Moose Jaw is a city of about 34,000 people in Southern Saskatchewan. A popular tourist destination, it is about 45 minutes west of the provincial capital of Regina. During Prohibition (of alcohol) in the 1920s, its proximity to the US border and easy rail access made it a popular destination for alcohol-starved Americans.
Understand
Moose Jaw is an industrial centre and important railway junction for the area's agricultural produce. CFB Moose Jaw is a NATO flight training school, and is home to the Snowbirds, Canada's military aerobatic air show flight demonstration team. Moose Jaw also has a casino and geothermal spa.
Moose Jaw's winters are long, cold and dry, while its summers are short, but very warm and relatively wet. The coldest month is January, with a mean temperature of -12.3 °C, while the warmest is July, with a mean temperature of 19.3 °C. The driest month is February, in which an average of 11.1 mm of precipitation falls, while the wettest month is July, which brings an average of 63 mm. Annual average precipitation is 365 mm.
Get in
By plane
- Regina International Airport. The nearest commercial airport. It has four gates which handle flights to major centres in Canada via Air Canada and WestJet, as well as regular flights during the fall, winter and spring to Las Vegas, Phoenix and Orlando.
- 1 McEwen Airport (CFB Moose Jaw YMJ IATA) (7 km south of Moose Jaw). Operated as an air force base by the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and is home to RCAF Pilot training and 431 Squadron, the Snowbirds, which is the RCAF's air demonstration squadron. Prior authorization is required.
- 2 Moose Jaw Municipal Airport (13 km northeast of Moose Jaw). Civilian airport; no commercial service.
By car
- Moose Jaw is on the Trans-Canada Highway (Highway 1 in Saskatchewan) and is 45 minutes west of Regina.
- The city can also be accessed via Highway 2, which from the north links to Saskatoon and Prince Albert and to the south links with the US.
By bus
- Rider Express, toll-free: +1-833-583-3636. Bus service along the Trans-Canada Highway from Winnipeg to Vancouver, twice daily. Service from Medicine Hat, Swift Current, Regina, Whitewood, and Moosomin (Saskatchewan); Revelstoke, Salmon Arm, Kamloops, Hope, Abbotsford, and Vancouver (British Columbia); Calgary, Strathmore, Canmore, Lake Louise, and Banff (Alberta); and Brandon, and Winnipeg (Manitoba).
Get around
- City of Moose Jaw Transit Division. M-Sa during the day, and W-F evenings. Popular destinations: Route 1 - Mall, Superstore, Wal-Mart, Trailer Courts, Union Hospital, A.E. Peacock Collegiate; Route 2 – Saskatchewan Polytechnic, Sportsplex, Mall, Vanier Collegiate; Route 3 – Pioneer Lodge, Central Collegiate; Route 4 – South Hill Clinic, South Hill Mall, Extendicare, Riverview Collegiate $1.25 all ages.
See
- 1 CFB Moose Jaw (15 Wing Moose Jaw) (7 km south of Moose Jaw). The Canadian Forces Base is located south of the city and is home to the Snowbirds, a team of plane pilots who perform "aerobatics" flight demonstration. The base is home to an annual air show every July, headlined by the Snowbirds.
- 2 Mac the Moose (near the Trans-Canada Highway & Thatcher Drive). Mac is a 10-metre tall cement moose right next to the visitor information centre.
- 3 Saskatchewan Burrowing Owl Interpretive Centre (SBOIC), 250 Thatcher Drive E, ☏ +1 306-692-8710, sboic@sasktel.net. An educational facility dedicated to the conservation of Burrowing Owls and their prairie home.
- 4 Sukanen Ship Pioneer Village & Museum (13 km (8 miles) south of Moose Jaw on Highway #2), ☏ +1 306-693-7315, office@sukanenshipmuseum.ca. May-Sep: M-Sa 9AM-5PM, Su noon-6PM. Artifacts reflecting the rich and varied history of Saskatchewan. Tom Sukanen was a Finnish-born sailor, farmer and Canadian. He built a sea vessel to enable his permanent return to his homeland. Adults (+16) $8, Seniors (+60) $7, Students (with valid card) $7, Ages 6-15 years (accompanied by an adult) $5, Ages 5 and under free.
- 5 Western Development Museum, 50 Diefenbaker Drive, ☏ +1 306-693-5989. The keeper of Saskatchewan’s collective heritage. The Museum shares the province’s unique sense of place with all people for their understanding and enjoyment.
Do
- 1 Tunnels of Moose Jaw, 18 Main Street North, ☏ +1 306-693-5261. Two-hour tours through the underground tunnels. The Chicago Connection tour covers the Al Capone era and bootlegging in the 20s. The Passage to Fortune tour explains the Chinese immigrants and the head tax. Far from being simply a set of exhibits, the two tours are in fact interactive theatre productions where visitors interact with actors.
- Moose Jaw Trolley, ☏ May-Sept - Daily . Guests can take 1 hour long daytime, guided, city tour. The tours covers various aspects of the city – must see attractions, heritage buildings, murals, and notable people who have helped shape Moose Jaw. Daytime tours leave from either the Visitor Centre or the downtown location. Friday and Saturday nights feature Ghost Tours and Tales of Murder aboard the Trolley.
- Festivals: enjoy a host of arts and cultural festivals, such as the Festival of Words, Moose Jaw Band and Choral Festival, Music Festival, Motif, and the Moose Jaw Dance Festival.
Buy
- 1 Town ‘n’ Country Mall, 1235 Main St N. M Tu 9:30AM-6PM, W-F 9:30AM-9PM, Su noon-5PM. Includes Galaxy Cinemas.
Eat
- 1 Déjà Vu Café, 23 High Street E, ☏ +1 306-692-6066, dejavucafe@shaw.ca. M-Th 11AM-9PM, F Sa 11AM-10PM, Su noon-9PM. More than 70 flavours of chicken wings. 50 flavours of milkshakes.
- 2 Hopkins Dining Parlour, 65 Athabasca Street W, ☏ +1 306-692-5995, toll-free: +1-800-264-3488, fax: +1 306-692-8606.
Sleep
- 1 Temple Gardens Hotel & Spa, 24 Fairford Street E, ☏ +1 306-694-5055, toll-free: +1-800-718-7727, info@templegardens.sk.ca. Check-in: 4PM, check-out: 12PM. Temple Gardens Hotel & Spa features world-renowned geothermal mineral pools. The resort features 181 rooms, a spa, banquet facilities, a rooftop indoor/outdoor mineral pool, and is connected to Casino Moose Jaw.
- Prairie Oasis Tourist Complex, Hwy #1 & Thatcher Dr. E., ☏ +1 306-692-4894, toll-free: +1-800-854-8855, fax: +1 306-692-0041.
Connect
- 1 Tourism Moose Jaw, 450 Diefenbaker Drive (near the Trans-Canada Hwy & Thatcher Drive, next to Mac the Moose), ☏ +1 306-693-8097. M-Sa 10AM-4PM.
Nearby
Go next
Routes through Moose Jaw |
Medicine Hat ← Swift Current ← Caronport ← | W E | → Regina → Winnipeg |
Prince Albert ← Watrous ← Jct N S ← | N S | → Assiniboia → → becomes → Glasgow |
END ← | NW SE | → Weyburn → Estevan |