Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan
From Freepedia
Moose Jaw is a city in south central Saskatchewan, Canada on the Moose Jaw River 71 km west of Regina. Residents of Moose Jaw are known as Moose Javians. Moose Jaw was established as a city on Friday, November 10, 1903.
It is probably best known as a retirement and tourist city that serves as a hub to the hundreds of small towns and farms that make up that part of Saskatchewan. A few of the tourist attractions include the Tunnels of Moose Jaw, the Temple Gardens Mineral Spa[1], Casino Moose Jaw, and the Murals of Moose Jaw.
Moose Jaw has four high schools and 15 elementary schools. There are many beautiful parks in Moose Jaw. "Wakamow Park" follows the Moose Jaw River and features both natural and maintained areas. There are many trails throughout the park for hiking and biking. There are also RV camping and canoe rentals in the park.
The Warriors are Moose Jaw's hockey team which plays in the Western Hockey League at the Moose Jaw Civic Centre.
It is situated on the Trans-Canada Highway.
The largest lake in southern Saskatchewan, Old Wives Lake, is located 30 km southwest of the city.
Moose Jaw is the Canadian city with the highest number of relatively cloudless days. This makes it a good site for training pilots. For years Pilot Officers of the Canadian Forces Air Command were trained here. It is currently the home of 15 Wing and the Snowbirds, the aerobatic team of the Canadian Armed Forces.
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Community profile
According to the Canada 2001 Census:
| Population: | 32,131 (-2.6% from 1996) |
| Land area: | 46.81 km² |
| Population density: | 686.4 people/km² |
| Median age: | 39.5 (males: 37.9, females: 41.1) |
| Total private dwellings: | 14,403 |
| Median household income: | $37,647 |
Demographics
Racial Groups
- 93.7% Caucasian
- 4.3% Aboriginal
- 0.7% Chinese
Origins of "Moose Jaw"
The origins of the name "Moose Jaw" are vague, though it appears to be of First Nations origin. One local legend holds that the Indian word Moosoochapiskanissippi means "the river shaped like the jaw of a moose". The name of the settlement may have come from the creek that flowed through the settlement.
Another legend holds that the name comes from the word Moosoochapiskun which means "the place where the white man mended the cart with the jawbone of the moose."
A third legend explains that the name came from the Cree word moosegaw which means "warm breezes". In the winter, Moose Jaw is often warmer than the surrounding communities.
Tunnels of Moose Jaw
People from Moose Jaw have been told about the tunnels underneath their town for many generations. They were told that smugglers and criminals, such as Al Capone, used to use them as hideouts and such. The tunnels are now used as a tourist attraction and two different interactive tours of the tunnels are now available. One tour is about the bootlegging days of Al Capone, the other is about the Chinese immigrants living in the tunnels in the early part of the 20th century. It is Moose Jaw's main tourist attraction[2] and has attracted people from all over the world.
Media
- Moose Jaw Times-Herald - daily newspaper - Website
- 800 CHAB - Oldies - Website
- 100.7 CILG-FM Country 100 - Website
Famous Moose Javians
Notable persons who were born in Moose Jaw:
- Lorne Calvert - politician
- Sheila Fischman - translator
- Clark Gillies - hockey player
- Art Linkletter - radio/TV personality
- Theresa Sokyrka - singer
- Reed Low - hockey player
External links
| North: Davidson | ||
| West: Swift Current | Moose Jaw | East: Regina |
| South: Assiniboia |
