1906) is a 57-member fire and rescue service that provides fire suppression to the city and CFB Moose Jaw. Moose Jaw is a city in Saskatchewan, Canada located along the Trans-Canada Highway (Highway Number 1). Moose Jaw's population was 33,274 according to the 2011 census, which showed a very small increase (3.6%) from 2006. The website says the tunnels were built around 1908 intending to run the city on steam heat. Moose Jaw is also home to a campus of Saskatchewan Polytechnic. Follow us on social media to add even more wonder to your day. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. We believe the earliest use was as utility tunnels between buildings. In order to avoid the head count tax, many of them went underground—literally. A historical reenactor in what was Burrows and Sons Chinese Laundry. Involved in peacekeeping operations in Cyprus, the Golan Heights, Bosnia and Croatia, the regiment has also provided aid during floods and forest fires in the prairies. finally. And it’s always fun to look at photos of a city that span its growth and changes over the decades. The narrow river crossing and abundance of water and game made it a good location for settlement. In 1947, the discriminatory legislation was repealed. Their story was hard. Most recently, the 2004 Junior All-Star team (age 13/14) won the Canadian Championship and became the first team from Saskatchewan to win a game at the Little League World Series. After the war, the RCAF remained in the community and used the facility for training pilots through the Cold War. The first Chinese people in many Canadian cities were laundrymen. Metered parking is available on the street. I really enjoyed your article! Wigmore Regional Hospital in the city's northeast end. Much of it is in basement areas. Engineers who looked after this heating system in the basements decided to create a network of tunnels linking the buildings together, so they can easily move themselves and their equipment from building to building without freezing in them gosh darn cold prairie winters. This sounds like a good tourist activity for the winter when visitors are not wanting to traipse around outside in the cold. These were to be manufactured under the name Moose Jaw Standard. Any original space used in the tours has been reinforced with concrete. We took the Al Capone tour back in 2005 on our way to Alaska. In Wi, Ready for another fabulous day at the Surrey Inter, Sign up for Destinations Detours and Dreams monthly e-newsletter, Alive With Flora, Fauna, and Fun at a Winnipeg Nature Preserve, Anita and Richard @ No Particular Place To Go, Canadian Prairie Summer Road Trip Photo Story, Why I Love Wandering In Downtown Victoria, British Columbia, Bannock Point: Petroforms In A Manitoba Provincial Park, ARTiculate Our Rights: Outdoor Art Exhibition At The Forks In Winnipeg, Canada, Splendid Sculptures in a Pretty Park in a Southern Manitoba Town, Bijou Patio in Winnipeg, Canada: Open Air Dining And Drinking In An Historic District. It was a cool tour. [39] Capone's grandniece also confirmed he had been in Moose Jaw before his 1931 conviction for tax evasion. Tours can be booked on-site or in advance online or via phone or fax. It has two stations, North Hill Fire Station (Headquarters) and South Hill Fire Station. Other attractions in and around Moose Jaw include the Western Development Museum, Sukanen Ship Museum, Saskatchewan Burrowing Owl Interpretative Centre, and the Temple Mineral Spa built around mineral springs. First were Chinese immigrants. Offer available only in the U.S. (including Puerto Rico). They were abandoned, later used by Chinese wanting to avoid the head tax and discrimination. The Missouri Coteau sheltered the valley and gave it warm breezes. In 1917 a group of local residents banded together to purchase enough automobile parts to build 25 cars. The weekend after Canada Day, the free three-day Sidewalk Days Festival draws tens of thousands to Main Street. [36], The Sukanen Ship Pioneer Village and Museum is south of Moose Jaw on Sk Hwy 2. History of Moose Jaw captured in photographs and stories on walls in the lobby. Queen Elizabeth II first visited in 1959, and has come to the city a few times since. I wonder if the tours have changed at all over the years. [32] The rural governing body around Moose Jaw is Moose Jaw No. That changed on my most recent prairie road trip when I took time to go into the city and take one of the tours offered by the Tunnels of Moose Jaw. Like us on Facebook to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. Provincially the city is represented by two MLA and federally by one MP. When Prohibition hit in the 1920s, the tunnels had a new purpose. Are there tours there as well? The water supply there was significant for steam locomotives. In addition to the railway presence, agriculture was a key part of the city’s economy. Some minor exceptions apply in the winter months. [30] The juncture of Moose Jaw and Thunder Creek produced the best source of water for steam engines, and Moose Jaw became the CPR divisional point. Every weekday we compile our most wondrous stories and deliver them straight to you. Markets and Shopping The tunnels were also used for gambling and prostitution, all without interference from the corrupt police. Moose Jaw Municipal Airport is 7 nautical miles (13 km; 8.1 mi) east-northeast of Moose Jaw. But I will show a few photos of Moose Jaw’s Main Street, lined with many old buildings housing unique and funky shops and a variety of cafés and restaurants. This small system operates four routes from a downtown hub on weekdays between 7:15 am and 9:45 pm and on Saturdays from 7:15 am to 6:15 pm, with no Sunday or holiday service. [19] From 1881 to 1903 the community was represented by a Town Council and thereafter by City Council. Eventually, as boilers stopped being used, passageway entries were covered over. In this tour, you enter a speakeasy and prepare for the arrival of Al Capone. The Passage to Fortune tour has one short flight of stairs, which is also equipped with a lift. Well worth seeing! Buffalo Pound Provincial Park is on the south shore and can be accessed by Highway 202 and Highway 301. Is it also because they put a layer above the original town? There is no other city underground. Eventually there were even functioning speakeasies underneath the streets of Moose Jaw in addition Ever since, there have been rumors that Al Capone was involved in the bootlegging industry in Moose Jaw and even lived there briefly to avoid the feds, though only anecdotal evidence exists. Improved technology for harvest, transport and road construction have made the large inland terminals more viable economically. The tours are worth stopping for. Bootlegging, gambling and prostitution thrived in the city. Never miss a story, Architecture These tunnels we originally built in the 1800’s to allow the steam engineers to service the boilers in each building without the need to enter each building separately. Many retailers and grocery stores operate in Moose Jaw. I think I would have gone for the Chinese immigrant one as well. [40] In the 21st century, the city capitalized on this notoriety to restore the tunnel network into the Tunnels of Moose Jaw, a tourist attraction that opened in June 2000.[41]. Consider supporting our work by becoming a member for as little as $5 a month. The Moose Jaw Police Service provide policing with 54 sworn members for the city and hold both municipal and provincial jurisdiction, in partnership with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. I will remember that should I be in that area. Even though we were underground, spaces were large enough not to cause me any issues. They were originally built as an underground steam system that was abandoned. Moose Jaw is the fourth largest city in Saskatchewan, Canada. Our tour group became Chinese immigrants and travelled through Burrows and Sons Laundry and the kitchen of Mr. Wong’s Café, as we learned the history of Chinese immigrants.