Moose Jaw Times-Herald: Mayor sheds thoughts on recycling depots

Mayor Deb Higgins is seen at the Nov.
24, 2014 executive committee meeting.
Times-Herald photo by Lisa Goudy

By Lisa Goudy

Mayor Deb Higgins is convinced the city will need a larger recycling depot than the one on South Hill.

          

“I still believe that, in the long-term, even if we move to curbside recycling, that we are still going to need a larger depot for businesses or small businesses and the circumstance where residents have larger amounts of recycling that they need to get rid of,” she said.

“There’s still a commitment to recycling. That’s the question that I’ve got over the last couple of days is whether city council is shifting it’s priorities, but I don’t believe that to be the case. We still have a goal to have curbside recycling in place in the City of Moose Jaw.”

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Moose Jaw Times-Herald: Time to give on Tuesday

By Lisa Goudy

Everyone knows of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but on Giving Tuesday, people can give instead of take.


“Giving Tuesday is actually a national or international day where charities can register to be part of charity of choice on Giving Tuesday,” said Corinne Damaskie, manager of Strong Kids Campaign and School Age Services at the YMCA of Moose Jaw. “Following Black Friday and Cyber Monday, they’re trying to benefit the economy and giving people a reason to give to charity in that giving season.”

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Moose Jaw Times-Herald: A seasonal winter is coming

Three kids dance outside at the Santa
Claus Parade on Nov. 23, 2014.
Times-Herald photo by Lisa Goudy

By Lisa Goudy

The Weather Network isn’t expecting this winter to be as cold as last year.


“Last winter was one of the harshest winters we have seen in a long time in the area. In fact, last winter was about four to five degrees below seasonal across many parts of the country, but especially across Saskatchewan and Manitoba,” said Elena Lappo, meteorologist with The Weather Network.

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Moose Jaw Times-Herald: No more north side recycling

Executive decides to discontinue bins on former Sobey’s parking lot

The bulk recycling bins currently located on the
former Sobey's parking lot will be discontinued as
of Dec. 31, 2014 pending final council approval.
Times-Herald photo by Lisa Goudy

By Lisa Goudy

Pending final council approval, as of Dec. 31, residents will have to go to South Hill to use city bulk bins for recycling.

At Monday’s meeting, executive committee decided to discontinue the use of the north side bulk recycling bins currently located on the former Sobey’s parking lot.

As per an agreement with the Sobey’s parent corporation, the bins need to be moved from their current site prior to Dec. 31, 2014. Originally, the agreement was for the city to move the bins by June 30, but Sobey’s agreed to extend that to Dec. 31 upon request.

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Moose Jaw Times-Herald: Safety first for ice fishing

Know the rules before heading out onto the ice to fish

By Lisa Goudy

Before going ice fishing, it’s important to know the rules and be sure that it’s safe.


“Right now the ice is around six inches thick at Buffalo Pound,” said Darrell Crabbe, executive director of the Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation. “So there’s people already out ice fishing and have been for a couple of weeks now, but I think the rule of thumb is most people don’t try it until there’s at least a foot of ice.”

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Moose Jaw Times-Herald: A Christmas greeting from Santa

Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus wave to the crowd during
the 2014 Santa Claus Parade on Nov. 23, 2014.
Times-Herald photo by Lisa Goudy

By Lisa Goudy

Santa Claus has a secret that not many people know.


“There’s hardly anybody in the Moose Jaw/Regina area that’s on the naughty list and I find that quite remarkable,” said Santa. “That tells me that Moose Jaw and the surrounding areas must be a wonderful place to live.

"Before I left I checked. I was paging through the naughty list and it can be extensive. It’s a worldwide list and I could hardly find anybody in this area who is on that list.”

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Moose Jaw Times-Herald: Christmas arrives one month early

Santa Claus Parade draws large crowd of eager onlookers

Olaf from Frozen is featured on one of the floats
in the 2014 Santa Claus Parade on Nov. 23, 2014.
Times-Herald photo by Lisa Goudy

By Lisa Goudy

Jamie Horsnall has been coming to the Santa Claus Parade since she was a little girl.

Now, as a parent, it’s become a tradition to take her girls to the parade each year.

