY’S IS FOR THE TURKEY SHOOT GAME. DAY FOUR ENTRY’S IS FOR THE SHUFFLE CURL GAME.

THESE GAMES WILL GIVE EVEN THE MOST EXPERIENCED PLAYER A CHALLENGE TO MEET EACH GAME FORMAT. THE BEST GAME INTHE WORLDFOR SENIORS, 50 YEAR PLUS.

“ ENJOY, ENJOY, ENJOY, ENJOY»

EARL BERARD - PRESIDENT SSA. TELEPHONE 861 7511.

EMAIL EARLWBERARD @ SASKTEL.NET.

July 15, 2019

25 years of Floor Shuffleboard “Tribute to Moose Jaw- Floor Shuffleboard Capital”.

Now, Floor Shuffleboard has a history that goes back to the 15th Century in England. Called Shove board, Outdoor boards. This game was very popular and enjoyed by many. Now shuffleboard has many ingredients to build character and skills in your life.

Follow the Ten listed steps as a guide

only for your enjoyment.

• How to plan Your strategy.

• How to push and plan on how to use the kitchen.

• When you do put someone in the kitchen,

· “You don’t mean to do it”.

• How to control your speed, master direction, to match the board stope.

• How to hide behind the laying disc or disc’s to score.

• How to handle your opponent discussion’s and keep your attention on your game.

• Use your skill to set up your strategy along center line.

• Direct your disc to sit and score ten points with your hammer.

• How to be a great, good loser.

· How to be calm and enjoy your win without showing any emotion.

Now, along your journey in life and as you travel down those long miles of highway to Moose Jaw or wherever to play this greatest Game on earth, and as we age, the game becomes more enjoyable. You will also meet and greet new people and they develop into many and more new friends.

We hope you enjoyed your week in Moose Jaw at the Silver Anniversary celebration.

Thanks to all of you from all of our Board Members and the Friendly City of Moose Jaw. Come Again. President Earl Berard & my wife lone.

45 and Failing comedy performance at Legion

Ron Walter - For Moose Jaw Express

How does a woman turning 45 and starting life from scratch react?

Comedy fans will find out when comedian Stephanie Foley performs at the Moose Jaw Royal Canadian Legion on Saturday, Aug. 9.

Photo: Stephanie Foley, Facebook.com

The comedian, with 22 years of standup comedy experience and two Canadian Comedy Awards, is touring the West with her 45 and Failing Fast tour.

She had her own TV show on Shaw Cable and You Tube and has appeared on CBC’s Heartland television series.

Foley started the Mad Hatter Comedy Club in her home of Medicine Hat and was nominated for a Canadian Comedy Award.

Tickets are $15 online on her website and $20 at the door.

The Legion is now located at 693 Fairford Street West. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the show begins at 7 p.m.

Ron Walter can be reached at ronjoy@sasktel.net

Cara Ashworth

Moose Jaw’s crime rate dropped nearly 12% last year over 2023: Stats Canada

Statistics Canada — through the Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics (CCJS) — has released information about Crime Severity Index (CSI) data for 2024, with Moose Jaw’s CSI level dropping nearly 12 per cent over 2023.

The federal agency released its report on crime statistics — which examines municipalities’ CSI levels — on July 22.

The index refers to a measure of police-reported crime that reflects the seriousness — violent or non-violent — of individual offences, tracks changes in crime severity, and gives a weighted rating to each incident. For example, a minor theft could be rated one and a murder could be rated 1,000.

Normally, the CCJS produces an information spreadsheet that compares CSI values for 330 police services in communities with a population of over 10,000 people and ranks those municipalities from 1 to 330. The data comes from the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) survey.

However, Statistics Canada stopped producing that spreadsheet last year based on “significant … feedback” it had received from communities.

“Concerns were expressed about the use of CSI rankings without an appropriate consideration of local communities and the broader social context, which sometimes resulted in misinterpretation

Jason G. Antonio - MooseJawToday.com

and misunderstandings,” the organization said.

Statistics Canada has made “new products” available to accompany the crime data to help Canadians understand and “appropriately use” the CSI data, it added. One new product includes information about the importance of considering critical contextual data when interpreting and analyzing crime data.

Moose Jaw CSI data

Data from Statistics Canada show that last year, the City of Moose Jaw had an overall CSI value of 103.87, a drop from 117.75 or a decrease of 11.79 per cent over 2023.

Furthermore, the municipality’s violent CSI value last year was 100.27, a drop from 104.20 or a decrease of 3.77 per cent over 2023.

Also, the city’s non-violent CSI value last year was 106.18, a drop from 124.15 or a decrease of 14.47 per cent over 2023.

Meanwhile, Moose Jaw’s weighted clearance rate — the ability of officers to resolve crimes — last year was 49.06, an increase from 40.96 or a rise of 19.78 per cent over 2023.

Furthermore, the municipality’s violent weighted clearance rate last year was 76.49, an increase from 73.33 or a

rise of 4.31 per cent over 2023.

Also, the non-violent weighted clearance rate last year was 38.71, an increase from 30.10 or a rise of 28.6 per cent over 2023.

Meanwhile, a review of the online data tables for 2024 for overall CSI ratings in major Saskatchewan cities shows:

• North Battleford: 497.84, a decrease of 16.54 percentage points from 2023

• Prince Albert: 268.96, a decrease of 19.79 percentage points over 2023

• Yorkton: 169.00, a decrease of 7.59 percentage points over 2023

• Saskatoon: 117.49, a decrease of 10.36 percentage points from 2023

• Regina: 104.72, a decrease of 11.34 percentage points over 2023

• Swift Current: 109.67, a decrease of 3.93 percentage points from 2023

• Weyburn: 66.08, a decrease of 24.96 percentage points over 2023

• Estevan: 94.23, a decrease of 19.36 percentage points from 2023

• Warman: 31.66, an increase of 28.39 percentage points compared to 2023

• Martensville: 36.08, a decrease of 6.07 points over 2023

Overall, Saskatchewan’s CSI rating last year was 153.85, a decrease of 5.13 percentage points compared to 2023. MooseJawToday.com has reached out to the Moose Jaw Police Service for comment about this data.

Acting police chief encouraged by decrease in crime severity data

Moose Jaw’s acting police chief is pleased that the community’s crime severity index (CSI) rating decreased last year by nearly 12 per cent and says there are several reasons for the downward trend.

Statistics Canada released its annual CSI data for 2024 on July 22, with the report examining municipalities’ levels of overall crime, violent crime and nonviolent crime.

The data showed that the City of Moose Jaw had an overall CSI value of 103.87, a drop from 117.75 or a decrease of 11.79 per cent over 2023.

Furthermore, the municipality’s violent CSI value last year was 100.27, a drop from 104.20 or a decrease of 3.77

Jason G. Antonio - MooseJawToday.com

per cent over 2023.

Also, the city’s non-violent CSI value last year was 106.18, a drop from 124.15 or a decrease of 14.47 per cent over 2023.

“I am encouraged by the reduction for 2024 and that (the data) appear to be continuing to trend down so far in 2025,” Acting Chief Rick Johns said in an email. “There are likely a number of reasons we are seeing for both shortterm and long-term downward trends.”

In the short term, the Moose Jaw Police Service has worked to create efficiencies by directing resources and personnel to handle incidents proactively before they escalate into criminal behaviour, he continued. In the long term, the

agency has focused on directing resources to support investigations into crimes that offenders have already committed.

Johns noted that this extra support of investigations includes enhancing file reviews and oversight, and increasing areas of focus by having a pre-existing officer act as a crime analyst.

“Operationally, a great deal of credit goes to our police officers, communications officers and support staff that work hard every day to make our city safe,” he added.

The acting police chief acknowledged that Moose Jaw faces similar challenges — such as homelessness, drugs and vagrants — as other Canadian cities. However, he pointed out that the

statistics show that the community “is becoming increasingly safe” when looking at short- and long-term trends.

Continuing, he said these downward-focused trends are because of the dedication of police officers, who continually engage with residents dealing with addiction, homelessness or a crisis. Based on the situation, officers direct people to appropriate resources and “apply the law when circumstances dictate.”

“… the hard work and dedication of our officers cannot be emphasized enough as the major contributing factor to our effectiveness in addressing social issues and crime,” Johns added.

A table showing the overall crime severity index, the violent CSI and the non-violent CSI. Photo courtesy Statistics Canada

Moose Jaw-area ag tours to let people learn about food production

A two-day, province-wide event that aims to celebrate Saskatchewan’s agricultural roots is giving people a chance to learn about where their food comes from in a hands-on way.

Saskatchewan Open Farm Days occurs on Saturday, Aug. 9 and Sunday, Aug. 10, with farms, ranches, orchards, gardens and food producers from Spiritwood to Val Marie opening their gates for people to put their boots on the ground and learn about how their food is produced.

This event offers everything from hands-on grain and dairy experiences to first-hand sights and smells of livestock, tours of orchards and apiaries, strolls through gardens, and stories about the people and products that make rural communities thrive.

Visitors can choose to participate by taking either a guided bus tour or visiting participating farms across the province on their own as part of an “ag-cation.”

Jason G. Antonio - MooseJawToday.com

tors to Prairie Bee Meadery, the Western Development Museum, Pine Ranch and Hodgeville Farming Co. Ltd.

“Venture into the heart of southern Saskatchewan’s agricultural roots on the Moose Jaw Open Farm Days bus tour,” the agricultural organization said. “From sweet mead tastings to working ranch visits and a delicious colony-style lunch, this day offers a behind-the-scenes glimpse into prairie life … .”

Other tours are happening in the Regina and Saskatoon areas; locations on the Regina tour include the Regina Farmers’ Market, Over the Hill Orchards and Winery in Lumsden, Seven Meadow Farms and Western Pizza (South) for a pizza class.

Each of the 35 host locations will offer at least one free activity, along with optional items for sale, including fresh produce, local food, handmade products, and more.

The full list of participating farms can be found at www.skopenfarmdays. ca.

“Saskatchewan Open Farm Days is more than a weekend road trip, it’s a celebration of the people, practices, and passion that power our province’s agriculture,” the organization added. “Come meet the farmers, hear their stories, and see first-hand what it takes to grow the food we all rely on.”

With the guided bus tours, the Saskatchewan Open Farm Days organization will provide a curated bus tour that showcases a unique region of Saskatchewan agriculture. Each tour includes visits to hand-picked farms or producers, offering a full day of immersive, farm-fresh fun.

The Moose Jaw tour will take visi-

People can also create their own self-exploration “ag-cation” and win prizes in the process. For those who want to explore at their own pace, they should download the free Open Farm Days Pass and start checking out farms across Saskatchewan.

“We have curated some ingredients and regional-focused itineraries for you to explore, (and) the more farms you visit, the more chances you’ll have to win fantastic prizes, all while creating a personalized rural adventure that’s as unique as you are,” the organization said.

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A scene from a previous Open Farm Days event. Photo courtesy Open Farm Days

From The Kitchen

By Joyce Walter - For Moose Jaw Express

Make-ahead salads will ease meal preparation

When it is hot outside and family and friends are gathered around meal time, it is convenient to have a variety of salads stored in the refrigerator. These salads will form the basis for a quick but flavourful main course or supplement the barbecued hamburgers or chicken. This week’s recipes come from the family recipe box.

•

MARINATED PASTA SALAD

2 cups macaroni shells

2 tomatoes, chopped

1/2 green pepper, chopped

1/2 English cucumber, peeled and chopped

2/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup salad oil

1/3 cup ketchup

1/4 cup vinegar

1 tsp. salt or less

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. paprika

Cook macaroni following package directions. Drain, rinse with cold water, drain. Add tomatoes, green pepper and cucumber and toss to combine.

Mix remaining ingredients and pour over macaroni and vegetables. Mix well but lightly. Store in refrigerator overnight before serving. May be kept in refrigerator for 5-7 days.

TUNA CRUNCH SALAD

1 regular size tin of tuna, drained and chopped

1/2 cup chopped green pepper

1 tbsp. minced onion

2 cups torn crisp ice berg lettuce

2 tbsps. vinegar

French dressing

2 cups crushed potato chips, any flavour

Combine tuna, green pepper, onion and lettuce. Sprinkle with the vinegar. Moisten a bit with some French dressing. Chill mixture.

Just before serving, add the potato chips and toss together. Serve individually on a lettuce leaf, or serve from large salad bowl. •

TOMATO, CUCUMBER SALAD

4 medium ripe tomatoes, sliced 1 thinly sliced English cucumber, peeled

1 1/2 tbsps. chopped green onion

1/2-1/3 cup French dressing

1/8 tsp. salt

1 tbsp. chopped parsley, optional

Combine tomatoes and cucumber and place in a serving dish. Sprinkle with green onions. Mix the dressing and salt, pepper and parsley. Pour over the vegetables and mix. Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving. Leftovers should be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for no more than 48 hours.

Joyce Walter can be reached at ronjoy@sasktel.net

Bridge friends, family gather to celebrate Mickey Gower’s 106th birthday

Surrounded by family, bridge friends, and memories stretching back more than a century, longtime Moose Jaw resident Mickey Gower celebrated her 106th birthday on July 26 with a private gathering at the Grant Hall Hotel.

“She’s our hero,” said Gregg Gower, her son. “She’s a very wonderful, amazing, kind, athletic, generous, social person — and we’re all so proud of her.”

More than two dozen guests joined Mickey in the Thorn Room at Grant Hall for a buffet-style dinner and surprise presentation from hotel staff.

“They framed a large collage of Grant Hall photos going back to the early 1900s — even back to when Mom was born in 1919,” Gregg said. “All the staff signed around the border and presented it to her with flowers and a complimentary meal. It was very thoughtful.”

As Mickey later reflected on the evening, she wished to share a few words of thanks.

“I had a wonderful celebration with my family last night, and I had … my bridge friends there,” she said. “The meal was excellent.”

Born during the 1919 Spanish flu pandemic, Mickey’s life has spanned world wars, social movements, and more than a century of change in Moose Jaw. She trained as a nurse at the former Union Hospital and later made her mark in Saskatchewan’s sports scene as both an athlete and sports builder.

Aaron Walker - Moose Jaw Express

“She was a golfer, a curler, a tennis player, a speed skater — if they’d introduced pickleball sooner, she probably would have played that too,” her daughter Jackie Beattie said. “She had a hole-in-one in golf and an eight-ender in curling, which is about the best you can do in both.”

In 2012, Mickey was inducted into the CURLSASK Legends Honour Roll and has also been recog-

nized by the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame for her mentorship and contributions to sport.

Her competitive spirit hasn’t waned, either.

“She was glad the Roughriders won the other night,” Gregg said with a laugh. “Go Riders!”

