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| Geography |  The City of Moose Jaw is strategically located in the center of Southern Saskatchewan with good access to all major North American markets. The city is 70 kilometres (kms) west of the Provincial Capital, Regina. Moose Jaw is situated in the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) mainline, with the largest rail terminal between Winnipeg and Calgary. The Soo Line, also operated by CPR, provides Moose Jaw with direct freight access to Minneapolis and Chicago. Canadian National Railway (CNR) also provides service to the region. Moose Jaw is connected to three major highways, including the TransCanada Highway.
| | History | The history of human settlements at the location where the Moose Jaw River joins Thunder Creek spans several thousand years. It was a winter encampment for both Cree and Assiniboine Nations. During the fur trade era, Métis buffalo hunters had wintering cabins in the River Valley at 'the turn' where the fur trail from Fort Garry forged Moose Jaw Creek.
Permanent settlement began in 1881 when James Ross and Hector Sutherland arrived from Winnipeg to speculate on land they felt sure would be the choice of the CPR for a divisional point. The juncture of Moose Jaw and Thunder Creek was the best place to cross the river valley and there was abundant water supply for steam locomotives. By 1885, Moose Jaw was a major settlement. In addition to the homestead population and railway workers, there was an adjacent Sioux Village four miles south in the River Valley. These Sioux had retreated with Sitting Bull from Montana and the battle with General Custer.
In the summer of 1885, Moose Jaw was provisional home for a battalion of 390 soldiers from Halifax who were sent West by the Dominion Government to quell the Northwest Rebellion led by Louis Riel and Gabriel Dumont.
A major fire in 1891 wiped out 17 businesses and a church on Main Street. This incident, coupled with earlier fires, caused the town to make brick or stone construction mandatory. A local brick kiln, established in 1890, flourished. This is part of the reason there are so many early red brick heritage properties today in downtown Moose Jaw.
The rapid settlement after the Turn of the Century brought Moose Jaw to prominence in Western Canada and ushered in a commercial and industrial boom period. The Town Council sought and gained City status in November 1903. The railway connections east, west, and south drew numerous manufacturing industries and identified Moose Jaw as the leading industrial centre of the province.
| | Economic Information | Moose Jaw's 35,000 people have the benefit of all the attractions of any other major centre. It is estimated that retail shopping in Moose Jaw will increase from $313 million in 2001 to over $429 million in 2002.
Moose Jaw is home to a diverse economy, but is known for agriculture and agri-processing, tourism, transportation, and manufacturing. Moose Jaw is unique as it is in close vicinity to mining operations, specializing in fertilizers and salts. 15 Wing Moose Jaw adds to the diversity of the local economy as the air base is home not only to the Snowbirds but also to the internationally renown NATO Flying Training in Canada Program. The NFTC program instructs pilots from the UK, Italy, Denmark, and Singapore along with Canadian pilots.
| | Attractions |  The City of Moose Jaw quickly became Saskatchewan's tourist destination through the latter part of the 1990s. One of the major attractions is the Tunnels of Moose Jaw. The Tunnels of Moose Jaw's 'Chicago Connection' celebrates Moose Jaw's notorious underworld past during the 1920s featuring bootlegging, gambling, and even Al Capone. The Tunnels of Moose Jaw also details the lives of Chinese immigrants underground at the Turn of the Century in 'Passage to Fortune' tour.
The Temple Garden's Mineral Spa located in beautiful historic downtown offers first class hotel and convention facilities with 183 rooms. Temple Gardens Mineral Spa pool uses geothermal waters for health enhancement. The Oasis Life Enhancement Centre offers a variety of spa treatments such as massage, reflexology, and advanced body, skin, and nail care.
The newly opened Casino Moose Jaw features electronic games, 150 slot machines and table games such as Roulette, Let it Ride Bonus, and Black Jack. The casino is adjacent to the Temple Gardens Mineral Spa.