“It’s a good way to bring in the Christmas spirit. We enjoy it. We come every year,” said Jamie. “We really like the Lights On part. It’s my favourite part of the parade … It’s beautiful. I love it. I love the tree this year.”

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Moose Jaw Times-Herald: Embracing Christmas at Festival of Trees brunch

Guests grab some food at the Festival of
Trees brunch and Christmas service on
Nov. 23, 2014 at the Heritage Inn.
Times-Herald photo by Lisa Goudy

By Lisa Goudy

As Josh Carley played a medley of Christmas tunes on the piano in the background, it truly felt like Christmas.

With elaborately decorated trees lining the walls, guests at the Heritage Inn enjoyed their meal as part of the Festival of Trees family brunch and Christmas service on Sunday.

“It’s just a wonderful Christmas tradition and it’s a way for the community to come out and have a wonderful brunch,” said Kelly McElree, executive director of the Moose Jaw Health Foundation (MJHF).

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Moose Jaw Times-Herald: Romance, class and big hearts at Festival of Trees

(From left): Michelle Gulutzan, Darlene Guy, Gayle
Zimmerman, Randonn Swan, Courtney Mihalicz
and Jenny Gadd stand by their trees decorated by
 SaskWater, themed Kiss from a Rose, at the 2014
Festival of Trees on Nov. 22, 2014 at the Heritage Inn.
Times-Herald photo by Lisa Goudy

By Lisa Goudy

There are a million ways to be romantic and this year’s Festival of Trees showcased most of them.

“The thought, the creativity and the dedication that people consistently, year after year, come back to the festival and put their heart and soul into their displays … they never fail to surprise me with what they come up with based on the theme that we have,” said Laurie Kosior, organizer of the event.

“It just goes to show how dedicated people are to the health foundation and equipping the new hospital and how much they just love to get involved.”

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Moose Jaw Times-Herald: Calling to Santa through shortwave

Kids chat with Santa on the North Pole and go secret shopping

One of the elves helps three-year-old
Kapri Brumwell talk with Santa via
shortwave at the Western Development
Museum's Shortwave to Santa and Kids
Secret Shopping events on Nov. 22, 2014.
Times-Herald photo by Lisa Goudy

By Lisa Goudy

Dressed in a shirt from Frozen and braids in her hair like the character Anna, Kapri Brumwell, 3, was beaming from ear to ear.


“I talked to Santa,” she said proudly, following her sit down to radio with and speak to Santa Claus on a television at the North Pole on Saturday at the Western Development Museum (WDM) via shortwave.

“I talked about the Rocking Mally Horse.”
That was one of her requests for Christmas. She also said she wanted a Barbie whistle horse.

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Moose Jaw Times-Herald: A breakfast to remember

Angie Smith gets ready to grab some breakfast
with her daughters during the Breakfast with
Mrs. Claus event at the Moose Jaw Western
Development Museum on Nov. 22, 2014.
Times-Herald photo by Lisa Goudy

By Lisa Goudy

Seven-year-old Sidney Smith was all smiles as she ate her pancakes and sausage and drank her orange juice.

After all, it’s not every day anyone gets a chance to enjoy breakfast with Mrs. Claus.

“I think it’s good,” she said. “I like the decorations.”

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Moose Jaw Times-Herald: Santa Claus is coming to town in parade

By Lisa Goudy

Scott Bradford can name many reasons why everyone should check out Sunday’s Santa Claus Parade.


“I would say it’s definitely a great experience. The weather’s supposed to be great, which makes it even better. There are lots of different things and lights,” he said. 

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Moose Jaw Times-Herald: A festive festival for the season

By Lisa Goudy

If anyone thinks Briercrest isn’t a great place to experience the arts, think again.


Briercrest College and Seminary’s annual Christmas festival at the Hildebrand Chapel in Caronport is set to run from Nov. 28 to Nov. 30 featuring a dramatic musical, a Christmas market and a turkey dinner.

“It’s a great way to show off just what Saskatchewan’s capable of,” said Viktor Karklins, marketing co-ordinator at Briercrest.

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Moose Jaw Times-Herald: Rundown of city finances in third quarter

Matt Noble, city manager, looks on as Brian Acker,
director of financial services, delivers his department's
third quarter report at the Nov. 17, 2014 council meeting.
Times-Herald photo by Lisa Goudy

By Lisa Goudy

Thanks to a one-year natural gas supply tender, the City of Moose Jaw saved $40,000 over the current supplier cost.

