There is a new face in the Wakamow office.
Margaret Moran, the general manager of Wakamow Valley Authority, will be retiring soon; her last official day with the Wakamow Valley Authority will be on May 17. She is currently helping new GM Todd Johnson transition into the role as Wakamow gears up for another busy year.
Moran started working at Wakamow Valley Authority in 2006 and took up the position as General Manager in 2013. Since then, she has worked on many projects which she says was “a privilege to be part of.”
“During my time at Wakamow Authority, I’ve had the privilege of being part of some great projects. One of the things I’m very proud of is that we managed to replace all of the old-styled playgrounds and we have very modern and innovated playgrounds now such as the pirate playground, the fully accessible playground at the Rotary Park, then we have the Wellesley playground.
"And, finally, at Connor Park this last summer we put in that challenge course, which replaced all of the old wooden structures that were completely out of date. Now people can enjoy some really great playground facilities,” Moran said.
She also talked about other projects that were able to be completed during her time with the Authority.
“We’ve also managed to complete the trail system, all the way from Plaxton’s Lake to Connor Park. That included building bridges that were a major part of building the trail. We have the Saulteaux Bridge and we just completed the low-level crossing which was the final connection that we needed. Now, people can walk from Plaxton’s Lake all the way to Connor Park if they want to.”
She continued, “we also did the stream banks restoration and renovation of the office space which was a big project for us. These are some of the things I’ve been very fortunate to be part of. We were also very fortunate to get a lot of grants because financially, that has always been a challenge for us.”
So, what’s next for Moran? She says she is looking forward to enjoying Wakamow for what it is instead of thinking about the logistics that goes into maintaining or upgrading the park.
“I’m looking forward to enjoying Wakamow for what it is and not what needs to get done. I can enjoy the work that has been done like everyone else and enjoy the beauty of the park. Moose Jaw is so fortunate to have Wakamow Valley in their backyard, so they don’t have to travel very far to get in touch with nature.”
