A video project that Tourism Moose Jaw is shooting is so big that two downtown streets must be closed for the work to occur.
Traffic restrictions will be in place on Main Street starting around 9:30 a.m. on June 4. The northbound lanes between High Street and Athabasca Street will be shut until noon, at which point traffic is expected to resume normal flow.
While that section of the main drag reopens, the 0 block of River Street West will be closed from noon to 4 p.m. so that Tourism Moose Jaw can complete its filming.
All businesses will remain open and sidewalk access will still be available during the filming.
The organization has hired local filmmaker Jeremy Ratzlaff to shoot commercials highlighting Moose Jaw and how it transitioned from the roaring 1920s to the new roaring 2020s, explained executive director Jacki L’Heureux-Mason. Ratzlaff will also film a segment highlighting the trolley since that vehicle is “easily recognizable and an icon of the city,” while it’s also a remnant from the 1920s.
The goal is to film one long commercial and then cut it into shorter segments that can be aired online or TV.
“We definitely want to just remind people about how Moose Jaw is a wonderful location for their summer destination,” L’Heureux-Mason continued. “That, as people dip their toes back into the water as all these restrictions are lifted, that it’s a nice, safe, lots-of-things-to-do, affordable place for people to start as they journey out of their homes again.”
L’Heureux-Mason was excited to shoot these commercials and talk about Moose Jaw again since she felt the pandemic hindered that ability to tell the community’s story. Tourism Moose Jaw will also be excited to spread the word to other provinces once the rest of Canada is better vaccinated.
A grant from the provincial government has enabled Tourism Moose Jaw to pursue this project. The goal is to spend it on three initiatives, with any remaining funding to be returned to the province.
Nebulous Entertainment has already filmed a project for the organization, with the video making its debut sometime during the second week of June.
Meanwhile, Ratzlaff is expected to finish cutting his shots by the third week of June.