When asked if they had a message to share, Jackie didn’t hesitate: “Happy Birthday, Mom. Lots of love from all your family — and many more.”

The Grant Hall Hotel presented Mickey Gower with a framed photo collage on her 106th birthday, featuring historic images of the hotel and handwritten messages from staff. Photo by: Jackie Beattie

Mickey Gower prepares to enjoy a slice of birthday cake during her 106th birthday celebration at the Grant Hall Hotel on July 26. The longtime Moose Jaw resident marked the milestone surrounded by family and bridge friends. Photo by: Gregg Gower and Jackie Beattie

Annual shuffleboard tourney honours deceased volunteer ‘Milly’ Schultz

For years, Mildred (Milly) Schultz was dedicated to Moose Jaw’s shuffleboard community and helping organize its annual tournaments, so her death late last year left a hole in many people’s hearts.

To honour the woman’s contributions, the organizers of this year’s 31st annual Western Canada Bob and Corinne Cobbe Classic floor shuffleboard tournament at the Timothy Eaton’s Centre dedicated the event as the “Milly Schultz Memorial Tournament.”

Earl Berard, president of the shuffleboard association and tournament coorganizer, said Schultz was important since she registered players and organized the tournament draws. Her death forced board members to acquire the entries — “There’s a lot of phone calls” — themselves and build a database of players.

“We ended up with 40 players, so we’re happy with that. We had 40 last year as well,” he remarked. “We have a good representation from Western Canada (and the United States).”

Berard added that Schultz was always smiling, took everything in stride, was patient and understanding, and was a hard worker.

Meanwhile, Berard said the tournament has accumulated quite a history

over its 31 years, while it has seen many great players participate over the years. He recalled how Moose Javian Don Swenson won the tournament at age 92, beating Jim Brock of Mesa, Ariz., on the final rock.

“We had to take a photo of it to see if it was a photo finish,” Berard said. “So … you can play this game as long as you’re physically able to do it.”

The shuffleboard association president was excited to highlight how they upgraded their playing surfaces this year to a Roughriders’ green tone with yellow baseboards. He pointed out that the organization considers Moose Jaw to be “the shuffleboard capital (of) Saskatchewan” because it’s the only group with this type of venue.

This was Glynn McLaughlin’s first time attending, and he thought it was “very interesting” since the courts were different — “They’re a challenge … (and) tough” — from the ones on which he played at home in Yuma, Ariz.

McLaughlin explained that he and his wife, Marlene, participate in an annual shuffleboard circuit in Canada and the U.S. — something they’ve done for four years — because after Moose Jaw, they will travel to Innisfail, Alta., for a team tournament.

After Innisfail, the couple will participate in the World Senior Games tournament in St. George, Utah, before driving back to Yuma.

McLaughlin noted that all the travelling they do isn’t too bad considering the events are usually weeks and months apart. Moreover, they journey in their motorhome, so they can take their “home” with them.

The shuffleboard player noted that

he has been playing for 21 years and jokingly said his favourite part is winning.

“It’s (also) like having a day at golf: you get one good hole and you come back.”

McLaughlin added that he and Marlene will explore Moose Jaw afterward and then travel to Saskatoon.

For Dale and Shirley Dunlop, of Stoney Plain, Alta., this was their third year participating in the tournament. He said they enjoy the multi-day event since it’s fun, they meet great people, they have a good time and appreciate how well organized it is.

Mr. Dunlop said he wasn’t doing

well this year and had only won one game — against his wife. However, he pointed out that he’s won tournaments in previous years.

Meanwhile, the Dunlops compete with a club in Edmonton — they have played for 30 years — while they travel to other communities to play. Mr. Dunlop noted that they enjoy meeting people and developing camaraderie, along with renewing relationships with people they see only once or twice a year.

The next shuffleboard tournament at the Timothy Eaton’s Centre is the “Earl and Ione Berard Classic” on Oct. 6 to 9. This event will be dedicated to Ione, who died in May.

MON: $20 o 60/80 Min Pedicures

TUES: $100 Mani/Pedi Combo

WED: 25% o Waxing Treatments

THURS: 20% o Relaxation Massage/Body Treatments

FRI:

Robert (Bob) Cobbe shoots a rock down the board while Pat Hall watches. Photo by Jason G. Antonio

A memorial picture of Mildred (Milly) Schultz sits next to the championship trophy. Photo by Jason G. Antonio

Jackie Street, the tournament draw master (left), discusses the standings with Dale Markwart of Regina. Photo by Jason G. Antonio

In photos: Brickspo ’25

Brickspo ’25 drew crowds of LEGO lovers to the Western Development Museum on July 26 and 27 for a weekend of original builds, family activities, and community creativity.

This year’s event featured more than 330 fan-made creations, ranging from intricate fantasy worlds and sci-fi stations to pop culture tributes and pixelated mosaics. Builders from across Saskatchewan and beyond took part in the two-day showcase, with members of the Saskatchewan LEGO Users Group (SLUG) on hand to talk with guests and share tips with aspiring creators.

The event’s theme was the 1980s, and retro flair was on full display — from arcades and classic space designs to movieinspired builds that nodded to the decade’s iconic pop culture, including Back to the Future.

stacks up at the Western

Aaron Walker - Moose Jaw Express

Development Museum

by another month for the Falcon itself.

One of the most anticipated highlights was Brickspo’s largest-ever collaborative

Gandalf, Legolas and other familiar faces from Middle-earth appear in this detailed Lord of the Rings scene — one of several fan-made fantasy builds on display at

build: a fully modular, minifigure-scale LEGO shopping mall straight out of the ’80s. Designed and assembled by a team of contributors, the mall was unveiled in its completed form for the first time at this year’s show. Ray Jacobs, a member of the Brickspo planning committee and SLUG board, built the mini-golf store featured in the combined display.

Now in its 14th year, Brickspo continues to grow in size and scale, drawing everyone from first-time exhibitors to long-time fans — and showing that almost anything can be made from LEGO bricks.

For more information on the LEGO Users Group or upcoming events, visit SaskLUG.org.

Doc Brown, in full LEGO form, draws ’80s nostalgia at Brickspo 2025. The Back to the Future character was built by Jim J. of Regina, Sask., in celebration of this year’s retro theme. Photo by: Aaron Walker

A close look at Hangar Bay 327, a large-scale build featuring the Millennium Falcon by Deon Druteika of Edmonton, Alta. The detailed hangar took three months to build, followed

Photo by: Aaron Walker

Brickspo 2025. Photo by: Aaron Walker

Crowds gathered for the always-popular Wacky Races on the afternoon of July 26 at the Western Development Museum, part of the weekend-long Brickspo festivities. Photo by: Aaron Walker

Concertgoers gather in the atrium of Brickspo’s largest collaborative build to date — an ’80s-themed LEGO shopping mall created by multiple builders and assembled for the first time at the event. Photo by: Aaron Walker

Creative sparks fly at Brickspo ’25 as builders shape event’s growing legacy

Brickspo returned to the Western Development Museum on July 26 and 27, bringing together a new generation of LEGO creators and longtime builders alike.

This year’s show drew steady crowds and featured more than 330 original LEGO creations by builders from across the Prairies — including firsttime exhibitor Bryce Dubois and elevenyear event veteran Jeff Beaton.

Bryce Dubois

“It’s amazing to see this many people so passionate about LEGO,” Dubois said.

The Kenaston, Sask.-based builder specializes in mechanized suits and robots inspired by the LEGO Bionicle line, which originally ran from 2001 to 2016. Many of his models were built using parts from old sets, extensively reworked with custom joints, pistons, and added articulation.

“None of the things you see here are from a kit,” he said, alluding to the guiding principle that all Brickspo entries are MOCs — “my own creations.”

“Everything is custom. They’re built from (pieces in) actual sets, but they’ve been reworked so much that they’re basically unrecognizable. Functionally, they’re entirely new.”

Dubois said a few of his builds came together in just a few weeks, while others took months. Like many builders, he often returns to older creations to make updates or design tweaks — a creative perk of LEGO building that offers the freedom to keep refining and reimagining.

To demonstrate this continuous process of upgrading, Dubois pointed

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to one of his builds. “When I first built him, he wasn’t very stable. His limbs were kind of loose, so he had a tendency to fall over. I upgraded him to have more stable legs and arms.”

Dubois, who grew up in a household with a dedicated LEGO room like many other builders, said he’s already planning to return for Brickspo 2026 — with a few additional builds to show.

Jeff Beaton

A Brickspo regular for over a decade, Jeff Beaton said the show has grown steadily in size and reach since he first got involved.

“Attendance every year gets bigger and better. More people find out about it, know it’s a thing, and plan for it,” he said. “It’s amazing — we have people coming here from Toronto, Calgary … they hear about this, and they make the trip.”

Beaton’s display was built in collaboration with fellow builder Trevor, and featured a sprawling landscape where a crew busily investigated strange minerals and plant life on an alien planet. The futuristic base included a functioning train and scientists visible through strategically placed windows, all inspired by Beaton’s love of classic space themes.

A hidden black light brought the scene to life, casting an eerie glow across translucent bricks and creating an immersive sci-fi atmosphere. Like many large-scale builds at Brickspo, the project took months of planning and was made possible through creative teamwork.

“I wanted to try and build with the old gray and blue system, and with the old figures from my childhood,” he said. “It’s nice to take something like that and incorporate it into something new … that nobody has thought of.”

Beaton, who has witnessed Brickspo grow over the years, said he hopes to see the trend continue.

“I would love for it to be one of the biggest shows in Canada. In central Canada we need that — just something like this that we’re known for,” he said, noting many talented builders in the region. “There are a lot of builders … who are closet builders. They hide at home and don’t think it’s a thing … but there’s more of us, and we all love doing this and sharing it.”

For many builders who don’t know

where to source bulk materials, Beaton recommended visiting the on-site LEGO store at each Brickspo event. Here, certain pieces or collections can be pur-

chased in bulk at a reasonable price.

To learn more about Brickspo and the Saskatchewan LEGO Users Group, visit SaskLUG.org.

A look at Jeff Beaton’s sci-fi-themed build at Brickspo 2025, featuring a futuristic base and alien terrain brought to life with translucent bricks and black light effects. Photo by: Aaron Walker

One of Bryce Dubois’ custom bio-mech creations, reimagined from the LEGO Bionicle line and extensively modified with added joints, pistons and articulation.

Photo by: Aaron Walker

Why do gas prices at pump differ within 45 miles? BIZWORLD

By Ron Walter - For Moose Jaw Express

Travelling around Saskatchewan one sees different prices for gasoline in many communities.

Recently in Moose Jaw the gas prices ranged from $1.357 a litre to $1.35.9 a litre.

In Regina the price ranged from $1.19 to $1.31.9.

In the southern communities of Weyburn, Estevan, Assiniboia, and Carlyle price averages were $1.31.9. Drivers in the central community of Outlook pay $1.35.9.

Drivers in Yorkton paid $1.35.9. Swift Current prices were $1.33.9.

PrinceAlbert’s price ranged from $1.24.9 to $1.30.9.

Something is wrong with this picture.

The supermarket flyers in this province have one price throughout Saskatchewan. A century ago the T. Eaton Company catalogue managed to have one price for all of Canada.

Why can’t the petroleum industry do the same thing?

The industry will argue price differences come from varying provincial

taxes and transportation costs.

The federal government charges 10 cents a litre tax. Saskatchewan charges 15 cents. Provincial gas taxes vary from nine cents in Ontario to 27.5 cents in parts of B.C.

All gasoline sold in Moose Jaw and much of the province comes from the Co-Op Refinery in Regina.

Some trucking costs may be involved but does it really cost four cents a litre to move gas from Regina to Moose Jaw?

It seems obvious there are three reasons for price differences between communities — competition, transport cost and the ability to squeeze a little more profit from captive buyers often living in smaller communities.

Unfortunately the smaller communities tend to have less competition and lower incomes, thus paying a larger portion of income for gas.

They tend to buy more as they have to travel long distances for work or shopping.

A study from the right wing Fraser Institute shows the impact of gasoline

prices on three income streams.

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

People with incomes of $32,100 or less put out 22.1 per cent of income on gas — $1 of every $5 income.

Those with incomes between $35,000 and $83,000 spend 13.1 per cent of income for gas. The highest level over $127,000 pay 1.6 per cent for gas.

An argument can be made for the provincial government to regulate gasoline prices for one price across the province.

The ability to set one price exists. Five provinces successfully regulate prices for gasoline and diesel with some regulating heating oil and propane.

Varying regulations exist in Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador.

The regulations didn’t create lower prices but leaves consumers with a sense of fairness that nobody is getting ripped off by the petroleum companies.

People in rural communities, which have less competition and traditionally high prices, get a little break.

And buyers know what the price will be for a fixed period of time.

Quebec sets a minimum price weekly with an allowance for transportation costs.

New Brunswick sets a maximum price every Wednesday with allowances for retail margins.

Nova Scotia sets prices weekly and sets retail margins between four cents and five cents a litre.

Newfoundland and Labrador sets gas prices monthly with allowances for retail margins and transportation in 18 regions.

The July Bizworld dealing with drone company stocks made a grievous error.

Volatus Aerospace and Draganfly are not merging. Sorry. They are collaborating on development of certain technology which might be the precursor to a merger.

Ron Walter can be reached at ronjoy@ sasktel.net

From the quiet corners of the Moose Jaw Public Library to the main stage of the Mae Wilson Theatre, readers and writers alike gathered for a wide range of events that celebrated poetry, prose, and performance.

The festival opened July 17 with a powerful morning workshop led by Richard Van Camp, who shared what he called “30 years of lessons from the front lines of full-time writing.” Held at the Moose Jaw Centre for Arts and Culture, his session set the tone for a weekend rooted in connection, creativity, and craft.

That same morning, young festivalgoers assembled for an outdoor reading session in Crescent Park, just outside the library — one moment when words and nature briefly shared the same stage.

Throughout Friday and Saturday, dozens of authors took part in reading sessions across the Moose Jaw Public Library, offering everything from poetry and memoir to humour, horror, and historical fiction.

Among the standout events was Saturday morning’s Saskatchewan Book Awards reading, featuring Guy Vanderhaeghe, Sylvia Legris, and Dr. Jarol Boan. From the literary shifts in Canada to prairie birds and cross-

Author Ardra Shephard reads from her memoir “Fallosophy” during a July 18 session at the Moose Jaw Public Library, reflecting on her life with multiple sclerosis and how disability often leads to social invisibility. “You’re either in the middle or completely ignored,” she said, later adding that even a difficult life can still be rich with joy, identity, and purpose.