The Moose Jaw Trolley Company builds on the rich history of Moose Jaw by replicating one of the original electric cable trolleys that were operational from 1911-1932. The Moose Jaw Trolley Company offers a guided historic tour of Moose Jaw. The tour guides will point out and provide details on historic homes and businesses, interesting facts and legends, and profile Moose Jaw's 33 murals. Trolley runs May to October, actual start dates vary upon the weather.
Western Development Museum/History of Transportation is themed the 'Story of Transportation' and traces history relating to aviation, railways, surface and water travel on the prairies, including an auto collection, antique snowmobiles, and vintage aircraft, the Snowbird Gallery and the only short line steam railway functioning in Saskatchewan.
Festival of Words: This summer festival celebrates and promotes the imaginative uses of language, oral, and written to entertain and enlighten audiences. The Festival provides inspiring and entertaining programs for diverse ages and interest groups in many areas such as fiction, poetry drama, non-fiction, filmmaking, song, comedy, journalism, and storytelling.
Most events and facilities are situated within the City of Moose Jaw.
Recreation and Sport: Green spaces are abundant in Moose Jaw. The City Parks Department administers six major community parks, as well as numerous neighbourhood parks.
The Wakamow Valley offers a variety of recreation facilities set in a natural environment including picnic and barbeque sites, walking, biking, and hiking trails, playgrounds, and canoe launch.
Swimming Pools: Kinsmen Sportsplex indoor aquatic centre. A variety of activities are available for swimmers and non-swimmers. Waterslides, diving towers, zero depth beach pool, water toys, and steam and sauna facilities all make for an enjoyable water experience.
Ice Skating: The Parks and Recreation Department operates and maintains four (4) indoor artificial ice surfaces in the city. The Kinsmen Arena and Pla-Mor Palace (2 ice rinks) are home to numerous minor sport programs including speed skating, figure skating, hockey, and general public skating. The Civic Centre is home to the Moose Jaw Warriors of the Western Hockey League.
Curling: Hillcrest Sports Centre operates 12 sheets during the winter. A Pro Shop is also present within the complex. 15 Wing also operates a 4-sheet facility.
Golf: The City is home to three 18-hole golf courses
| | Other Info | Education:
There are 13 primary and 5 secondary schools in Moose Jaw. A range of special education programs are provided, including French Immersion, learning assistance programs, and a hearing impaired program. Schools are heavily involved in music, drama, and sports programs, and offer computer sciences at both elementary and secondary levels.
Palliser Campus is one of four Saskatchewan Institutes of Applied Science and Technology (SIAST) campuses in Saskatchewan, and offers quality training in Business Programs, Engineering Technologies, Adult Basic Education, Industrial Trades, and Community/Extension Services.
In addition to on-campus programming, Palliser Campus delivers extensive training programs to business, industry, and Aboriginal groups in the Moose Jaw area and across the province.
Palliser Campus, through arrangements with the Universities of Regina and Saskatchewan, offers undergraduates with accredited courses in Moose Jaw.
Health:
Moose Jaw Union Hospital offers major acute care facilities in the Regional Economic Development Authority (REDA) region. It offers comprehensive general health care services and provides specialist care in medical, pediatrics and maternity, mental health, emergency patient, ambulatory care, portable CT Scanner, and most orthopedic and general surgeries. Services include laboratory, diagnostic imaging, physiotherapy, cardiac rehabilitation, and diabetic counseling.
Moose Jaw is a quiet and relatively safe community even by prairie standards. Statistics for crimes of violence, sexual assaults, assaults on police officers, and major theft all rank Moose Jaw favourably among other Canadian cities.
The Moose Jaw Police Service is a progressive law enforcement agency composed of over sixty individuals. By using proven community protection programs the police department has ensured that the city of Moose Jaw will continue to be one of the safest cities in Canada.
The Moose Jaw Fire Department is a professional, 'Career' Fire Fighting Department represented by two fire stations. The Moose Jaw Fire Department has service agreements with adjacent municipalities. Along with fire fighting the Moose Jaw Fire Department does fire investigations, fire inspections, community services, and has an Emergency Measures Organization.
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