Moose Jaw TImes-Herald: Pride Week 2013: “Unexpected Neighbours, Unexpected Friends”

Focus is on integration of gay, lesbian and transgender people into the community


By Lisa Goudy

The theme of Pride Week 2013 in Moose Jaw is
Unexpected Neighbours, Unexpected Friends.
Times-Herald photo by Lisa Goudy

Coming out as gay, lesbian or transgender in Moose Jaw isn’t easy.

“I’ve never experienced violence, but you get strange looks, especially from parents with kids,” said Joe Wickenhauser, co-ordinator of Moose Jaw Pride Week this week. “I know there are some people who feel very comfortable walking down Main Street holding hands with their partner and others who are not comfortable.”

He said it’s “really difficult for gay people in Moose Jaw to come out.” The pride week events include a rainbow flag raising at 3 p.m. at the Moose Jaw Cultural Centre. That night two films will be screened. The Kids Are All Right will be at 6:30 p.m. and The Beginners will be at 8:30 p.m. Cost is $5 each or $7 for both. The films are rated 14+.

Wickenhauser said the events aren’t just for people who are gay, lesbian and transgender, but for everyone who supports gender and sexual diversity.

“We want to get the message out that we are part of the community. We’re neighbours and friends,” said Wickenhauser, adding the theme of pride week is Unexpected Neighbours, Unexpected Friends.

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Moose Jaw TImes-Herald: Picketing at Valley View Centre against group homes

Families show their opposition to having residents in private group homes


By Lisa Goudy

Gerard Landry stood with a sign reading “Valley View IS Luc’s Home” in front of Valley View Centre (VVC) on Saturday.

Families stood in green shirts picketing in front of VVC on Saturday morning in opposition to the VVC Transition Steering Committee’s recommendation of putting the residents into privately run group homes of no more than four residents per home. VVC is slated to close in 2015.

“It’s more effective than doing nothing,” said Landry of the protest. “To do nothing is not an option.”
At approximately 10:40 a.m. Const. Stan Koch of the Moose Jaw Police Service came to the scene. He informed protesters they are not allowed to picket on private property and arrived after receiving a call from VVC management.

“We’re not here to bust it up. We understand what it means,” said Koch. “But we have to keep the peace.”

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Moose Jaw Times-Herald: Let the fun begin at the Hometown Fair

The Fireball does a loop at the Hometown Fair at
the Moose Jaw Exhibition Grounds on Friday.
Times-Herald photo by Lisa Goudy

By Lisa Goudy

Screams and laugher filled the Moose Jaw Exhibition Grounds Friday afternoon.

With music playing, food cooking and rides rolling, the Hometown Fair kicked off on Friday. Kids and adults were all smiles after getting off a ride or taking part in games.

“It’s pretty swell,” said Tim Steele. “It looks pretty cool. It looks like there’s a lot of stuff to do.”

He said it was his first time at the fair and his first impressions were quite positive.

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For a Times-Herald slideshow of my images, go here.

Moose Jaw Times-Herald: Okotoks Dawgs hearing “heartbreaking” home flooding stories

Alberta baseball players concerned about what home will look like

Okotoks Dawgs catcher Jordan Procyshen, 20,
is from Okotoks and is pictured at Ross Wells
Park in Moose Jaw prior to Friday night's
game versus the Moose Jaw Miller Express.
Times-Herald photo by Lisa Goudy

By Lisa Goudy


Jordan Procyshen of Okotoks is worried about what he’ll go home to because of flooding.

“It’s just been absolutely tragic hearing about all the families that have been evacuated. I just got news that all of the homes that have been evacuated in Okotoks,” said the 20-year-old catcher with the Okotoks Dawgs baseball team. “It’s absolutely heartbreaking to see that happen to our town.”

Prior to the game at Ross Wells Park against the Moose Jaw Miller Express on Friday, Procyshen, who is in his second season with the Okotoks Dawgs, said the team has been on the road since Thursday. While they haven’t experienced the flooding firsthand, team members have been watching the news. He said he has been talking to his friends and family as well.

“We live up on the hill in Okotoks. So we’ve gotten lucky in that sense. I just called my grandma actually earlier (Friday) because she lives in Calgary. She lives close down to the river,” said Procyshen. 

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The same story and photos were picked up by the Leader-Post and ran in the June 22 edition. The online link to the story, Alberta flooding worries Okotoks players, is here.

Moose Jaw Times-Herald: Finalizing agreements for Civic Centre Plaza project

Opening date for retailers in the strip mall anticipated for July 2014

By Lisa Goudy

Construction of the Civic Centre Plaza project is likely to begin by September.

“It’s taken longer than I thought to get the servicing agreement done, but that happens. So no real major roadblocks,” said Bill Babey, project spokesman and vice-president of Colliers International in Regina. “We’re just finalizing the service agreement with the City of Moose Jaw and we’re going to be good to go.”

Right now he said workers are finishing backfilling the hole to ensure it “doesn’t sink when we’re done.” 

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Moose Jaw Times-Herald: Lisa's Corner: The science of the summer solstice

By Lisa Goudy


Happy first day of summer!

Wait just a second. June 21 has the longest hours of sunshine in the year and is the official first day of summer. Yet after some nasty weather this week it sure doesn’t feel like it. According to Environment Canada, there might be more rain heading our way this weekend.

If the Environment Canada and Weather Network weather forecasts are correct, it won’t be particularly hot today. On the plus side precipitation wasn’t forecasted either, but that doesn’t mean it won’t rain.

In my opinion, speaking to this week so far, the first day of summer weather was on Tuesday. With the sun shining and temperatures soaring close to 30 C, it felt like a typical summer day in Moose Jaw and Saskatchewan. That’s the kind of heat I live for.

But the summer solstice is not to be confused with the first day of summer weather. The summer solstice is actually based in science.

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Space.com’s article: “Summer Solstice Marks Changing Seasons on Earth Friday”

Moose Jaw Times-Herald: Rain might not be over yet

Strong winds cause fallen trees and power outages in storm

By Lisa Goudy


With one storm system gone, another one might be on its way this weekend.

“The worst is behind us for this storm system,” said Environment Canada warning preparedness meteorologist John Paul Cragg on Thursday morning. “There is the potential for something else to come in over the weekend … There’s an area of precipitation that could have some thunderstorms in it moving up into the province and it looks like Moose Jaw’s right at the edge of the precipitation.”

He said no precipitation is expected for Friday, but it will likely be pretty cloudy. On Saturday and Sunday there is a forecasted 60 per cent chance of rain.

“If the area of precipitation moves just a little bit further west, Moose Jaw could be in for some stronger stuff and some more thunderstorms,” said Cragg. “But the good news is, it looks like Monday through Wednesday beginning next week, looks warmer and sunnier.”

The storm system that came through Moose Jaw early Thursday morning, which had thunder, lightning and strong winds, produced 16.3 millimeters (mm) of rain at the Environment Canada weather station. Cragg added “locally it could be quite a bit more.”

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