Moose Jaw Fights Back — City rallies to have #BiggerRackForMac
The City of Moose Jaw trended online after popular social media personalities from Regina, Justin and Greg, called on Moose Javians to take immediate action to reclaim their bragging rights for having the ‘World’s Largest Moose’— Mac the Moose. The title for the ‘World’s Largest Moose’ went to rivals Norway, after the country built a Storelgen, meaning “the Big Elk,” that stands just over 32 feet tall (10 meters). According to their website, Norway boasted that their moose, “beats out its fiberglass Canadian rival ‘Mac the Moose’ in Moose Jaw by about 12 inches (30 centimeters).” The moose statue towers above the highway between Oslo and Trondheim in Norway.
A friendly rivalry grew with a GoFundMe Campaign set-up dedicated to making Mac the Moose taller than that of the Norwegian’s Storelgen.
Norway got wind of the campaign and accepted the challenge.
Citizen and Group of the Year announced
The Moose Jaw & District Chamber of Commerce announced last year's Citizen and Group of the Year awards ceremony on January 24. The 2018 Citizen of the Year went to Cory Olafson, while 15 Wing Fellowship received 2018 Group of the Year.
The other nominees for the 2018 Citizen of the Year were Joe Gunnis and Lloyd and Lynann Pethick. They were also recognized and given a special award for their outstanding contributions to the community. Aaron Ruston, president of 15 Wing Fellowship accepted the Group of the Year award on behalf of the organization.
The other group nominees were Born2Dance, Dance Fitness with Kyra, Moose Jaw & District Sports Hall of Fame, Moose Jaw Families for Change and Sets 4 Supper. They also received recognition and a special award for their work in the community.
Heritage Award Winners
The Heritage Advisory Committee announced the 2018 winners of the Heritage Awards at the Moose Jaw & District Chamber of Commerce’s annual Citizen and Group of the Year awards ceremony in January.
Five awards were handed out in four different categories.
The first category for heritage craftspeople or tradespeople was given to three individuals who volunteered their time to work on the city’s clock towers. The recipients were Brandon Cochrane, Murray Rimmer, and John Trodd.
The second category was for heritage advocacy and education. Gord Johnson was one of the recipients; spending years promoting Moose Jaw and tourism, with a particular focus on the city’s beautiful heritage buildings.
The second recipient for this award was Kayleigh Olson. Olson compiled an impressive archive of materials related to the history of First Nations in Moose Jaw. She has also been a vital part of the committee that was working on renaming the former Wild Animal Park land to reflect the Indigenous peoples who originally inhabited the land.
The third category was for long-term stewardship of a heritage building. The recipient for this award was Scotiabank. The Heritage Committee saw that Scotia did a great job of preserving their beautiful downtown building, with the earlier refurbishing of their cornice and brick. They are the only bank in Moose Jaw still fully operating out of a heritage building.
The final award was for restoration. The award went to Ron Papandrea who is currently living in Michigan. Heritage Committee Chair, Scott Hellings and Councillor Crystal Froese accepted the award on his behalf. The Committee says on a tour of the Moose Jaw cemetery on the east side in September, they noticed that the headstone of Tasnisakawin Brule was missing. The wife of Black Bull, she is the only First Nations person buried in the cemetery.
The Committee was concerned that the headstone had been vandalized. The Committee took a decision to replace the tombstone but upon return, the stone was back on the grave, fully refurbished. It was later established that Ron Papandrea took it upon himself to repair the headstone. Papandrea is the author of a book titled They Never Surrendered: the Lakota Sioux Band That Stayed in Canada. The Heritage Committee thanked Papandrea for taking this initiative.
Gerry Onyskevitch retired after 42 years with Co-op: Longtime Moose Jaw manager responsible for major upgrades at local supermarket
Gerry Onyskevitch left an indelible imprint and remarkable legacy on the community of Moose Jaw during his tenure as the general manager of Moose Jaw Co-op. Onyskevitch retired as general manager of the Moose Jaw Co-op at the end of January, leaving behind a history of almost unparalleled repair, growth and success that has the local supermarket standing as one of the top places to shop in the city.
cutline: Tim McLeod, local lawyer with experience as a school board trustee, as well as the Sask. Party's constituency president.
McLeod announced seeking Sask. Party nomination for Moose Jaw North
Tim McLeod, Moose Jaw lawyer announced he was seeking the Saskatchewan Party nomination for the constituency of Moose Jaw North for the 2020 provincial election. McLeod pursued the nomination after incumbent MLA Warren Michelson announced he wasn't seeking re-election after first winning the seat in 2007.
McLeod, one of the named partners in Chow McLeod Barristers & Solicitors, has been a trustee on the Prairie South School Board since 2012 and currently serves as Chair. For the past 10 years, McLeod has served on the Moose Jaw North Saskatchewan Party constituency board of directors, including three years as president. He has also represented the Constituency Board on the Provincial Council, where he provides input into policy and decision-making for the Saskatchewan Party.
McLeod and his wife Tenielle were both raised in Saskatchewan and moved to Moose Jaw in 2005. The couple have three children and McLeod has been a volunteer minor hockey coach for six years, as well as coaching soccer and fastball.