Photo by: Aaron Walker

In photos: Highlights from the ‘25 Sask. Festival of Words

Aaron Walker - Moose Jaw Express

The Saskatchewan Festival of Words brought Moose Jaw’s literary community to life once again this July, offering four days of readings, panels, performances and connection — all centred around the power of language and the written word.

condition. The photo captures both the performer and the packed room behind him during this sold-out Festival of Words reading session. Photo by: Aaron Walker

cultural medicine, the session captured the festival’s spirit — thoughtful, farreaching, and deeply rooted in place.

Festival highlights also included Friday’s “Famous Last Words” poetry showcase, Saturday’s 50th anniversary celebration for Thistledown Press, and Clerel Live — an energetic closing concert hosted at the Mae Wilson Theatre on July 19.

For many, the joy of the festival came not only from the main events, but from the smaller moments: a conversa-

tion shared between audience members after a reading, a quiet book signing, or the laughter ringing out from a literary trivia night held at Bobby’s Place.

Organized by the Festival of Words team and supported by volunteers, sponsors, and partner venues across the city, the 2025 edition once again reminded Moose Jaw why this annual gathering has become a treasured summer tradition.

The festival concluded July 20 with breakfast and panel discussions at

mid-afternoon reading session. Photo by: Aaron Walker

the Cosmo Senior Citizens Centre — a quiet, thoughtful close to a long weekend devoted to the written word.

For more details on this year’s festival, visit FestivalOfWords.com.

introduces a

Guy Vanderhaeghe reads from the introduction of his new nonfiction book “Because Somebody Asked Me To” on July 19 at the library theatre. Reflecting on Canada’s literary evolution, he remarked, “We were struggling to learn how to write the reality of our country.”Photo by: Aaron Walker

Author Richard Van Camp holds one of his novels during a July 17 storytelling workshop at the Moose Jaw Centre for Arts and Culture. “All great literature is about a compelling character with a problem,” he told the audience, kicking off this year’s Festival of Word. Photo by: Aaron Walker

RC Weslowski delivers a high-energy spoken word performance at the Moose Jaw Public Library on July 18, blending poetic imagery with reflections on disconnection, absurdity, and the human

Festivalgoers fill another room at the Moose Jaw Public Library on July 18 as authors Meredith Hambrock and K.J. Aiello share the podium during a

A speaker

Saturday morning panel featuring Guy Vanderhaeghe, Sylvia Legris, and Dr. Jarol Boan at the Festival of Words’ Saskatchewan Book Awards reading, held July 19 in the public library’s Art Gallery Theatre. Photo by: Aaron Walker

By Joyce Walter - for Moose Jaw Express

Do obituaries tell the truth and nothing but the truth? Reflective Moments

Obituaries offer an opportunity for family members to eloquently give the history and accomplishments of their deceased loved one.

Some are short and to the point: he/she lived, worked and passed away. Others are more expansive, giving unabridged details of most every aspect of the deceased person’s time on earth.

A friend recently commented that she spends more and more of her time reading obituaries, looking for familiar names and faces. She admitted that sometimes she wonders if she really knew the person described by the authors of the obituaries.

I agreed, noting that several times I had to fight the urge to challenge some achievements attributed by the family members. In one case, a fellow was given credit for a community project that

was not his idea. In his family’s view, and because he likely told them so, the project was added to his list of accomplishements.

But how does one go about challenging the material written about a dead person without being accused of fabricating my own version of events?

So far I haven’t figured out an appropriate method of rebuttal. It would be absolutely in poor taste to call up the grieving family to share my views on what has been written.

Funeral home directors, to my knowledge and from personal experience, are not known to be editors or fact checkers.

How about calling the minister and suggesting that he/she make alterations and corrections when the obituary is read during the service. I suspect the

ministers would sidestep that idea. How about approaching family members at the reception, exchange hugs and then whisper the actual facts in their ears. Again — No.

Would a letter to the editor that provides my side of the story be a good idea? I guess not as that would only cause community dissent and no one with a lick of sense would besmirch the reputation of someone no longer able to shout “hogwash” at my presentation of the facts as I know them.

With no way to tactfully correct the errors, good manners forces one to simply keep the truth hidden until it is time for the complainer’s own obituary. Family members should be advised as to what achievements to include, and how, without mentioning names, make sure

auntie or uncle gets proper credit. No one would dare contradict what has been claimed.

To ensure the rebuttal obituary is accurate, perhaps writing my own would solve the problem. I could claim all sorts of credit for things I didn’t do, and who, with good manners, would stand up to object?

Knowing my luck, someone would pop up at the celebration of life service and point out what they perceive as my inaccuracies. My family, I hope, would speak in my defence.

On second thought, maybe I should back off and let my family say those nice things about me. But I can write some Cole’s notes for them, just in case.

Joyce Walter can be reached at ronjoy@ sasktel.net

Province highlights Active Families Benefit at Yara Centre, easing activity costs for families

Local dignitaries gathered at the Yara Centre on the morning of July 24 to highlight the province’s expanded Active Families Benefit — a refundable tax credit designed to make children’s activities more affordable for Saskatchewan families.

Parks, Culture and Sport Minister Alana Ross, Moose Jaw Wakamow MLA Megan Patterson, and Mayor James Murdock addressed the media and took part in a facility tour to promote the program, which was reintroduced by the provincial government in 2021 through The Active Families Benefit Act.

“The announcement today is a reminder for families with children and youth participating in sports, culture, and recreational activities this year … to take advantage of our Active Families Benefit,” Ross said. “With summer in full swing, families are busy with many different activities, whether it’s swimming lessons, baseball, fitness programs, soccer, flag football, or summer camps. It’s very important to know about this program.”

Until now, the benefit has offered a maximum of $150 per child, or $200 per child with a disability for families with an adjusted income of $60,000 or less. However, starting in the 2025 tax year, the benefit will double — rising to $300 per child or $400 per child with a disability — and will be available to families earning up to $120,000.

“This represents about 56 per cent of all families in our province, ensuring that families who need it can access it,” Ross said. “We want to make certain that … eligible families are aware of this program and to take advantage of it when they file their tax return next spring.”

The benefit can be claimed for a wide range of structured sport, recreational, and cultural activities involving registration fees, instruction, and supervision, as long as they are offered by Saskatchewan-based service providers. Ineligible activities include school curriculum programs, childcare-based activities, or events such as movie outings and spectator sports.

Programs offered at the Yara Centre — including fitness classes, summer camps, and recreational programming

— meet these eligibility requirements.

“This is a wonderful facility, and I know you’re all very proud of it. Thank you for making Saskatchewan a richer and better place, and making fun things and healthy things happen for families in your community,” Ross said about the Yara Centre.

Mayor Murdock welcomed the announcement, calling the benefit “a meaningful step … toward making life more affordable for Moose Jaw families.”

“It will now be easier for more families in our community to access the sports, recreation, and cultural programs that help our kids thrive,” Murdock said. “These experiences help build confidence, friendships, and lifelong skills. I encourage parents to explore the many affordable programs available right here in Moose Jaw.”

Patterson, who served as MC, closed the event by thanking city staff and Yara Centre facility operators for their ongoing work behind the scenes.

“Sport, culture, and recreation provide so many benefits to the citizens of our province, and these facilities contribute to a high quality of life for our children and families in this province,” she said.

To claim the Active Families Benefit, families must complete the required form in their personal income tax return filed with the Canada Revenue Agency. Receipts do not need to be submitted but must be retained for verification purposes.

For more information, visit Saskatchewan.ca.

PUBLIC NOTICE CITY OF MOOSE JAW

All Departments in City Hall will be closed on: MONDAY, AUGUST 4, 2025 (Saskatchewan Day) In addition, there will be NO TRANSIT SERVICE on Monday, August 4, 2025

Aaron Walker - Moose Jaw Express

Local dignitaries, community representatives, and staff gather for a group photo at the Yara Centre following the July 24 media event. Photo by: Aaron Walker

Left to right: Mayor James Murdock, Parks, Culture and Sport Minister Alana Ross, and MLA Megan Patterson gather at the Yara Centre to promote the province’s expanded Active Families Benefit.

Photo by: Aaron Walker

Mayor James Murdock speaks at the Yara Centre during a provincial announcement about the Active Families Benefit on July 24. Photo by: Aaron Walker

Parks, Culture and Sport Minister Alana Ross speaks at the Yara Centre during a provincial media event highlighting the expanded Active Families Benefit. Photo by: Aaron Walker

Removal of infected Dutch elm trees breaks heart of resident

Resident Victoria McSween is a big supporter of trees and is “crazy about wildlife and nature,” so she was devastated when she discovered city crews chopping down nearby Dutch elm trees.

“I’m so upset with what I see going on. It’s just — I can’t even talk right,” McSween said recently.

The homeowner lives on the 1000 block of Sixth Avenue Northwest and said she spoke with the crew that was slicing down the trees. The workers told her that the “great big, huge” trees were infected and they were removing them, but she thought they looked perfectly healthy.

McSween has lived on that block for 30 years and believes some trees are 50 to 100 years old; she figures the one in front of her house is over a century old. She said she talks to her tree regularly, since experts say positively talking to plants helps them grow and maintains their health.

The other problem the resident had with the removal of the trees is that they are home to several animals, from rac

One main symptom of a tree infected with Dutch elm disease is that the leaves and branches at the top will turn yellow, wilt, and then turn brown, but will remain attached to the tree, the forestry and horticulture supervisor said. This is called “flagging.”

The only way to deal with Dutch elm disease is to remove the tree, including the stump, and haul it away for disposal, Martin added.

The city attempts to replace the trees it removes with new ones through its block planting program, Martin said. The program focuses on planting nonDutch elm species like silver maple or oak, while it no longer recommends elm or poplars because of the risk of disease.

coons to birds to crows to squirrels.

“Arbours — trees — are living beings and (the crews are) killing them,” McSween said, noting she cried when

she saw what the workers were doing, all because of “a little beetle.”

Nijil Martin, the City of Moose Jaw’s forestry and horticulture supervisor, said cases of Dutch elm disease (DED) are up this year compared to last year. Furthermore, crews are seeing more symptoms of the disease as the month progresses.

So far this year, there have been 22 cases of DED on public and private lands. Last year, the city removed 103 infected trees, while it chopped down 85 in 2023.

City crews have removed infected trees in Crescent Park and the northwest quadrant, while they have spotted some trees in Wakamow Valley, added Martin. The city — in partnership with the valley authority — is monitoring that latter flora because the valley had only a few DED cases last year.

Martin discouraged homeowners from pruning their Dutch elm trees between April 1 and Aug. 31 — since the sap attracts the beetles — nor selling, buying or storing elm wood since that creates a safe space for the beetles. However, residents can prune their trees between September and March.

For additional information and help identifying elm trees, contact the city’s parks and recreation department at 306694-4447 or use the parks and recreation links at www.moosejaw.ca.

A tree stump is all that’s left of a Dutch elm tree after its removal. Photo by Jason G. Antonio

City crews use a picker to cut down infected Dutch elm trees. Photo by Jason G. Antonio

A city worker cuts up infected Dutch elm trees. Photo by Jason G. Antonio

pile of infected wood. Photo by Jason

Snowbirds return home for high-flying salute to Moose Jaw

Under brilliant blue skies and yellow canola fields, the Canadian Forces Snowbirds returned home in spectacular fashion for a sold-out air show at the Moose Jaw Municipal Airport on July 12.

Organized by the Moose Jaw Flying Club in partnership with the Moose Jaw Municipal Airport Authority, the event drew approximately 1,600 spectators in 500 vehicles — with an estimated 60 per cent hailing from outside Moose Jaw. Visitors came from across the Prairies and beyond — including one guest who made the trip from Texas — to witness Canada’s renowned aerobatic team perform above their hometown.

“What made this event so successful was the way the whole community stepped up to support it,” said Roger Blager, president of the Flying Club. “There was outstanding collaboration between local organizations, the City (of Moose Jaw), 15 Wing, our sponsors, volunteers, and so many others.”

Clear skies, warm weather, and a sea of gold provided a striking backdrop to the performance, supported by static aircraft displays including the Royal Canadian Air Force’s CT-156 Harvard II trainer, used to train pilots at 15 Wing, several civilian planes from Provincial Airways, and a vintage Fouga CM.170 Magister — a French-built jet trainer provided by Golden Era Aviation.

Spectators began arriving early and

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quickly filled the designated parking areas. Others lined nearby grid roads hoping to catch a glimpse of the show, with volunteers and the RCMP working together to ensure smooth logistics and direct traffic.

“The parking went relatively smoothly,” said Blager. “We had everybody off the field in about 45 minutes.”

The show was made possible thanks to support from SERCO, who sponsored sanitation facilities and the Volunteer Appreciation barbecue; CAE, who provided official volunteer T-shirts to help crews stay visible and co-ordinated; volunteers with Friends of the Forces Fellowship; and the City of Moose Jaw Fire Department, Moose Jaw and District Paramedics, and SaskTix. Golden West Radio Country 100.7 broadcast the show live from the airfield.

Early support from Brig.-Gen. Dan Coutts helped get the show off the ground, and Col. Adam Carlson, commander of 15 Wing, arranged for the Harvard II aircraft on static display.

“As Honorary Colonel of 2 Canadian Forces Flying Training School, I was proud to see our community come together to celebrate those who serve,” said Crystal Froese, a volunteer on the organizing committee. “Moose Jaw is a proud military city, and the Snowbirds — along with the training that happens every day at 15 Wing — are not only

set up along rural roads to enjoy the action — adding an unknown number of spectators to the official tally.

central to our local identity, but vital to Canada’s Air Force and national pride. This event was a fantastic way to highlight that commitment.”

Proceeds from the event totalled more than $18,000, which will support the construction of a crosswind runway at the airport — a key infrastructure upgrade aimed at improving safety and

training access for pilots.

“The funds raised will go toward the needed infrastructure improvements at the Moose Jaw Municipal Airport, which not only supports aviation and job growth in the aerospace sector but contributes to long-term economic impact for the city,” Blager said.

“Last year, our flight school had to cancel over 200 flights because of crosswinds,” he noted earlier. “A new crosswind runway would help keep training, visiting aircraft, and other airport activities running smoothly.”

Organizers say planning is already underway for a potential return in 2026, with discussions in progress to add more aircraft demonstrations and static displays for an expanded lineup.

For more information, visit “Moose Jaw Flying Club — COPA 215” on Facebook or CJS4.ca.

The Moose Jaw Municipal Airport is located approximately 15 minutes northeast of downtown, accessible via the North Service Road and Highway 301.

