The 126 edition of the Moosejaw Hometown Fair is here. The Moose Jaw Agricultural Society was formed in the summer of 1884. Tonight is parade night. I will be there in our 620 CKRM COUNTRY CRUISER.
I look forward to this event. Moosejaw has been very kind to me during my career here at 620 CKRM. In fact, I had the good fortune of being the Honorary Parade Marshall during the Mayor Scoop Lewry rein. I’ve always loved Moosejaw. It’s a character community rich in history. The Tunnels alone take you back to a time and place when Moosejaw was a prominent location for some interesting activity.
Over the years I’ve had the good fortune to be on hand to launch “Mack The Moose”. Our King Kountry band played the gala dance celebration after the official unveiling. The excitement around that event was covered all over Canada. It put Moosejaw on the map with an icon of sorts. Now travelers come from all over to have their photos taken with this monsterous statue. Mack has had some issues over the years. The statue has been defaced and damaged by some small minded individuals. But it remains standing today as reminder of Moosejaw’s storied history.
I had the most exhilerating experience of my life when I flew with the Snowbirds. I had to go through the basic ejecter training session at the base. What was different about this flight is that we did not fly the full team formation but in pairs and then broke off into individual flight over Old Wives Lake, to Regina for some speed brake manouvers, to Assiniboia and back to Moosejaw. I had never felt G-Forces until that ride. Thank goodness my pilot realized my level of physical ability to withstand the lower end of the G-Force scale. Mind you, it was enough to turn on the 100% oxygen switch to stop me from losing lunch. It was also an opportunity to take hold of the controls of a Tutor Jet and keep it straight and level (I thought). Easier said than done. In a Jet, you virtually just think the move, you don’t react like you would with a car. Speed multiplys the response to your action. When the horizon begns to spin, you’ve over compensated. “BURP”!!!!!!….breath deep Willy….breath!!!!!
I’ve spend many an on location in Moosejaw as well. Moosejaw is loaded with excellent businesses for shopping. The merchants are personable and those who come into the stores are treated like family. That’s the difference between small town Saskatchewan and major urban centers. It is family.
Moosejaw’s future looks very bright. The new Arena Recreation complex will give this community a huge boost in activity. They’re building for the future. The Spa draws attention from all over the world.
So, get your family together and head out to this year’s fair and enjoy summer. It’s a season that goes by far too quickly. Take advantage of it. See you at the fair!
