The pandemic continues to affect the tourism industry’s ability to operate, which has forced Gord Johnson to halt his popular tours of the Moose Jaw area for a second-straight year.
“It hit like a hammer on a nail when it all came to an end (last March) — a very abrupt end,” he said recently.
As part of Johnson Tour Guide Service, the Moose Javian provides services such as guided bus tours in and around the city, walking tours of the community’s murals and historic downtown, trips through Wakamow Valley and visits to 15 Wing Air Base.
Johnson, 75, has helped thousands of tourists over the years after he retired from teaching more than 20 years ago. Taking out-of-towners around the community as a post-retirement job has brought him much joy and excitement.
Johnson has been cooling his heels — he and his wife have taken trips around the area during the pandemic — ever since the pandemic hit Saskatchewan. He thinks tourists will now hesitate to come to Moose Jaw with the variants still active, while they will likely be wary of sitting in a bus for hours.
When he can give tours, though, they are enjoyable.
“Moose Jaw has so much to offer, really, and it’s just so unique,” he said. “One doesn’t have that opportunity now to talk about the city (and) history of it. Really, as a city, we’re second-to-none anywhere in Western Canada — our rich heritage from the past.”
One premier tourism company that has provided Johnson with plenty of business is Ontario-based Great Canadian Holidays and Coaches. The business normally comes west 10 times a year, which has added up to over 200 trips during the last 20 years. However, the business is holding off on giving tours until the pandemic ends.
Johnson has developed many friendships with tourists who have taken his tours, he said. One woman from North Dakota called him years afterward and said her favourite part was visiting a Hutterite colony and hearing students sing without instruments.
“It takes different things to affect people too. But we just have the most interesting story here in Moose Jaw. It’s just unparalleled,” he added.
Johnson credits former mural painter Dale Cline for inspiring him to promote the community. Cline painted several murals in Moose Jaw. He also visited Johnson’s classes at King George School and led students in creating cartoons.
“He was sort of a droll kind of person, but when he saw what the children could do, boy, he rose to the occasion and really appreciated the efforts of the young people,” said Johnson, adding he received many of Cline’s slides, photos, write-ups and historical information about Moose Jaw after the artist died.
Johnson began giving trolley tours after he retired and became a tourism ambassador with Tourism Moose Jaw. This allowed him to meet Prince Edward in 2003 when the latter visited Moose Jaw to celebrate the community’s 100th birthday.
Several organizations have recognized Johnson’s tourism efforts. He received the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002, while he received the Ambassador Award for Tourism Services from the Saskatchewan Tourism Educational Council in 2003.
Johnson doubts that he will return full-time to give tours either this year or in the future, especially because of his age, he added. Instead, he is thinking of giving the occasional tour to small groups.
Gord Johnson can be reached at 306-692-0072 or gdjohnson@sasktel.net.