The Snowbirds perform above blooming canola fields near the Moose Jaw Municipal Airport on July 12. Photo by: Aaron Walker

Spectators line a nearby grid road to catch a glimpse of the Snowbirds’ hometown performance on July 12. While official parking at the Moose Jaw Municipal Airport sold out in advance, many

Photo by: Aaron Walker

The Canadian Forces Snowbirds soar in formation above the Moose Jaw Municipal Airport on July 12 during a sold-out hometown show that drew approximately 1,600 spectators. The event raised more than $18,000 for planned infrastructure upgrades at the nonprofit airport. Photo by: Aaron Walker

By Patricia Hanbidge

to be excellent seed sources.

Saving Seeds

The ancient practice of saving seeds has in recent years become a feasible and in some cases encouraged practice. There is a science to saving seeds; one that requires patience, vigilance and dedication but the rewards and satisfaction outweigh the labour costs.

There is far more to saving seed than going out into the garden and selecting one or two plants from each vegetable variety you grow to serve as seed producers. The ancient people, who began to save seed, observed the plants and paid special attention to how the plants grew, when they flowered and the quality and quantity of fruit produced. Seed was selected from plants that showed natural disease resistance, high yields, good to excellent quality and growth that suited the growing environment. The home gardener can take a similar approach. Plants that show these qualities have the potential

Although the ancient seed savers had no knowledge of plant biology, the home gardener will benefit from a little of this knowledge. The concept that is most important to know is pollination. Pollination differs with each plant family. Some require wind while others are mainly pollinated by insects and still others utilize a combination of the two. Pollination occurs when the pollen from either male flowers or male flower parts (called stamens) is transferred to female flowers or female flower parts (called pistils). The pollen may be from the flower of related plant or it may be from a flower of a plant in the same family. For example, cucumbers and zucchini are part of the squash family. They have monoecious flowers which means they have both male and female flowers on the same plant. Some plants are dioecious which have male and female flowers on different plants. Some of the most common plants that come to mind are poplar and ash trees. Dioecious plants are extremely important as there might be strong preferences to one sex or another due to allergies or other landscape concerns like poplar fuzz! Still other plants contain perfect flowers which contain both the male and female parts in each flower itself. For example, our dwarf sour cherries have perfect flowers so there is no cross-pollination

with another cherry to produce fruit which means that gardeners will only require one plant for fruit production. There is one thing that the ancient seed gatherers did not have to contend with and that modern seed gathers do: hybridization. Many plant varieties are hybrids meaning the flowers of two related species have been cross-pollinated to produce a new flower or vegetable variety. The seed from hybrid varieties will likely be sterile, however, if it does germinate, it is unlikely that the flowers or vegetables will be like the parent plant. In fact, the plants may be sterile and not produce flowers at all.

We have covered the basics of pollination but there is still more to know about seed saving. Pollination is the key to either having fruit or not but it is also the key to whether or not the fruit will be like the fruit of the parents. When a seed is described as “coming true”, it will grow, flower, and produce fruit that looks exactly like the parent

Biggest Little Fair has some events for all

The Creelman Agricultural Fair has been billed as the “Biggest Little Fair in Saskatchewan.’’

This description of the fair in a village of 120 people south of Regina, is more than a promotional slogan.

The Creelman fair is still like all small town fairs once were like with a full slate of events.

Many small and city fairs have lost their cattle show competitions.

This fair has a strong cattle show

Ron Walter - For Moose JawExpress

and an English and Western horse show.

The lifestyles section filled most of the curling rink with competitions in garden produce, canning, baking, sewing and crafts.

The fair even has a competition for grain sheaves.

A trade show with around 10 tables had woodwork, baking and several authors as vendors.

The curling rink lobby was the site of a cold plate buffet and a table with home-made pies.

The spacious fair grounds required a lot of walking to view the livestock shows, burger kiosk, beer tent, and the kids’ area which highlighted a portable rock climbing wall.

The pig scramble was one of the most popular events.

Visitors lined three deep around the

4,000 square foot pen to watch the races twice daily.

The object of the two-member race team was to catch one of the pigs, tuck it in a bag and run back to the start position.

Some people will think the pig scramble is hard on the pigs, but this is how pigs were handled on small mixed farms that dotted the Prairies.

The half-mile long parade route through the village had 59 entries with quite a number of highly decorated

plants. Seed that does not ‘come true’ will often be seed that has two different parents from the same plant family. For example, green beans will crosspollinate with yellow beans resulting in beans that can be either green or yellow. When planting a garden to use for seed production, remember that it is important to plant single varieties of those plants you plan to save seed from. Planting only non-hybrid green beans will mean that you will have green bean seeds that will produce true green beans the following year. Keep in mind that if your neighbour is growing vegetables, there can also be cross-pollination between their varieties of vegetables and yours. Maybe you can go together and each grow different types of vegetables but then share the produce. You’ll have double the garden space, more vegetables and new friends for life.

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?

floats from the region. The fair draws visitors from nearby towns, southern and eastern Saskatchewan as well as Weyburn, Regina, Moose Jaw and Saskatoon.

Ron Walter can be reached at ronjoy@ sasktel.net

For Moose Jaw Express

Keeping Canada Canadian requires lifestyle shift

The Donald Trump desire for a big real estate deal making Canada as the 51st American state (doesn’t seem to be dead.)

The Trump idea to annex Canada or Greenland is not new.

The United States of America was built on real estate deals starting with purchase of Manhattan Island from the natives. Most of the U.S.A. territory was acquired for cash.

The Louisiana Purchase bought all the territory adjacent to the original 13 states between the Florida and the 49th Parallel west to the Mississippi River.

When the Mexican War was settled, the U.S.A. paid $15 million for a territory including California, Nevada, Utah Arizona and New Mexico.

When Russia got into financial difficulties the U.S.A. bought Alaska.

President Trump has claimed the U.S.A. doesn’t need anything from

OPINION EDITORIAL:

TRADING THOUGHTS

By Ron WalterFor Moose Jaw Express

Canada even though Canada is a huge exporter to the U.S.

Trump is planning trade deals to ensure his country no longer needs Canadian imports.

He signed a deal with Ukraine to obtain ownership of 50 per cent of unproven critical minerals and proven deposits. A few weeks ago Trump signed a deal with Indonesia to get full access to that country’s massive nickel deposits. These trade deals apparently show Trump wants to possibly isolate Canada and make it poor.

Negotiating a trade deal between Canada and the U.S.A. resembles a gorilla and spider monkey fighting.

To survive as a separate sovereign nation it seems Canadians will have to sacrifice much.

Sacrifices will extend to the 2026 re-negotiation of the Canada-U.S.A.Mexico trade agreement.

Don’t expect the pressure on Canada to ease significantly if and when Trump and the Republicans no longer control matters.

Democrats have never been that friendly to Canadian trade and will probably also be loathe to undo the Trump deals. Note that Democratic president Joe Biden never took off the steel and aluminum tariffs Trump imposed.

Canada does have opportunities to diversify trade and ensure Canadians support Canadian industry over imports.

The announcement by Prime Minister Mark Carney to shift trade imports to local steel production seems to be on the right track — controlling what we can control.

In this world of trade protectionism it doesn’t make sense to import twothirds of the steel we use when Canadians can supply most of the imports.

Re-building the Canadian economy

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

will require sacrifices from higher prices to job losses, loss of government programs to higher taxes to support government plans and reduce deficits.

A temporary two per cent increase in the GST to balance the budget has already been floated.

Canadians haven’t had to make such sacrifices since the Second World War when consumer goods from groceries to gasoline were rationed and the government ran massive bond campaigns to soak up savings for the war effort.

Rationing is unlikely and likely unacceptable to voters.

Diversifying trade from the U.S.A. is easy to say, difficult to achieve.

Every other nation that faces Trump tariffs will try and diversify trade. Competition will be fierce.

Ron Walter can be reached at ronjoy@sasktel.net

Entertainer Art Linkletter to be honoured with plaque in downtown Moose Jaw

Mayor James Murdock’s first recollection of Arthur (Art) Linkletter was listening with his family to radio clips from the entertainer’s show, House Party, which featured the popular segment “Kids Say the Darndest Things.”

“I was intrigued by the stories,” said Murdock, noting that after listening to the clips on CKCK Radio on their farm, his family later watched the TV program.

After moving to Moose Jaw in the early 1990s, Murdock learned from his father-in-law that Linkletter — birth name, Gordon Arthur Kelly — had been born in The Friendly City, abandoned as a baby and adopted by the Linkletter family. The Linkletters had a shoe business on Fairford Street West, where the police service building now is.

The mayor noted that he and his wife, Bev, talked for more than a decade about doing something to recognize Linkletter’s contributions to entertainment and the fact that he was born here.

So, they approached the city’s heritage advisory committee recently with the idea of installing a plaque to honour the entertainer.

The committee liked the idea and approved the Murdocks’ request to install a commemorative plaque recognizing Art Linkletter — born July 17, 1912, and died May 26, 2010, in Los Angeles — on or near the Moose Jaw Police Service building at 21 Fairford Street West.

The committee will approve the plaque’s final design and work with the police service to determine the exact location, while the Murdocks will pay for the production and installation costs.

A committee report said the plaque would highlight “a lesser-known yet

Jason G. Antonio - MooseJawToday.com

compelling part of Moose Jaw’s history” and honour Linkletter’s early life and his connection to the community.

Furthermore, his work in radio and television helped shape modern entertainment, the report noted, while he was also an author and public speaker who received numerous awards, including an Emmy Award for lifetime achievement and a Medal of Merit in 2003 from the city.

“That story needs to be told about Art Linkletter because he’s an international entity and he was such a kind individual,” Murdock said. “And I think people just appreciated how he was able to communicate things from a child’s level that entertained and brought joy to people.”

After being elected mayor in the

November 2024 municipal election, Murdock recalled that on his first day in his new office, he saw a photograph of Linkletter with businesspeople Paul and Carol Hill. Of note, Linkletter had signed the photo with a heart.

“So, Mr. Linkletter was always proud of the fact he was born in Moose Jaw, Sask., and he would tell that to anyone, because this is where he got his beginning,” Murdock said.

Continuing, the mayor said this is a unique story that could tie into the community’s tourism industry, especially Tourism Moose Jaw’s historic trolley tours. Also, placing a plaque on the police building would be “a little piece of history” for people to read, while it would be near a historic lamp post on Fairford Street West.

Murdock said he presented the

idea to the heritage committee as just a “regular person” and not as the mayor, so that this initiative was done correctly. He also noted that the committee could have said no, but didn’t.

“It’s something that (Bev and I) want to do. And people may not care … that this is where Art Linkletter is born. Others may be completely taken aback and say, ‘I did not know that,’” he continued.

Murdock highlighted how Linkletter brought together different age groups, while everyone appreciated his programs and books. The mayor also noted that the entertainer is “a large legend” from The Friendly City.

The mayor added that he expected the committee to install the plaque either this fall or next spring.

Arthur (Art) Linkletter was known for his radio and TV shows, “House Party,” and the popular segment, “Kids Say The Darndest Things.” Photo courtesy IMDB

A plaque on a rock in Crescent Park honours Art Linkletter’s Medal of Merit from the City of Moose Jaw in 2003. Photo by Jason G. Antonio

Abandoned at birth, Art Linkletter eventually became a renowned radio/TV entertainer

With Moose Jaw planning to recognize the life and contributions of Arthur (Art) Linkletter with a plaque downtown, presented below is a biography of the internationally beloved entertainer.

Linkletter, born Gordon Arthur Kelly, was a renowned radio and television host and author. He was born in Moose Jaw on July 17, 1912, but his birth parents abandoned the weeks-old infant on the steps of Mary and Fulton John Linkletter’s home and shoemaking business, where the Moose Jaw Police Service building now is.

His biological parents and siblings remain unknown to this day.

Meanwhile, Fulton was a travelling Evangelical minister, so the family journeyed extensively across Canada and the United States, eventually settling in San Diego, Calif., when Linkletter was six years old.

Career achievements

As a teenager, Linkletter “rode the rails” and worked in various part-time jobs until he ended up back in California, where he enrolled in San Diego State Teachers College in 1934. However, after graduation, instead of teaching, he found a better-paying job as a radio announcer at KGB-FM.

He later hosted programs centred around fairs and exhibitions, and, in the early 1940s, moved to Hollywood to launch the groundbreaking People Are Funny radio program. This interactive show became a prototype for future game shows on radio and TV.

He worked as a radio program manager in Dallas, then in San Francisco, and became a specialist in broadcasting special events. Linkletter

By MooseJawToday.com staff

Personal life

Linkletter wrote more than 20 books, including bestsellers such as Kids Say The Darndest Things! (1957), I Wish I’d Said That (1968) and Old Age Is Not For Sissies (1988). He also received an Emmy Award for lifetime achievement in 2003, the Medal of Merit from the City of Moose Jaw in 2003 and honorary degrees from several universities.

Furthermore, he was a tireless crusader against drug abuse among young people, after one of his children committed suicide. He was also an advisor on drug policy to U.S. President Richard Nixon.

Linkletter’s marriage to Lois Foerster in 1935 lasted an extraordinary 74 years. They had five children: Arthur Jack (known as Jack), Dawn, Robert, Sharon and Diane.

Linkletter suffered a minor stroke in early 2008 and died on May 26, 2010, at his home in Bel Air, Los Angeles. He was survived by Lois and his daughters Dawn and Sharon.

House Party on the radio in 1945 and, with the advent of television, made a smooth transition to the new medium.

His easy manner and relaxed style made House Party a staple of the CBS weekday lineup from 1952 to 1970. One of the most popular segments was Kids Say the Darnedest Things, in which Linkletter talked with youngsters about various topics.

His other shows included Life with Linkletter and Hollywood Talent Scouts.

In 1957 and 1958 Linkletter’s spinoff book, Kids Say the Darnedest Things, was a national bestseller, and it remains one of the top-selling books in

Arthur (Art) Linkletter (second from left) meets with U.S. President John F. Kennedy and others to discuss the Easter Seal Campaign in March 1961. Linkletter was the chairman of the National Easter Seal organization, which advocated for people with disabilities. Photo courtesy Wikicommons

Author’s emotional presentation revisits painful legacy of Chinese Exclusion Act

Situated beneath the soft stage lights of the Moose Jaw Museum and Art Gallery’s theatre, author Catherine Clement blinked back tears as she delivered the final words of her presentation — a tribute, she said, to “those who walked through the long, dark winter of exclusion.”

Clement’s July 24 talk drew a full house for the only Saskatchewan stop on her national tour for The Paper Trail, a book that chronicles the Chinese Canadian experience during one of the country’s most shameful policies: the 1923 Chinese Exclusion Act.

“This project was transformational,” Clement told the audience. “It fundamentally changed who I am and how I see things.”

Passed on July 1, 1923 — now Canada Day — the Act banned nearly all Chinese immigration and required every person of Chinese descent living in Canada to register with the federal government. Between 1923 and 1947, over 56,000 people were subjected to invasive documentation requirements, including fingerprinting and government-issued photo ID — long before such practices became common.