Further to that, there is a new firewall in production for increased security. It allows for Internet connections though SaskTel and Shaw in city hall to be used in a “redundant, failover capacity,” according to the third quarter report for financial services.

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Moose Jaw Times-Herald: Frank Mills and the music of his life

By Lisa Goudy

Frank Mills had no idea his song, Music Box Dancer, would become such a mega worldwide hit.

“I had recorded many songs by then and I guess if I were going to pick one, I would’ve picked anything but that,’ he said with a laugh. “But on the other hand, when I look back on it, I can see why. It’s very happy and it makes kids dance. They hop around to it. They love it and I guess it makes older people feel happy too.”

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Moose Jaw Times-Herald: Lisa's Corner: Making a better history

By Lisa Goudy

Two hundred and thirty one years ago, the first successful flight with human passengers was made in a hot air balloon.

The pilots were Joseph-Michel and Jacques-Etienne Montgolfier, also called the Montgolfier brothers. Nov. 21, 1793 marked the first untethered flight of an air balloon, taking place in a Montgolfier balloon with Pilatre de Rozier and Francois Laurent, marquis d’Arlandes, as passengers. The balloon flew over Paris for nine kilometers in about 25 minutes.

Today, in this world, it’s not uncommon every once in a while to spot a hot air balloon sailing over the skies, with people in it. All of that developed from a single flight 231 years ago.

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Moose Jaw Times-Herald: Infrastructure expenses adding up

Council ponders over a report at
Monday's meeting at city hall.
Times-Herald photo by Lisa Goudy

By Lisa Goudy


There are a lot of costs that are up in the City of Moose Jaw.

As indicated in the third quarter 2014 revenue and expenditure report summary from Jan. 1 to Sept. 30, presented to council at Monday’s meeting, waterworks distribution costs are up $977,000 higher than they were in 2013 on distribution main repairs. Costs are up $565,000 on house connections for the third quarter of 2014 compared to 2013.

“It certainly shows you the major stresses that we have within that utility in terms of our infrastructure,” said Brian Acker, director of financial services.

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Moose Jaw Times-Herald: A covenant for the children

Seven children helped present the Moose
Jaw South Central Children's Covenant
at the Nov. 17, 2014 council meeting.
Times-Herald photo by Lisa Goudy

By Lisa Goudy

A young girl walked across the main floor of council chambers carrying two signs.

Flashing them first to councillors and then to the public, the first one read, “All children should have healthy food, safe water and clean air” and the second one read, “All children should be housed in dwellings that reflect the normal standard of our community.”

Six young boys and girls came out, one at a time, each holding one or two signs. Combined, there were 10 signs, depicting the Moose Jaw South Central Children’s Covenant.

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Moose Jaw Times-Herald: A growing and healthy trend

Melanie Warken, public health nutritionist with the
Five Hills Health Region and chair of the South Central
Food Security Network (SCFSN) addresses council at
the Nov. 17, 2014 meeting regarding a permanent
indoor/outdoor year-round farmers' market as Keri
Fox (left), owner of Green Sisters Gardens and
member of the SCFSN, and Jennie Wilson, Yara
Community Gardens co-ordinator stand by.
Times-Herald photo by Lisa Goudy

By Lisa Goudy

Jennie Wilson, Melanie Warken and Keri Fox imagine having a permanent year-round farmers’ market in Moose Jaw.


It is a dream shared by many others, as indicated in the Vision 2020 local food production forum this fall, hosted by the South Central Food Security Network (SCFSN). Now, as of Monday, that possibility will be further examined by the economic development commission.

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Moose Jaw Times-Herald: Enforcement planned for snow signs

Duane Grado, public works manager, listens to a councillor's 

question at the Nov. 18, 2014 council meeting. 

Times-Herald photo by Lisa Goudy

By Lisa Goudy


Vehicles parked on streets marked with a snow sign after a major snowfall could be towed.

“Yes, we will be towing them. We thought we’d bring it to the public’s attention gradually and we will be enforcing it,” said Duane Grado, public works manager. “We haven’t alluded to that one real strong, but we will be.”

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