MOOSE JAW — Visitors from across the Midwest said Moose Jaw lived up to its “Friendly City” reputation as the community hosted the Midwest Shrine Association’s (MSA) summer convention last week.
Hundreds of Shriners and their families travelled from across Canada and the northern United States to take part in the four-day celebration, which featured competitions, tours, and fellowship. For many, the experience was about more than just scheduled events — it has been about the cultivation of a strong sense of community and connection.
From Wisconsin to Saskatchewan
Gary Cuskey of Spooner, Wis., knows what it takes to host an MSA convention. As a past president of the association, he led the event in La Crosse, Wis., last year. He said that while every city brings its own flavour to the gathering, Moose Jaw’s welcome has been among the warmest.
“It’s been great — the hospitality. The people have been friendly, welcoming Shriners whenever you walk into a shop. There are ‘welcome Shriners’ signs outside the door. It makes you feel like you should be here,” he said. “I couldn’t ask for anything better. You advertise that it’s a friendly city, and it lives up to the expectations.”
Cuskey explained that the MSA brought together 15 Shrine temples across the upper Midwest, stretching from Marquette, Mich., to Winnipeg, Man., and included three temples each in Wisconsin and Minnesota. While the distance can make travel demanding, the payoff is the chance to share traditions and strengthen bonds.
Shriners’ sense of fun
For Terry Yanko of Regina, the event was a chance to celebrate camaraderie in true Shriners style. A member of Wawa Shriners, Yanko has been involved in parades and units for decades — though he admits the activities have changed with age.
“I’m captain of our drill court event. We used to do precision marching, but now we’re too old. I’m 70 and getting close to being one of the younger ones,” Yanko said with a laugh. “So we ride mini quads now … Shriners (still) love to have fun.”
Even with the improved mode of transportation, he noted the miniature quads sit about as high as a standard chair, and exiting the vehicle can still be a challenge due to the low height.
Yanko recalled seeing everything from miniature vehicles to oversized parade creations at MSA events — one featured a shopping cart with a cabin about 12 feet off the ground — noting that imagination is part of what keeps the organization young. “If you don’t go tiny, you go big,” he joked.
He said the Aug. 20 “meet and greet” event provided an excellent opportunity to showcase to the public what the Shriners do and was a welcome surprise.
“That’s the first time I’ve seen that myself,” Yanko said. “It gave people a chance to see what we’re about.”
First impressions of Canada
For Chad Michaels of Milwaukee, Wis., this year’s convention has been about firsts — his first time in Canada, his first time in Moose Jaw, and his first opportunity to bring his young son Chad Jr. to an MSA gathering.
“We’re having a good time and it’s a wonderful little city, by the way,” Michaels said. “We’re seeing as much of it as we can. We got here on Monday, and we’re going to have to leave right after the parade on Saturday to get back in time for work … but yeah, we’re loving it up here.”
Michaels said he tried to take in as much as possible during the visit. His family toured the Tunnels of Moose Jaw, rode the trolley, and sampled local attractions before preparing his miniature VW Beetle parade car for Saturday’s parade.
He also reflected on his first trip north of the border. “Crossing the border was really easy, (even though) I was kind of stressing about it … driving through, (the countryside) was emptier than I expected until we got into town, but it’s been a real positive experience so far.”
Back home in Milwaukee, Michaels is part of a parade unit with about 13 miniature VW Beetles. Although he was the only member to bring a vehicle to Moose Jaw this year, he said the experience was memorable enough that he hopes to return.
“Absolutely,” Michaels said. “Yeah, I think we’ll definitely come up here again. This is a nice little city, and there’s plenty of stuff to do.”