In Moose Jaw, 431 Chinese residents registered under the Act. Only 14 of them were women. Local figures such as Sang (Charlie) Chow, Wong Higgew, and Wong Poy Jing were among those who complied with the registration or-

Each pictured individual was among the 431 people from Moose Jaw who were forced to register under the Chinese Exclusion Act between 1923 and 1924 — a process that required photo ID, invasive questions, and fingerprinting. Photo by:

Aaron Walker - Moose Jaw Express

ders, their names now preserved in federal archives.

Clement’s book — initially launched in Vancouver — unearths the lives behind those registrations. Many had been silent for decades.

“What I came to realize,” she said, “is that silence speaks volumes.”

Clement said she was struck by how little the descendants of those who lived through the exclusion years knew. In nearly every household she visited across the country, the same answer came up when asked about a father or grandfather’s experience: “I don’t know.”

The silence, she explained, wasn’t an accident. After the Act was repealed in 1947, many Chinese Canadians tried to move on, assimilate, and forget — often at great emotional cost.

One particularly poignant story came from the Prairies. In 1924, a man named Long Woo opened a silk store in Lethbridge, hoping to elevate his status and bring his wife to Canada. But when the Exclusion Act took effect, he was said to have suffered a mental breakdown, opened the doors of his shop and invited passersby to loot it. He was institutionalized for two years and never recovered his store or dream of family reunification.

“I thought the exclusion years couldn’t have been that bad,” Clement said. “But what I discovered was worse than I could have imagined.”

In the 12 months following the Act’s passage, dozens of suicides were reported in Chinese communities across the

country. Clement said many of the men who had worked in Canada for decades, supporting families back home, were eventually cut off entirely.

“And for some,” she added, “exclusion was a life sentence.”

Others survived, often in quiet, uncelebrated ways. Clement highlighted stories of resilience: Prairie women who fed their children by trapping skunks, Nin Fun Yee, who was rescued by Indig-

Originally from Dong She Way village in Sun Ning, Canton, China, Wong Higgew was one of hundreds of Chinese Moose Jaw residents compelled to register with the federal government following the 1923 Act. Most, like him, worked in restaurants or laundromats, including a few merchants, tailors, and barbers, and many spent decades separated from their families overseas. Photo by: Aaron Walker

enous families when white doctors refused to treat him, and bachelors known as “the uncles” who helped raise neighbours’ children as if they were their own.

Joan Hepburn, a Moose Jaw-born daughter of Charlie Chow, attended the talk and shared a heartfelt moment with Clement afterward. Now 95, Hepburn shared that she grew up surrounded by many of the very businesses and names featured in Clement’s presentation — a legacy that lives on through restaurants, laundromats, and family lines.

The event was hosted with support from the Moose Jaw Chinese Community Network and the Jack and Sylvia Gin Foundation in Vancouver, which helped sponsor her presentations.

Clement closed her remarks with a call to carry forward what has been rediscovered.

“We must not go back to being silent,” she said. “It is now the duty of a new generation to pass on to future generations all that we have discovered and felt and remembered.”

For more information on The Paper Trail or to purchase a copy, visit PlumLeafPress.com.

Catherine Clement

stands with former Moose Jaw resident Joan Hepburn (née Chow), daughter of Exclusion Act registrant Charlie Chow. “I was born and raised here in Moose Jaw,” said Hepburn, who witnessed firsthand the social climate described during Clement’s July 24 presentation. “I recognize a lot of the old places from Moose Jaw ... and I was married for 70 years.” One of those places is the old Grayson House — currently owned by Fifth Avenue Collection — where her childhood friend once lived. Now living outside the city, Hepburn returned to celebrate her 95th birthday.

Photo by: Aaron Walker

Author Catherine Clement delivers her presentation to a full audience at the Moose Jaw Museum and Art Gallery theatre on July 24. Photo by: Aaron Walker

Author

(left)

Aaron Walker

Paperwork and pain: Moose Jaw’s history under the Chinese Exclusion Act

On a spring morning in 1924, 67-yearold Wong Poy Jing walked into an office in downtown Moose Jaw and registered with the Canadian government. He gave his height — five feet, eight-and-a-half inches — his occupation, cook, and his address: 160 River Street West.

What he couldn’t list on the form was everything he had given up.

Like hundreds of others in Moose Jaw’s Chinese community, Jing had spent decades separated from his wife and children, working in restaurants and laundromats to support them from across an ocean. That year, he became one of 431 residents of Chinese descent in Moose Jaw forced to register under the Chinese Immigration Act of 1923 — better known as the “Chinese Exclusion Act.”

Author and historian Catherine Clement, who presented her book The Paper Trail in Moose Jaw on July 24, described the Act as one of the most humiliating and destructive policies ever inflicted on an immigrant community in Canada.

“Many of these men had lived here for 20, 30, even 40 years,” she said. “They paid the head tax. They paid their dues. And then Canada shut the door and told them they didn’t belong.”

The Act became law on Dominion Day — July 1, 1923 — effectively banning Chinese immigration and ordering all people of Chinese origin, including Canadian-born children, to register within 12 months or face fines, jail, or deportation.

In Moose Jaw, residents of Chinese

Aaron Walker - Moose Jaw Express

ancestry complied. Records show that 416 of the 431 registrants were men. Just 15 were women, and 44 were children under the age of 18 — most of whom were born in Canada, yet issued C.I.45 immigration cards that explicitly stated they did not confer legal status upon them.

Three photographs were required per registrant, along with routine fingerprinting. Interrogations by the RCMP were common.

“Imagine how it must have felt to be rounded up for registration in your own city, when all you’ve done is try to run a business or work in a kitchen,” Clement told the audience. “It was devastating; it was dehumanizing.”

According to Clement’s research, at least 250 Moose Jaw registrants worked as cooks or restaurant staff. Dozens more were employed in laundromats or as merchants, tailors, and barbers — businesses that had long served the city, even while their owners were systematically excluded from full participation in Canadian life.

One of those men was Yow Yuk Yee, a 29-year-old cook at the Maple Leaf Restaurant on River Street West. He had arrived in Canada in 1913, leaving behind a wife and infant son in Hoi Ning, Canton, China. He paid the $500 head tax at the border — the equivalent of more than $10,000 today — just to enter the country. A decade later, he stood in a Regina police station to comply with mandatory registration. His file noted a burn mark above his right eye.

Another was Sang (Charlie) Chow, who arrived in 1899 and later opened a

Wong Poy Jing, a 67-year-old cook living on River Street West, was one of 431 Chinese residents in Moose Jaw forced to register under the 1923 Chinese Exclusion Act — a process that required photo ID, personal details, and RCMP questioning.

general store on Coteau Street West. He registered himself and his five children just before the deadline in June 1924. His son, Peter Chow, born in Moose Jaw, was issued a C.I.45 certificate — a document that denied him the same recognition as other Canadian children.

Peter would go on to raise a family, and today, two of his grandsons — Darin and David Chow — serve as judges in Saskatchewan. Their success stands in stark contrast to the institutional discrimination their great-grandfather faced.

“These stories matter because

they’re ours,” Clement said. “They happened here. They shaped our community.”

While The Paper Trail features stories from across the country, Moose Jaw emerges as a powerful example of how the Exclusion Act affected life on the Prairies. Clement highlighted the city in her presentation, pointing to rare intermarriages — including three Moose Jaw men who married white women — and the disproportionate number of men forced to live alone.

Only six registrants in Moose Jaw lived with their wives. The rest lived as “married bachelors” — men with families in China they would likely never see again.

In 1924, articles in the Regina Leader-Post warned that the RCMP would begin rounding up Chinese residents for registration. National headlines compared the process to fingerprinting criminals. Many Chinese residents waited until the final weeks of the registration period, hoping the law would change — but it didn’t.

“Imagine reading that in the paper, (all while) just running your business and trying to live,” she said.

The Exclusion Act remained in place for nearly 24 years. Even after it was repealed in 1947, many of its impacts lingered. Families had been scattered, opportunities lost, and entire generations grew up not knowing what their parents endured.

“History doesn’t live in dates and legislation,” Clement said. “It lives in the lives of ordinary people — and in the paper trail they left behind.”

Photo by: Catherine Clement

Co-op fundraiser helps send Major AAA Little League team to nationals

There were no strikeouts at this lunch hour — just sizzling burgers, smiling faces, and a show of hometown pride, as Moose Jaw rallied behind its Major AAA Little League team during a special fundraiser at the Moose Jaw Co-op on July 23.

From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., staff, players, and parents gathered outside the Coop Food Store for a community barbecue fundraiser, with 100 per cent of proceeds going toward travel costs for the team’s upcoming trip to the Little League Canadian Championship in Victoria, B.C., set for July 29 to Aug. 7.

The event offered cheeseburgers and cold drinks for $6 and attracted a steady stream of supporters throughout the lunch hour. Several local businesses also contributed with large pre-orders and donations, including Henderson Insurance and Doepker Industries.

“This is an exciting run for this Moose Jaw team, and we encourage everybody to check it out, watch the games … and cheer for them,” Turner said. “This is a big deal … It’s a once-

Aaron Walker - Moose Jaw Express

in-a-lifetime opportunity to go to Little League Canadians … and we’re happy to support them and do what we can to give back.”

Remy Thibeault, a Co-op employee and father of player Vaughn Thibeault, helped co-ordinate the event and said it was all about rallying community support.

“My son actually plays on the team … (and) we wanted to offer a fundraiser out to the boys, to help them raise proceeds for their trip to Victoria next week, where they’re going to be playing in the Canadians,” he said. “Co-op offered to donate all of the supplies and the space, as long as the boys and their families came out to work it.”

With their bats hot and confidence high, the team punched their ticket to

RURAL MUNICIPALITY OF REDBURN NO. 130

The RM of Redburn is holding a Public Hearing at 10:00 AM on August 19, 2025 at 111 Main Street, Rouleau, to discuss revisions on distance setbacks for ILOs and oil wells and other gas or CO2 wells and the management of manure from ILOs for bylaw 01-2025 that was given a rst reading March 18, 2025

Canadians after stringing together a winning season and proving themselves as the team to beat in Saskatchewan.

“It’s pretty epic,” Thibeault said.

“Last year the boys had an amazing team. They made it to provincials and won it as well, so then rolling into this year with a lot of the same guys, we had a great atmosphere. To watch them go, take the spring season, win that, and then move on with confidence into the summer … they’ve carried themselves well and played very well.

“We’re just excited to see them have the opportunity to go across Canada and play, and show what we can do here in Moose Jaw,” he added.

The fundraiser wasn’t just about dollars — it was about visibility. Thibeault said it was a chance for the team to “get their faces out in the community” and feel the pride that comes with hometown support.

“I just want to say thanks to the community for coming out and doing this for them. Everybody just wants to see them succeed,” Thibeault concluded. “It makes them feel 10 feet tall.”

For more information, visit MJLittleLeague.com.

Caronport, SK

July 22, 2025

12:58 pm

Female

8lbs, 0oz

Central Butte, SK

July 22, 2025

6:38 pm

Male

9lbs, 0oz

Kianna Tondevold & Jeff Bellereau

Candace Rehbein & Branden Rehbein

A tent was set up outside the Moose Jaw Co-op on July 23 for a community barbecue fundraiser supporting the city’s Major AAA Little League team. The team is preparing to head to the Little League Canadian Championship in Victoria, B.C. Photo by: Aaron Walker

Remy Thibeault flips burgers during the July 23 fundraiser at the Moose Jaw Coop. Thibeault, whose son plays on the team, helped co-ordinate the event. Photo by: Aaron Walker

Three members of the Moose Jaw Major AAA Little League team take a break to pose for a photo during their shift at the Co-op barbecue fundraiser. Photo by: Aaron Walker

Two Little League players hold up a sign to draw in lunchtime traffic during the team’s barbecue fundraiser at the entrance to the Co-op parking lot.

Moose Jaw 15U AAA Canucks suffer first loss of SPBL season, but close out campaign with a win

Canucks drop 4-2 decision to Regina on Wednesday for only loss in regular season, close out campaign with 7-5 win over Regina Wolfpack

With only a pair of games remaining in their incredible Sask Premier Baseball League 15U AAA campaign, the Moose Jaw Canucks suffered their first loss of the regular season on Wednesday, dropping a 4-2 decision to the Regina Athletics.

The Canucks made sure their season wouldn’t end on a sour note, though, taking a 7-5 win over the Regina Wolfpack one night later.

As a result, Moose Jaw finishes with a 31-1 record, good enough for first place 7 ½ games over the Sask Five Giants, and by far the best showing for a Canucks team in the league in recent history.

There’s still some important ball to be played, though -- the Canucks will be in action at the 15U AAA Tier 1 provincial championship in Saskatoon this coming weekend, with a win there sending Moose Jaw to the Art Berard 15U AAA Western Canadian Championship Aug.15-17 in Saskatoon.

Athletics 4, Canucks 2

The Canucks took a 2-1 lead into the sixth inning when Regina’s bats came alive, putting up three runs to take their 4-2 lead. Moose Jaw would get runners on base in both of the final two innings, but for the first time all season would be unable to string together the offence they needed to make a comeback.

Regina had only two hits in the

Randy Palmer - MooseJawToday.com

game, but they both came at an opportune time in the sixth inning, as two singles and a walk would lead to the Athletics scoring their three runs.

Lucas Hartnell scored a pair of runs and knocked in another to lead Regina’s offence.

Cohen Symak was 2-for-4 with a double, run scored and RBI to pace Moose Jaw’s hitters, Daxton Chesney also had a pair of hits.

Creeson Malbeuf was the winning pitcher, giving up two runs on five hits over four innings and striking out six. Nickson Hjelsing held Moose Jaw scoreless over the final three innings, giving up only three hits and striking out the side in the seventh.

Van Glasser went 5 ⅓ for the Canucks, allowing four runs, three earned, while giving up the two hits. He also struck out six and walked three. Chesney finished things off without allowing a hit.

Canucks 7, Wolfpack 5

Things went far better for Moose Jaw in their regular season finale, as

with the game tied 2-2, they’d put up four runs in the bottom of the fourth and then add another in the fifth to lead 7-2. Regina put up a pair in the sixth and another in the seventh but would get no closer.

Lucas Lind and Zaid Guillaume each went 2-for-2 with a triple and a pair of runs scored, while Chesney knocked in a pair. The Canucks also showed their speed on the basepaths, swiping nine on the day. Symak and Taylor Usher each had a pair of steals.

The Wolfpack managed only four hits, with Dawson Palanuik scoring a pair of runs.

DIllon Flanagan got the start and allowed a single run in two innings of work, striking out four. Kaiden Gadd was the winning pitcher after going three innings in relief, allow a run on two hits and also striking out four.

