Carnie's Comments

 

I've lived and worked in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan for most of my life. It has been a good life.

However, there was a time when I wondered how long I'd be here.

It was late summer, 1987. I was driving down Main Street on my way to the radio station for another day of work. It was a Sunday morning around 8:30. Mine was the only car on the road. I stopped at a red light. The only thing that passed in front of me in those 30 seconds was a tumbling tumbleweed. I'll never forget that moment.

Things could only get better, right? Well, they have.

Moose Jaw has capitalized on tourism. People from around the world come here to tour the Tunnels of Moose Jaw and to stay at our Temple Gardens Hotel & Spa as well as the historic Grant Hall Hotel.

We opened a world-class events centre in 2011. The facility includes a 4500-seat arena with an attached curling rink.  Since then, we've hosted two Scotties Tournaments of Hearts and the Canadian Wheelchair Curling Championship.

We're now capitalizing on the success of those events. Moose Jaw won the bid to host the BKT Tires World Men's Curling Championship in 2025. Tickets go on sale next week.

It strikes me that, in 1987, we couldn't keep up. Here we are in 2024 and Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan is leading the way.