MOOSE JAW — Since taking over as executive director on Dec. 16, 2024, Donna Fritzke has spearheaded a series of exciting updates to Tourism Moose Jaw, enhancing visitor experiences and showcasing the city’s unique offerings.
Philosophy of collaboration
Fritzke’s guiding philosophy centres on building partnerships within the community — a priority she has highlighted since taking on the role. "It's all about partnering with our community," she explained. "We want to be a part of what's going on and to be able to promote it to the outside world."
One notable partnership developed under Fritzke is with the Temple Gardens Centre.
"We started working with the Temple Gardens Centre, building that partnership because they have so many wonderful entertainers … (who) come here," she said.
Beyond cultivating new relationships, Fritzke is actively enhancing the visitor experience in practical ways. New trolley tours — including an updated downtown tour — have been launched, offering a fresh perspective on the city. “The trolley has been busy, and it's been a really great summer,” Fritzke said, highlighting how these tours have made a noticeable difference in engaging tourists. Trolley-based revenue is now up 85 per cent since the same time last year.
A growing emphasis on local collaboration has led to an updated gift shop, which now features consignment vendors and sample products from across the city.
In a space Fritzke hopes to use to promote the many unique talents from within the community, shirts and hoodies that dominated the space are being set aside to make room for everything from beaded Indigenous jewelry, pottery, Saskatoon berry products, Jollof sauce, hand-made stained glass suncatchers, and interesting new items found nowhere else, including custom-made moose antler jewelry.
"Everything we do is to support our community and feature local artisans," said Fritzke.
Notably, the gift shop also sells augmented reality postcards, providing a fun and interactive way for tourists to take a piece of Moose Jaw home. Her plan includes expanding static outdoor displays, including Mac the Moose, the Snowbirds CT-114 Tutor jet, and the developing Métis station into an interactive museum exploring local history through scannable QR codes.
Mac and Cheese
A new initiative is quickly becoming a favourite among visitors — “Mac and Cheese.”
The campaign features Mac the Moose and Cheese, the playful cat who now roams freely throughout the tourism kiosk. A series of T-shirts, postcards, and other branded items showcasing the duo have become instant hits, giving tourists a fun and memorable way to reflect on their visit.
Previously kept in the employees-only area, Cheese now greets visitors as soon as they walk in, darting to the door the moment the chime sounds. Her friendly, playful nature has made her an unexpected star of the kiosk, and tourists love capturing photos of her as she interacts with them or curls up in cozy spots.
“It's been wonderful to see her interact with visitors," said Fritzke. "She adds to the fun, welcoming atmosphere we're creating here.”
A community effort
Community involvement has played a key role in refreshing Tourism Moose Jaw. The tourism kiosk has received generous donations and volunteer support, including flowers from Windmill Greenhouse and Cornell Design & Landscaping, and free labour from contractor Aaron Lalonde, who assisted with a few minor construction and plumbing improvements.
Fritzke’s vision includes expanding Tourism Moose Jaw’s presence at trade shows and engaging with tour bus companies to bring in larger groups of visitors.
"We need to start doing things like that," she said. She also plans to strengthen relationships with organizations like Tourism Saskatchewan to further promote the city. "My goal is to work closely with them and get Moose Jaw in front of more people.”
This spirit of collaboration is central to Fritzke’s approach as she looks ahead to further strengthening the tourism sector — which is also one of the city’s leading sources of revenue.
"It's a real community effort," Fritzke said. "People have come together to make this place better, and that's what it's all about."
Tourism Moose Jaw is located at 450 Diefenbaker Drive. For more information, call 306-693-8097 or visit TourismMooseJaw.com.