Dylan Leach was the losing pitcher, taking over from Linkin Therrien in the third and allowing four runs on three hits over the next two innings.

The Moose Jaw Canucks capped the SPBL 15U AAA regular season with a 31-1 record this past week, and now have their eyes on the provincial title next weekend. Facebook

Moose Jaw All Stars to face Ontario in Little League Canada Region opener on Tuesday

Week-long event begins July 29 in Victoria, with spot in Little League World Series on the line

The Moose Jaw All Stars are only days away from their first game at the Little League Canada Region Tournament, and now they know who and when they’ll be playing.

The All Stars will open the event in Victoria, B.C. against Ontario champion High Park LIttle League at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, July 29, kicking off their sixgame, week-long round robin.

The remainder of their preliminary round games are as follows (all times Moose Jaw time):

Wednesday, July 30 -- Host - Layritz Little League, 3 p.m. Thursday, July 31 -- Bye Friday, Aug. 1 -- Alberta - Calgary

Randy Palmer - MooseJawToday.com

Rocky Mountain Little League, 11:30 a.m.

Saturday, Aug. 2 -- Atlantic - Sydney and District Little League, 11:30 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 3 -- Quebec - Diamond Academy Little League, 3 p.m.

Monday, Aug. 4 -- B.C. - Little Mountain Little League, 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 5 will be an off day, with the top four teams advancing to the semifinals at 1 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 6. The winners there will play for the Canada Region championship at 1 p.m.. on Thursday, Aug. 7. The Canadian champion will advance to the Little League World Series from Aug. 13 to 24 in Williamsport, Penn.

Prince Albert Predators defeat Moose Jaw Mustangs for third straight PGLL Junior title

Predators take 14-12 victory in second and deciding game of championship series on Saturday night Randy Palmer - MooseJawToday.com

The Moose Jaw Mustangs went out on their shields in Game 2 of the Prairie Gold Lacrosse League Junior championship final on Saturday night.

But when you’ve had as dominant a season as the Prince Albert Predators have had, it almost seems like a league title is a foregone conclusion -- and when it came down to the brass tacks, they found a way to get things down.

Sam Cooper scored the eventual game-winning goal with 5:38 remaining in the third period and Matthew Cudmore added an insurance marker with 1:32 to play as Moose Jaw pressed for the tie, giving the Predators a 14-12 win at the Kinsmen Arena in Prince Albert.

As a result, the Predators win the best-of-three series two-games-to-none and claim their third-straight PGLL Junior championship.

The contest was a back-and-forth barnburner from start to finish, as neither team had much by way of control

Jaw Mustangs for their third straight Prairie Gold Lacrosse League championship on Saturday night.

for very long though the first two periods. Prince Albert would score a pair, Moose Jaw would score three straight, the Predators would reply with three of their own, the Mustangs would get those back, and so on.

As a result, the game was tied 3-3 after the first period and knotted up at nine through two.

Absolutely nothing changed to start the third period, as Moose Jaw twice took the lead on goals from Braxton Mac Angus and Ryder Gilroy while Cole Barmby replied twice to see the game tied 11-11 at the 12:13 mark.

The Predators regained the lead with 9:06 remaining on a goal from Brayden Reiger, but Gilroy would reply

for Moose Jaw only 36 seconds later, setting up the late-game dramatics.

Reiger finished with six goals and eight points to become the PGLL’s alltime scoring leader. Barmby ended up with a hat trick, while Cudmore and Cooper scored twice each. Chase Lehner had their other marker, while Talon Sandry recorded five assists.

Gilroy recorded a hat trick for the Mustangs, MacAngus and Carter Hudyma each had two goals and three points. Riley Bender, Nate Lewko, Kysen Mac Angus, Carson Isnana and Booner Bender had their other goals. Kash Smith and Lukas Salikin each had two assists.

Oliver Volek had 38 saves in goal for Prince Albert, while Joey Juchacz stopped 44 for Moose Jaw.

The Predators season isn’t over just yet, as they’ll look to defend their MacDonald Cup Wester Canadian Junior B Championship beginning Wednesday, Aug. 6 in Abbotsford, B.C.

The Prince Albert Predators defeated the Moose

The Moose Jaw All Stars flew out to Victoria on Sunday and will open their appearance at the Little League Canada Region Tournament against Ontario this coming Tuesday afternoon. Little League Moose Jaw

Moose Jaw Mustangs blaze trail for women’s field lacrosse

In an historic step forward for girls’ lacrosse in Saskatchewan, the Moose Jaw Mustangs are set to launch their firstever female field lacrosse teams this fall — part of a larger push to grow the sport and support young women in local athletics.

“This would be the first time Mustangs ever had a female field team and would be amongst the first in our entire province,” said Krysta Williams, a coach and administrator with the Moose Jaw Mustangs. “By helping grow this sport in minor divisions we can provide opportunities for our girls to receive scholarships and play at collegiate levels in the future.”

The new teams — one in the U11/ U13 division and one for U15/U17 — will begin play in August and run through mid-October, marking a milestone for the organization’s female athletes. Up to now, girls with the Mustangs have only been able to play co-ed box or join male field lacrosse teams.

Aaron Walker - Moose Jaw Express

“This is a very exciting time for female lacrosse, and we are so happy to help grow the game,” said Williams. “Our female numbers in our club are the highest they have ever been in the Mustangs’ history.”

Female participation has grown significantly in recent years. Girls now make up roughly 15 per cent of the club — up from just three to four per cent two years ago — and this past year saw the number of female coaches rise from one to four — and counting.

Much of that growth stems from recent programming that included the club’s first female-focused “Try Lacrosse” session at Yara Centre, followed by a six-week winter training camp that brought in about 58 participants ranging in age from U9 to U17. The camps offered a mix of drills and skill development led by Mustangs alumni, guest coaches, and national-level mentors such as Matt Dalton, head coach of the 2025 U17 female Canada Summer Games team.

“From this alone we gained eight more female athletes for our 2025 season,” said Williams.

Funds raised through this year’s “Fore the Athletes Golf Classic” on Sat-

urday, Sept. 6, will help the Mustangs purchase field lacrosse equipment, support more winter camps, and ensure registration remains affordable for families trying the sport for the first time.

“With the funding, we plan to do more winter camps and “Try Lacrosse” events that are female only and incorporate both the field and box lacrosse sides,” Williams said. “The new and extra equipment will go a long way for athletes trying a new sport.”

Field lacrosse continues to grow across the province with Moose Jaw quickly positioning itself at the forefront, thanks to the Moose Jaw Mustangs Lacrosse team.

To learn more, visit MooseJawMustangsLacrosse.ca or find “Moose Jaw Mustangs Lacrosse” on Facebook. The team can also be reached by email at Information@MooseJawMustangsLacrosse.ca.

Miller Express lock down playoff spot despite losing three of four over weekend

Express fall 16-10 to Medicine Hat on Thursday and down Weyburn 13-6 on Friday before falling 6-4 and 13-3 to Saskatoon in weekend set Randy Palmer - MooseJawToday.com

It wasn’t the way they wanted to get the job done, but the Moose Jaw Miller Express will take their playoff spot just the same.

Despite dropping a 13-3 decision to the Saskatoon Berries at home on Sunday afternoon, a 4-0 Regina Red Sox win saw the Express officially clinch the fourth and final playoff spot in the Western Canadian Baseball League’s East Division.

Weyburn sits eight games back of Moose Jaw in fifth place and have seven games remaining, meaning the playoff teams have been decided in the East.

Saskatoon (39-7 as of Sunday afternoon) will finish first overall in the league, with Medicine Hat (31-17) in second in the East. Regina (24-24) is

Express file

currently in third and could be caught by Moose Jaw (21-28) depending upon how things shake out in the final games of the season.

Other recent action saw the Express lose 16-10 to Medicine Hat on Thursday, defeat Weyburn 13-6 on Friday, and lose

6-4 to Saskatoon on Saturday.

The Express have seven games left on their schedule and host Regina Tuesday, are in Regina Wednesday, host Weyburn Thursday, host Swift Current Friday and Saturday and are in Swift Current Sunday (4:05 p.m.). They close out the regular season in Regina on Monday, Aug. 1. All game times are 7:05 p.m. except for Sunday.

Saskatoon 13, Moose Jaw 3

Berries pitchers Michael Sall and Matthais Trondson took a no-hitter into the eighth inning, but the Express would break things up before putting three late runs on the board. Things were well in hand by that time, though, as Saskatoon had built a 7-0 lead through seven innings before putting up six in the eighth.

Saskatoon sent balls flying out of Ross Wells Park afternoon, hitting five home runs. Evan Janner led the way, going 2-for-4 with a pair of homers, three runs and five runs batted in. Carter Beck, Ethan Murdoch and Bailyn Sorenson also had round trippers, with Mason Roell adding a pair of doubles.

The Express ended up with four hits on the afternoon, with Andy Rivas hitting a solo home run in the ninth.

Sall pitched three no-hit innings and Trondson tossed four before the Express broke things up when Carson Obrecht came on in the eighth.

Westin Walls allowed five runs on seven hits over five innings and took the loss

MyKenzie Shymko, a Moose Jaw Mustangs athlete and ambassador with the Women’s Box Lacrosse Global Network, is part of a growing movement to expand the sport locally and abroad. Photo by: Moose Jaw Mustangs Lacrosse

Miller

New Red River cart installation highlights Métis culture at Tourism Moose Jaw

A newly installed Red River cart at the Tourism Moose Jaw kiosk is the latest tribute to the ingenuity and legacy of the Métis people on the Prairies — and a proud step toward deeper cultural visibility in the city’s tourism landscape.

Installed the morning of July 24 in partnership with the New Southern Plains Métis Local No. 160, the fullsize cart is a custom-built steel replica, constructed to historical specifications based on an 1850 model from the Smithsonian Institution.

“The cart itself came from a set of prints we took from the Smithsonian Institute in the United States,” said Darrell Hawman, president of the Métis Local No. 160. “It was (built) from (plans for) a traditional Red River cart in 1850 and it was built to spec by the welders at Sask Polytech, (led by) a master welder, Rick Thibault. He spent at least a couple hundred hours, I think, on it.”

The wheels, too large to shape in Moose Jaw, were sent to a larger Sask Polytech facility at its Regina campus. “They had to get the steel rounded in Regina in their bigger press,” Hawman said.

While the metal version was made to withstand Saskatchewan’s weather, it mirrors the wooden version on display at the Western Development Museum, which was unveiled earlier this month and constructed using traditional mor-

tise and tenon joinery. Together, the two carts form part of a larger initiative by the Métis Local No. 160 to preserve and promote Indigenous history.

A commemorative placard from the 1955 Queen’s Jubilee will also be displayed, highlighting Moose Jaw’s historic role as a trail hub for four major routes and a key provisioning point for the Northwest Mounted Police travelling between Fort Walsh and Fort Qu’Appelle — a journey in which Red

River carts played an instrumental role. Moose Jaw’s position as a major crossroads in pre-railroad Canada underlines the significance of the cart’s new placement at the tourism centre, connecting contemporary visitors to the region’s deep Métis and transport history.

The Red River cart — entirely human- and ox-drawn — served as a vital supply chain across the Prairies in the 18th and 19th centuries, often travelling

in long convoys known as “trains.”

“(These trains) would go as high as 1,200 … but usually (travelled) in groups of 30 or 40,” Hawman said, describing how the carts were connected in a daisy chain, with one man controlling around 10 wagons in the convoy.

For Hawman and the Métis Local No. 160, the installation is about more than preservation — it’s about cultural recognition.

“We hope to eventually have an 1850s Métis village as part of a tourist attraction for Moose Jaw,” he said.

He also emphasized the broader contributions of the Métis people to Canada’s economic foundations.

“People have no idea of the economic value that (the Métis people contributed) west of Winnipeg,” said Hawman. “I often say, if St. Louis, MO, was the kickoff to the West in the United States, then Winnipeg was the kickoff to the West in Canada. Prior to the settlement period, 200 or 300 years … (of the) fur, buffalo, and pemmican trade … were done by the Métis people and First Nations.”

A formal dedication ceremony is expected in the coming weeks once signage and cultural protocols are in place.

The new cart is located at the Tourism Moose Jaw kiosk at 450 Diefenbaker Drive.

Aaron Walker - Moose Jaw Express

Concrete pads sit ready for the arrival of the Red River cart at Tourism Moose Jaw on the morning of July 24, with the visitor kiosk visible in the background. Photo by: Aaron Walker

The newly installed Red River cart sits on display outside the Tourism Moose Jaw kiosk on July 24, honouring the historic role of Métis transportation across the Prairies. Darrell Hawman, president of the New Southern Plains Métis Local No. 160, hopes to make the site a dedicated space for Métis culture and heritage. Photo by: Aaron Walker

A forklift operator prepares to lower the steel-built Red River cart into place at Tourism Moose Jaw, aligning it with pre-positioned concrete pads as part of the July 24 installation. Photo by: Aaron Walker

Glass

Youngsters ride fire engines, tractors, horses on Family Day

The sound of fire engine sirens was heard from a distance on Family Day at the Sukanen Ship Museum and Pioneer Village.

The fire engine was busy all day ferrying youngsters and some adults on tours of the museum grounds.

Tractor rides were popular too.

Alyssa and her son from Moose Jaw were among the first in line for tractor rides.

Her boy wanted to ride the biggest tractor, then deferred and rode a smaller machine and then the third one.

“We were out here last year. They

always have so many fun things to do,’’ said Alyssa.

Kaitlin and her son Greyson were

The dog agility show attracted full crowds with agility demonstrations, obedience show and a relay race involving youngsters.

The dogs ranged from just learning to experienced show dogs.

A few of the beginners liked to explore before they completed the route, or first played with their owners.

One obedience routine had the dog pick up a scent from an item and look for an item within a pile that had the youngster’s or the owner’s scents

A special attraction this year was a restored Saskatchewan-built Fudge snowplane, once used in winter to navigate impassable or non-existent roads.

Lisil Gunderson and her husband Darrell Hunter were in the Elkhorn, Manitoba museum when they told the folks there that her grandfather’s snowplane had ended its days around Elkhorn.

The museum attendant showed them to a shed with parts of old machines.

Gunderson immediately recognized pieces of her grandfather’s old Fudge

snowplane from a stork logo painted on the side.

Her grandfather Dr. Gerry Galloway practiced in the Oxbow- Alameda area for over 30 years. He bought the snowplane to use in winter.

The couple decided to restore the snowplane at their own expense before bringing it back to the Elkhorn Museum.

The restoration required re-building of many parts.

