The Downtown Moose Jaw Association (DMJA) held its first Snowtorious Family Day event in Crescent Park on the Feb. 20 holiday itself, featuring a variety of winter activities including horse-drawn sleigh rides and snow painting.
“The first-ever Snowtorious Family Day was a huge success,” said Craig Hemingway, DMJA marketing co-ordinator. “Several hundred Moose Javians and visitors bundled up, enjoyed the activities, and got to experience Crescent Park in winter. It was a total team effort by the DMJA Board, and we couldn’t have done it without our notoriously generous sponsors.”
Those sponsors include the Moose Jaw Co-op, Tim Hortons, Moose Jaw Kinsmen Club, Tunnels of Moose Jaw, and the City of Moose Jaw.
The Co-op provided free hot dogs, Tim Hortons was on hand with free hot chocolate, Prairie Percherons brought their horses and wagon down courtesy of the Kinsmen Club, and the Moose Jaw Fire Department supervised the fire pits and visited with the public.
A street hockey setup on Langdon Crescent proved a popular attraction. The Moose Jaw Warriors joined residents , and Moose Jaw’s Mayor Clive Tolley had a great time playing 3-on-3 with some of the kids who came down.
In thanking the Snowtorious sponsors, Hemingway also said the day would not have been possible without the help of volunteers.
“Over 20 international students from the Sask Polytech Business course put in a lot of effort to help everything run smoothly,” he explained. “We also thank the Moose Jaw Public Library and Moose Jaw Museum & Art Gallery for opening their doors to provide even more activities.”
It was a cold day, with temperatures reaching almost -30 Celsius with the wind chill, so participants appreciated warming up around the firepits, getting some free food, and ducking into the Moose Jaw Museum & Art Gallery (MJMAG) and the Moose Jaw Public Library to warm up.
The MJMAG and public library, normally closed on Family Day, opened from 1 to 5 p.m. for the event. Visitors took in the MJMAG’s latest exhibition, while library patrons took advantage of some short films and the library’s new 3D printer.
“Planning for our second Snowtorious Family Day will begin soon!” Hemingway added.