The Moosomin Museum, which has a display of the Fudge snowplane, was helpful, she said. They came to Moosomin a number of times to figure how to build the parts.

The Fudge snowplane, with an airplane propeller and engine, was manufactured in Moosomin from 1932 until the 1950s. About 400 were made.

On the way to Elkhorn the couple is displaying at various events.

A recent display at Alameda was well received. Older residents recalled when the snowplane was used to navigate the impassable or non-existent road.

Ron Walter can be reached at ronjoy@ sasktel.net

People movers ranged from gas driven to steam driven.

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.

Conflate

As a grandparent it is easy to conflate positiveness and reality when it comes to grandchildren. Doing so, often presents them as saints, even though their parents may disagree.

Conflate means to bring together or blend. It has been used in the English language since the mid-1500s. Many people conflate the sisters, and credit them with each other’s characteristics.

Conflate is derived from the Latin verb conflare, meaning to blow together. The prefix com (with, together) is combined with the verb flare (to blow). When two or more things are conflated by ingenuity or confusion, they are blown together, so to speak. Other English words tracing back to the Latin flare include flavour, inflate, and flatulent.

Conflate can also imply to confuse. Borden, Saskatchewan (on Highway 16 between Saskatoon and North Battleford) has been conflated with

Borden, Ontario (which has a large Canadian Forces base) and Borden, Prince Edward Island (where the Confederation Bridge enters the province).

Conflate suggests things combined into a whole. Hybrid cars conflate a gas engine and an electric motor into one vehicle. Hybrid is sometimes conflated with electric-only vehicles in public perception and marketing advertising. This conflation can lead to misconceptions about the capabilities and limitations of each technology.

With the prevalence of social media, we need to be careful not to conflate fake news with real news. Streaming series often conflate documentary videos and dramatized reenactments that people may not be able to tell what is real and what is not.

When visiting with people who have a form of dementia, it is important to remember that memory confusion can lead people to conflate the past and the present in conversations. We do not have to correct them all the time unless it is absolutely essential. This could save us a lot of stress and tension.

Many conflate climate and environment even though they are different. Climate is the average course or condition of the weather at a place usually over a period of years. Environment means the circumstances, objects, or conditions by which one is surrounded.

Urban legends often blend fact with fiction and conflate details that are not necessarily related.

Historical fiction writers need to be careful not to conflate items from one historical era with another. The historical fiction writers I enjoy reading spend years doing the research needed to write accurately. I remember being confused when one book mentioned the ringing of a grandfather clock in the Middle Ages. Grandfather clocks, also known as longcase clocks, originated in England around 1658.

A method sometimes used by lawyers in the courts,

although technically dishonest, is to confuse juries with deliberate conflation

In the United States, and in some respect in Canada, legal migrants, asylum seekers, and refugees should be differentiated from illegal migrants and people trafficking, but sadly at times have been conflated. It has become impossible to have a sensible conversation about immigration without emotions getting in the way and accusations of racism being tossed about. Racism is often conflated with so many other issues that anything mentioning a person’s colour can be taken as racist.

According to the TheFlyingFrisbee website here is a list of common conflations: elections and democracy, free speech and impartiality, the law and fascism, justice and equality, journalism and activism, opinions and facts, the state and society, education and indoctrination, morality and religion, cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation, rights and privileges.

There is one example when conflating is acceptable and that is when referring to my grand-daughters. They are close to perfect. LOL

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.

Daily Sudoku Puzzles by KrazyDad, July 23, 2025

Can you find the hidden words? They may be horizontal, vertical, diagonal, forwards or backwards.

Sudoku #5 - Challenging

6 5 8 2 3 3 9 6 9 2 3 8 6 5 9 2 2 1 9 6 1 5 8 9 1 5 7 4

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.

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. © 2025 KrazyDad.com

AGAINST, CARESS, CHEAT, CLIMAX, CONDITIONAL CONSIDERATION, DAISY, DEATH, DISASTER, DOGMA, FINDER, FOXY GENTLE, GUIDE, HAPPY, HEED, HUGS, INITIALLY, LIMIT MERCY, MIRACLE, NOBODY, OVERRUN, PLEASE, POUR, REIGN REPRIEVE, RIDE, SEARCH, SENSE, SEXY, TRUTH, WONDER

ACROSS

1. Information

5. Use a broom

10. Portent

14. Nile bird

15. Eliminate

16. A detested person

17. Likening

19. Shredded cabbage

20. Night before

21. Assail

22. Defeats

23. Domestic

25. Cast out

27. Frozen water

28. Macabre

31. Noodles

34. Wall coating

35. Without precedent

36. Look at flirtatiously

37. Building block

38. Heap

39. Fifth sign of the zodiac

40. Sporting venue

41. Provides the cash for

42. Sign of nerves

44. Soviet space station

45. House

46. Library cubicles

50. Craze

52. Eagle’s home

54. Rodent

55. Decorated, as a cake

56. Dominance

58. You (archaic)

59. Neighborhood

60. Rind

61. Duration

62. Foe

63. Being DOWN

1. Chops into cubes 2. Not below 3. Countdown clock

Viper

Calm 6. Joint of the lower arm 7. Lack of difficulty 8. Highly specialized knowledge

Writing implement 10. Preoccupy 11. Type of hormone 12. French for “State”

13. Current event facts

18. Manila hemp

22. Borscht vegetable

24. French for “Quick”

26. Crud

28. Increases

29. Blend

30. Flock members

31. Barbershop emblem

32. Ancient

33. Adman

34. Spring training

37. Engendered

38. Contented cat sound

40. Dwarf buffalo

41. Dismissed

43. Footnote word

44. By and large

46. The best people or things

47. Sea eagles

48. Shoestrings

49. Flair

50. Baseball glove

51. Dull pain

53. Behold, in old Rome

56. Beer

57. Type of primate

CLASSIFIED ADS

205 WANTED

Looking To Rent - Garage/warehouse/ or unused semi-trailer unit. Prefer downtown area. Will consider other options. Can be reached at 306-684-1084.

Looking for a handyman for small jobs around my home. Please call 306-972-8855.

145 REAL ESTATE

Senior Living Condo for Rent - Points West Retirement Centre, 917 Bradley Street, Moose Jaw, SK. Friendly, warm, home like atmosphere, open floor plan with large living room, full selfcontained kitchen, 2 bedrooms with walk-in closet, balcony, corner unit with beautiful view in 3 directions, ensuite washer and dryer, individual thermostat for heating or cooling, garage available, large and bright dining and common area floor plan, enter-

tainment and bistro facilities, monthly or individual meals available, shuttle service available. For more information or viewing call: Dan 306 631-1669, Judi 306 631-0742

210 SERVICES

Moving jobs done reasonably: appliances, furniture, dump runs. Call to do it all. $45.00 a load.

306-630-2268

Need work done? Contact Bill at 306-630-2268 . Interior/exterior, renovations, formwork, framing, finishing, tiling, painting and all construction, roofing/siding- no job too big or small. Reasonable rates, 30 years experience. Cleaner with 20 years experience available for spring cleaning and move out cleans. Please call Rebecca at 306-990-0387.

Junk to the dump in and around Moose Jaw, $60 and up. 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. 306-681-8749

Professional Painter - Interior painting $80 per room. Phone Shaun 306-313-7969

140 FOR RENT

FOR RENT - 4 room suite for rent, kitchen, living room, washroom,

bathroom, and one bedroom. NW location. Includes heat and water, seperate entrance and electrical metre. Washer and dryer included. Call Duane @ 306-692-0727. FOR RENT - 1 bedroom suite, NW location, kitchen, living room, bedroom, bathroom, includes heat and water. Taking applications, $775/month. Call 306-6920727.

Small house for rent. 306-6922822

105 AUTOS

2015 NISSAN XTERRA 79000

KM PRO-4X PREMIUM MODEL 4X4 SUV. Stored in shop the last 3 years with short runs. Never been off road. Original tires. Original ownwer. Mint condition. Financing available OAC. 306631-1669.

125 TRAILERS

2024 Rainbow Cargo Trailer, 6’x12’ dual axel 3500. Bought new April 24, 5-year warranty. Barn doors, spare tire, used for

quad, $8900. Located in Moose Jaw, 306-250-5271.

FOR SALE - 6’x10’ Trailer. 15” tires, 2” ball, 3500lb axle, 4’ folding ramp, spare tire, toolbox. Asking $3000. 306-331-8741Phone calls only.

160 MISCELLANEOUS

Senior downsizing, lots of good items - electrical and carpentry tools, fold up table, lawn chairs. Willing to sell as a whole or piece it out. By appointment 306-6908018

Daisy Air Gun - Complete with shoots and canister. 12 Gauge Coooey Shot Gun, complete with trigger lock. 39” barrel. PAL is required. Call Ray @ 306-690-8018

UPCOMING EVENTS IN MOOSE JAW

If you would like your notice or event added to this list, contact us at: joan@moosejawexpress. com

Town N’ Country Mall events

Super Circus under big top in the mall parking lot from July 31-Aug 3

Community Second Chance Sale (garage sale) on Friday August 8 from 1pm to 7pm and Saturday August 9 from 10am to 3pm. 10x10 space only $10. Don’t have enough to have your own sale here’s your chance to sell with others. For more information email craftsalegail@gmail.com or gail@ptccyvr.com

“Zumba for a Cause: Move for Meals” will take place Saturday, Aug. 2, from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Infinity Athletics, with all proceeds going to support the food bank’s Harvest Pantry program. The event is open to all ages and fitness levels, and aims to raise funds for fresh produce, meat, dairy, and culturally appropriate foods for local families in need. Admission is $15 for adults, $10 for youth aged seven to 15, and free for children under six. Pre-registration is encouraged by emailing EndHunger@MJFoodBank.org, though on-site sign-up will be available between 12:30 p.m. and 1 p.m. on the day of the event.

Saskatchewan 55+ Provincial Games will be held in Swift Current between August 26-28. Moose Jaw Lawn Bowling Club has returned to their GREENS in Crescent Park. This spring regular hours will be Tues &Thur @10:00am and 6:30pm M-Tu-W-Th. Everyone welcome. This is a sport for all abilities, for both recreation and competition, for youth and seniors. Text 306-630-8160 for info about other opportunities to participate. Drop in bowls will be Tues &Thurs@10am; also, M-T-W-Th @7. In Moose Jaw Parkinsons Support Group meet at 1:30 p.m. on the last Monday of the following months: April and May. Call or text 306 756 2819.

The Prairie Hearts Quilters Guild is held every 1st and 3rd Wednesday at 7 pm at St Andrews Church until May. Learning, comradery, fun challenges, quilting and Community Projects. New Youth Pipe Band in Moose Jaw “The White Heather” for youth aged 8 to 12. Further information may be obtained by contacting Michelle Carline at mcarline@hotmail.com

The Moose Jaw Stamp Club will not be meeting this summer and will resume meetings in September.

Moose Jaw Town N Country Square Dance Assoc. Winter 2024 Program on Monday nights from 7-9pm at St. Mary’s School, 720 –5th Ave. SW. Dance in a 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. Nar-Anon Meetings every Monday 7—8pm (Moose Jaw Nar-Anon Family Group) is a twelve-step 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

Movie club

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.

• Sisters in Law: Sisters in Law is a powerful 2005 documentary that follows a judge and prosecutor in Cameroon as they fight for justice in cases of gender violence within a deeply patriarchal legal system. Show date: Thursday, July 31.

A few movie matinees will be shown for audiences of all ages in the library’s theatre starting at 2:30 p.m. Admission is free, and everyone’s welcome.

• Bridget Jones’s Diary: Saturday, July 26 (rated 14A).

Children’s programming

LEGO Weekends: Open for ages 4+ during regular business hours Saturdays and Sundays. Self-guided activity in the Children’s Department, children can have fun building wild LEGO creations that they’re invited to put on display.

The Baby Storytime, Preschool Storytime, and Daycare Storytime events have concluded for the summer and will return in the fall.

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

• Storytime in the Park: Running all summer long in Crescent Park in front of the library’s main entrance. Free for 2+ drop-in program/ no registration required.

• Master Storyteller Naomi Steinberg: Steinberg will introduce guests to her book “The Goosefeather Kamishibai” through the Japanese art of Kamishibai from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, July 29.

• Cross-stitch; A cross-stitch event scheduled for 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 30. Registration required. Around the World

You’re invited to explore the world with the MJPL this summer, with events running from 2 to 3 p.m. in the Children’s Program Room.

• Africa: Tuesday, July 29. Regular events

The Moose Jaw Chess Club provides bi-weekly chess games every second Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. in the South Meeting Room.

• Magic: The Gathering is held on Saturdays at 2 p.m. in the Reading Room. No registration is required, with all experience levels welcome. Saturday, July 26.

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: The Dragonstorm: Group A will meet on Tuesdays until July 29, starting at 6:30 p.m., and Group B will meet on Thursdays until July 31, starting at 6:30 p.m. Registration is required.

Daggerheart: Intra Umbra TTRPG

You’re invited to try the library’s new fantasy tabletop roleplaying game, “Daggerheart.” Games are intended for ages 16 and up and take place from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Herb Taylor Room. All supplies are provided but you can also bring your own.

• Daggerheart: Thursday, July 31.

The Royal Canadian Legion – Branch 59 Moose Jaw is making it’s move to their new location – 693 Fairford Street W. Please call to see when opening day is. Contact: 306692-5453. Facebook @ ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION-Branch 59 Moose Jaw Instagram: @ Royalcanadianlegion59

BINGO – Monday @ 6pm CRIBBAGE –Tuesday @ 1:30 pm - Please sign-in by 1pm MEAT DRAW & CHASE THE ACE - Saturday @ 3pm - Everyone welcome 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: 306-694-4223 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.

Teaxas Hold’em - Thursday @ 6:30pm

Floor Curling – Wednesday and Fridays @ ONHOLD for summer

Bingo – Monday afternoons 1:30pm -3:30pm and NEW Wednesday evenings 6:30pm8:30pm

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 Pickleball3:15pm and Advanced Pickleball - 6:30pm Friday: 9:00am-Beginner Pickleball/1pmRegular Pickleball/ Indoor Walking - 8:15am and 11:30am

Saturday: Advanced Pickleball - 9:30am and Pickleball - 1:00pm

August 16th Cosmo Barbeque Fundraiser from 5-6pm. Hamburgers, hotdogs, beans, salad, coffee & tea. Cost $15 August 16th Social Dance - Dennis Ficor 6:30pm - 10:00pm. Cost $15 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 – Open 12 to 7 pm

Wednesday – 12 – 6 pm 10 card Crib and Smear

Thursday – 12 – 7 pm Regular Crib and Smear Friday – 1 - 10 pm Pool and Darts (7 pm)

Saturday – 1 – 7pm Meat Draw at 4:30 pm, 50/50 and gift cards. Everyone welcome. 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/MooseJaw. Call 306-693-5989 or email ajones@ wdm.ca

SNAPSHOT: Peering over progress on Moose Jaw’s new overpass

Aaron Walker - Moose Jaw Express

SNAPSHOT: Bridge upgrades continue on the Main Street North overpass (Highway 2 over Highway 1) in Moose Jaw, part of a $34-million provincial project to raise the bridge’s height and reduce collisions caused by overheight trucks. PCL Construction Management began work this spring, with completion targeted for fall 2026, weather permitting. The project is one of several underway across Saskatchewan, including culvert installations near Penzance, Tuffnell, Norquay, and Jan Lake. Drivers are reminded to slow to 60 km/h in work zones, follow all signage and flag persons, and check the Highway Hotline at Saskatchewan.ca/HighwayHotline for updates. Photo by: Saskatchewan Highway Hotline

Rains boost most crops

Ron Walter - For Moose Jaw Express

Rains across most of the province will keep moisture needy crops growing.

For some crops and pastures the rain was too late.

The rains were variable, says the weekly crop report by the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture.

Some regions received between 15 millimetres to 50 while others got from two to 15 mm.

The Assiniboia area saw 28 millimetres in minutes while one spot got 70 mm in 45 minutes. The consequence was flash flooding.

Bethune got 74 mm with 60 at Limerick.

Some areas saw livestock water supplies build cutting down need to haul water

The rains improved moisture level in most of the province with 71 per cent of crop land soil moisture adequate, 22 per cent short and five per cent very short.

Pastures are one per cent surplus, 59 percent adequate, 30 percent short and 11 per cent very short.

Haying was delayed by rain but only 20 per cent of hay is left standing.

Obituaries / Memorials

MARILYN RIENDEAU

June 24, 1939 - June 23, 2025

With broken hearts we share the sad news that Marilyn Faye Riendeau (nee Hart) passed away in Thunder Bay on June 23, 2025 on the eve of her 86th birthday with her loving family at her side.

Born and raised on her grandparents’ farm near Calderbank, Saskatchewan on June 24, 1939, Marilyn lived a life of service to others taking on various jobs over her lifetime — working hard on the farm while raising her three children, running a successful Shell Gas Station and Restaurant in Moose Jaw with her partner, Dolores Sinclair, driving delivery truck for Canada Post, camp cooking in the Alberta oil patch, providing a safe and loving group home, and finally working with the Thunder Bay Children’s Aid Society.

She had a special gift for making you feel loved and always had the time to listen when you needed an ear. She volunteered at Providence Place in Moose Jaw and was involved with the Tenants’ Association at High Park Towers, where she resided for many years before returning to Thunder Bay to be with family. Her love of music knew no bounds, she played guitar a little but was best at the air guitar, and she was always a great dance partner at a party. She was an avid fan of curling and the Blue Jays. She loved sharing stories of her past (what she called simpler times) and we are so blessed to have had her in our lives.

We take some comfort knowing that she has been reunited with many beloved family members who passed before her, including her Granny May Johnson, Grandpa Ed Johnson, mother Dorothy Havers, father Roy Hart, step-father John Havers, special Uncle Raymond Johnson, sisters Judy Havers and Rita Hart, brother Howard Hart, and her many great aunties and uncles.

We extend our thanks to the wonderful staff of 1-A at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre for their care and compassion during Mom’s stay.

Marilyn is greatly missed and survived by her three children, Leilani Garry (John), Rodney Riendeau (Lorraine) and Scott Riendeau, three precious granddaughters, Jessika Riendeau (Richard Tribe), Jenna Garry (Charlie Randle), and Kyla Rennie (Sam), sweet great-granddaughter Annabelle Marilyn Randle, sister Joan Havers, and brothers David and Dennis Hart, as well as many special nieces and nephews.

We will carry her with us always and do our best to live our lives with kindness as she taught us.

A private family celebration of life will be held in accordance with her wishes.

“I shall pass this way but once; any good that I can do or any kindness I can show to any human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer nor neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.” — Etienne de Grellet

Obituaries / Memorials

RAYMOND ALFRED PETCH

It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Raymond Alfred Petch of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, on Friday July 11, 2025.

Raymond spent many years working in different career fields but spent most of his time in the truck driving industry.

Ray was predeceased by his parents Stanley and Irene Petch and brother Wayne. He leaves behind his loving wife of 49 years Darlene, or as Ray referred to her as “my Bride”, daughter Christine (Kevin) and their children Corbin and Kaylin from Winnipeg, MB; brother Dave (Toni) from Washington; as well as many nieces, nephews and cousins.

Ray was a happy-go-lucky fellow and his love for all the traditional meals will always be remembered and missed at the family gatherings.

We would like to thank the staff at Pioneer Lodge for their wonderful care and compassion in this time of need.

A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date. Please sign the memorial register at website: www.wjjonesandson.ca (Obituaries).

Chrystine Dacey - Funeral Director

CHARLOTTE RUTH SUTHERLAND

A Celebration of Life will be held August 8, 2025 1:30 pm, McClure United Church 4025 Taylor St. E, Saskatoon, SK. Visit martenswarman.ca to leave condolences for the family.

SONIA MCWILLIAMS

Sonia passed away peacefully at her home in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, on March 12, 2025, with her family by her side.

A celebration of Sonia’s life will be held on Friday August 1, 2025, at 11:00AM at W. J. Jones & Son, 474 Hochelaga St W, Moose Jaw. Della Ferguson will officiate.

We will gather in gratitude to honour Sonia and Fred, their life, their spirit, and their faith.

Please sign the memorial register at website: www.wjjonesandson.com (Obituaries). Dayna Chamberlain - Funeral Director

Having enough faith will ensure anything will work.

SNAPSHOT: Koda scopes out new territory

Aaron Walker - Moose Jaw Express

SNAPSHOT: At the tail end of a cloudy summer day, Westmount’s mascot Koda trotted up to Coteau Hills Elementary for a first look at the new school. The joint-use building on South Hill is set to welcome Westmount students this fall, and it seems Koda couldn’t wait to check out the new space. His unexpected visit brought a familiar spark of school spirit to the building, and staff say more mascot sightings could be on the way as excitement builds for the upcoming school year. Photo by: Westmount

tary School (composite image by Aaron Walker)

to serve you.

Going ABOVE and BEYOND expectations is what sets us apart

Elemen-

PHILLIPS

The Family of LYLE OSWALD (OSSIE) PHILLIPS are saddened to announce his passing on Thursday, July 10th, 2025, surrounded by family.

Dad, Papa, Great Papa had a phenomenal life and will now be reunited with Joanne, his wife of 68 years. He was very excited about meeting up with Mom so they could be together for their 73rd anniversary.

Dad went to King George Elementary School and Central Collegiate in Moose Jaw. The classroom was easy for him, so he liked to focus on extracurriculars. Mostly sports and especially hockey. He played 2 years in Moose Jaw with the Monarchs and the Canucks, both were Sask Juvenile Champions.

He received a scholarship to Ann Arbor, University of Michigan, where he studied engineering. In his words “engineering and I did not get along” he shifted his focus and played in the International Hockey League in Detroit. He was invited by the Detroit Red Wings coach Jack Adams to training camp, which lead him to Assumption College (now University of Windsor) where he played for 3 years with the Red Wings affiliate team, The Detroit Auto Club. In his final year he scored 26 goals out of 40 games with only 4 penalty minutes.

During that time, he decided to pursue law. He was accepted into the University of Saskatchewan Law Program, and he captained the Huskies Hockey Team all 3 years and received the McDonald Trophy for the most gentlemanly player. He graduated in 1953, came back to Moose Jaw with his new bride Joanne and articled with his father, John E. Phillips, and was called to the Bar in 1954.

Upon returning to Moose Jaw, he and his dad along with friends built their family home on 3rd NW beside his parents’ home. Very few things were contracted out in those days. Dave was born in ‘53 and Debbie in ‘54. They spent 28 happy years in that home.

One of Dad’s greatest joys was building the family cabin and spending the summers at Buffalo Pound Lake. Dad would commute to work, and Mom and the kids would just go and stay the summer. In the early years, there was no running water or telephone. It truly was paradise, with bread, milk, paper delivery and gas delivery for the boat. Waterskiing, horseshoe tournaments, huge discussions over broken pumps or boat motors were all a chance to get the guys together. Ossie commuted to town all those years maybe taking the odd Friday afternoon off.

Dad was a wonderful father, ensuring Dave and Debbie had every opportunity in education, sports and life. He supported and attended all their events.

Though quiet by nature he was very social. He was a lifelong member of the Moose Jaw Lions Club, serving as president and he had many leadership roles. He was honored with the Melvin Jones Fellowship Award for his service. Zion United Church was a very important part of his life, from attending Sunday school to teaching Sunday School to Chairman of Church council.

Ossie chaired the building committee for the YMYWCA building in Crescent Park, volunteered countless hours to Meals on Wheels, The Salvation Army Kettle Drive at Xmas, political campaigns and The Moose Jaw Canucks.

Dad was an avid hunter, curler, golfer, horseshoe player and skier both on snow and water. He associated with the starting of White Track Ski Hill and travelled on ski trips across Western Canada, the US and to Zermatt, Switzerland.

Dad and Mom always had a winter holiday, every 2nd year to Hawaii (22 times) and a lot of other warm vacation spots. Their favourite was the small Windjammer Cruises in the Caribbean with 20 or so of their closest friends. After Deb and Cal started to winter in Arizona they would extend their winter vacations there. Anytime whether at the lake, MJ or anywhere if the whole family could be together that was a highlight for Dad. Family time was everything to Dad. When Cal and Gail were welcomed into the Phillips clan Dad was more than happy. He was devoted to his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and he loved being at the lake with them. They all loved their Great Papa.

Lyle enjoyed his work. He was a fixture in downtown Moose Jaw walking to and from The Uptown Cafe where all the lawyers met for coffee breaks back in the day. On January 4th, 2019, in a ceremony held at Government House in Regina, Lyle was presented with a Certificate by the Lieutenant Governor celebrating Lyle’s appointment to Her Majesty the Queen’s Counsel.

At 91, Lyle retired after 66 years practicing law — all in Moose Jaw. He initially focused on criminal law but the closer he came to retirement he focused on wills, estate planning and real estate. He worked for Chow McLeod during the last 13 years of his career, before deciding it was the right time to retire. He was the longest practising lawyer in Saskatchewan.

Dad was fortunate to live independently up until 11 months ago when he made the decision it was time to move. Lyle is welcomed to the bright side of the road by his wife Joanne; his parents John and Mary Phillips; siblings: Muriel, Ken and Alta; Joanne’s family; and many dear friends.

Lyle is survived by his son, David (Gail) Phillips of Calgary; daughter, Debbie (Cal) Cowan of Moose Jaw; grandchildren: Matt Cowan of Nanaimo, Jason (Jen) Cowan of Calgary, Jocelyn (Scott) MacDonald of Whistler, and Brianna (Mick) Dulmage of Calgary; and great-grandchildren: Carter and Mason Dulmage, Cash and Frankie Cowan, Rio and Casey MacDonald. Also mourning: Gail’s daughter Witney (Lea) Austen and children Sam and Ryan Austen, Cody Rodriguez and children Cruz and Kaius Rodriguez; brother-in-law, Laurie Friesen and sister-in-law, Merla Gibson; and numerous nieces and nephews.

The family would like to thank Dr. Haver for his professional and compassionate care the past 10 years, as well as the staff at Allan Blair Cancer Center, Dr. F.H. Wigmore Regional Hospital Doctors, and West Park Crossing Staff for their kind care.

A Celebration of Lyle’s Life will follow in the near future. Memorial donations in Lyle’s name may be made to Moose Jaw Health Foundation, 55 Diefenbaker Drive, Moose Jaw, SK S6J 0C2 or Zion United Church, 423 Main St N, Moose Jaw, SK.

“To Live in Hearts we leave behind is not to Die”

Thomas Campbell

Arrangements are entrusted to Moose Jaw Funeral Home, 268 Mulberry Lane. Michelle Ellis, Funeral Director 306-693-4550 www.moosejawfuneralhome.com

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

The provincial government is providing the City of Moose Jaw and Village of Mortlach with money to enhance road safety as part of its recent distribution of traffic safety fund grants.

The province recently disbursed $1.53 million to 61 communities for various projects, with Moose Jaw receiving $100,000 to enhance pedestrian safety and Mortlach receiving $60,796 to address pedestrian safety at intersections and make motorists aware of speed limits.

The province gives traffic safety fund grant money to communities twice a year, using proceeds from SGI’s photo speed enhancement program. Since 2019, the program has given out $14.55 million to 981 projects.

“Anything we can do to increase safety is welcome. We’ve had a great relationship with SGI and the province,” Maryse Carmichael, Moose Jaw’s city manager, said.

For example, city hall used fund-

ing from SGI to install rapid rectangular flashing beacon (RRFB) pedestrian crossing lights on Thatcher Drive near Fourth Avenue Northwest, she pointed out.

Carmichael added that she was unsure how the city would use this funding, although the municipality would contribute in-house funding to supplement what the province and SGI provided.

Anggy Ladner, the chief administrative officer (CAO) for Mortlach, said it was “amazing” to receive this funding since it would help the community enhance safety near its school. She pointed out that there is a four-way stop near that building, but many motorists ignore it.

“So it’s very important that we keep the kids safe and get everybody to stop and watch for them and slow down,” she continued. “And just keep everyone in our community safe in our community in general. We have a lot of people who go walking.

“And the more awareness we can

raise about what speed you’re actually going … is one of our top priorities.”

The village purchased a speed radar sign and two speed humps last year, using money from the provincial grant. Ladner noted that the speed humps were for Rose Street, where residential lots start and where children live.

This year, the municipality plans to purchase two more radar devices for Alexander Street to remind people about the 40-kilometreper-hour speed limit, since motorists “get going a little too fast there,” she said.

Meanwhile, Ladner said there is “so much going on” in Mortlach with development, such as the construction of a new pavilion in the park and new houses going up “like crazy.” She joked that the village is becoming “a little Moose Jaw.”

To enhance school-zone safety, the village plans to purchase two speed radar signs and two reflective lines to highlight the crosswalk and “draw people’s eyes more” to that area.

“We have stop signs, but now there’s going to be designated crosswalks to try to encourage the kids also to cross the street in that area, because that’s where people should be most looking for them … ,” added Ladner.

Continuing, she said that dedicated volunteers and committed council members work to include all residents in activities. She noted that the community is comprised of a large group of long-time residents and new and younger people, so the goal is to blend everyone into one community while keeping all the new children safe.

Photo by Jason G. Antonio