Moose Jaw Times-Herald: Getting ready to unveil the PRISM Awards

The PRISM Awards are displayed on a table prior
 to being presented to the seven winners at the
Business Women of Moose Jaw's second annual
Sparkle and Shine event at Saskatchewan
Polytechnic on March 7, 2015.
Lisa Goudy/Times-Herald

By Lisa Goudy

The Business Women of Moose Jaw will unveil the PRISM Awards on Jan. 15 at Grant Hall Hotel.

“We’re unveiling the awards that we’re giving,” said Crystal Zakaluzny with the Business Women of Moose Jaw. “It’s just a small little gala event of 65 people.”

The event, set to run from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., will also kick off nominations for the third annual upcoming awards night set for March 5 at Saskatchewan Polytechnic in Moose Jaw. The awards are designed by Saskatchewan jewelry designer Hillberg and Berk.

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Moose Jaw Times-Herald: Fulfilling fitness New Year's resolutions

Moose Jaw YMCA, YaraCentre see spike in users in January

By Lisa Goudy

In the 14 years that Jeff Fox has been with the YMCA, right after New Year's there has always been a membership surge.

"The month of January and April are busiest, and January is our busiest," said the YMCA's CEO. "Sales are up. The conditioning centres are busier."

With people determined to lose a few pounds for their New Year's resolution and trying to lose weight after indulging in Christmas feasts and drink, it drives more people to the gym.

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Moose Jaw Times-Herald: From birds to humans: Health Canada gives canary seed human food approval

Sask. is world's top exporter of crop

By Lisa Goudy

After more than two decades and expenditures more than $2 million, Health Canada has given canary seed novel food approval for human consumption.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has also given canary seed Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status.

Canary seed, as seen here, is now approved for human food.
Photo courtesy Canaryseed Development Commission of Saskatchewan (CDCS) website

"This is the first cereal grain to ever receive novel food approval in Canada," said Kevin Hursh, executive director of the Canaryseed Development Commission of Saskatchewan (CDCS).

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Moose Jaw Times-Herald: City and transit operators reach a deal

Council ratifies agreement between city and Unifor Transit Union

By Lisa Goudy

City transit operators are getting a 5.75 per cent wage increase over three years.

Al Bromley, director of human resources, talks
about the city's agreement with Unifor Transit
Union at the Jan. 11, 2016 council meeting.
Lisa Goudy/Times-Herald

At Monday's council meeting, councillors approved the collective agreement between the City of Moose Jaw and Unifor, Local 101, Lodge 2014 Unit No. 4187, which represents transit operators. The wage settlement is two per cent on Jan. 1, 2015, two per cent on Jan. 1, 2016 and 1.75 per cent on Jan. 1, 2017. It is also retroactive to Jan. 1, 2015. The operators were working without an agreement in 2015.

"The membership of Unifor ratified the potential agreement, which we had reviewed with the personnel committee back in December," said Al Bromley, director of human resources.


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Moose Jaw Times-Herald: Council deliberates possibility of new industrial park

Potential investors interested in park between city limits and Wastewater Treatment Plant

Coun. Brian Swanson speaks about the motion regarding
 the initial request for a potential industrial park in the
 lands identified between the city limits and the Wastewater
Treatment Plant at the Jan. 11, 2016 council meeting.
Lisa Goudy/Times-Herald

By Lisa Goudy

A document added to Monday’s council meeting on Friday was the subject of more than 40 minutes of debate.

The motion came from a special in-camera executive committee meeting held on Friday. From that meeting, the committee approved the "initial request, including water and sewer servicing, as identified in the report delivered to council on Dec. 21, 2015 to develop an industrial park in the lands identified between the city limits and the Wastewater Treatment Plant with the source of funding being the Land Development Fund; and further that no infrastructure expenditure be incurred until an anchor tenant has secured an approved agreement for sale."

"I think this motion fails to clearly outline what is happening here and any motion by elected officials in open council, you should at least be able to identify, 'What does that motion do?' and 'How much will it cost?'" said Coun. Brian Swanson.

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Moose Jaw Times-Herald: Coming home

Angie Abdou of Moose Jaw announced as first guest for 20th annual Festival of Words

Author Angie Abdou of Moose Jaw
will be coming home for the 20th
annual Saskatchewan Festival
of Words in July 2016.
Submitted photo

By Lisa Goudy

Author Angie Abdou remembers the first time she attended the Saskatchewan Festival of Words as an audience member.

"I was born and raised in Moose Jaw, so by then I would've been in graduate school at Western and I always say that Gary Hyland is credited with making my hometown cool," said Abdou. "To be able to come home every summer and go to a literary festival like that with all of my literary heroes was amazing."  

Since then, she has attended as a guest four or five times. Now she's set to make another appearance at the 20th annual festival set for July 14-17.

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Moose Jaw Times-Herald: Expressing gender identity through bowling

Moose Jaw Pride to host Gender Blender Bowling the first Saturday of each month

 Lise Stevens prepares to bowl at Moose Jaw
Pride’s Gender Blender Bowling at the South
Hill Bowling Centre on Jan. 9, 2016.
Lisa Goudy/Times-Herald 

By Lisa Goudy

From eccentric costumes to to glow-in-the-dark outfits, there were a lot of laughs at the South Hill Bowling Centre Saturday night.

It was the third time that Moose Jaw Pride hosted a Gender Blender Bowling event.

"Gender Blender Bowling is an event we do every so often. We're going to start doing it more regularly now," said Falon Dennison, member at large with Moose Jaw Pride.

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Moose Jaw Times-Herald: Paying tribute to the Van de Vorst family

Kolby Miller, 10, waves around a bunch of
glow sticks in Wakamow Valley on Jan. 9, 2016.
He was one of the people who came out to pay
tribute to the Van de Vorst family by hanging
glow sticks on trees and on the side of the road.
Lisa Goudy/Times-Herald

By Lisa Goudy

In the chilly early evening on Saturday, Michael Kuntz hung a glow stick on a tree in Wakamow Valley.

He was one of a handful of people who came out to adorn Wakamow Valley with glow sticks in memory of the Van de Vorst family in Saskatoon who were killed in a weekend highway crash on Jan. 3 by an alleged drunk driver. It was part of a province-wide tribute to honour Jordan and Chanda Van de Vorst, their two-year-old son Miguire and five-year-old daughter Kamryn.

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Moose Jaw Times-Herald: Learning about Internet child exploitation

Lindale School Community Council putting on event featuring Const. Peter Froh

By Lisa Goudy

On Wednesday, members of the public are invited to learn more about the dangers of online predators.

The Lindale School Community Council (SCC) is putting on an event at the school at 6:30 p.m. featuring RCMP Const. Peter Froh of the Saskatchewan Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) Unit. It will take place at Lindale Elementary School, 1322 11^th Ave. N.W. The session is free and open to everyone of all ages.

"He has many years of experience and expertise in relation to the Internet and some of the dangers. He'll be speaking about online predators, social media use and potential risks on the Internet," said Darcy Pryor, vice-chair of the SCC.

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Moose Jaw Times-Herald: Demystifying Islam

Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at Holy Qur'an open house sees a good turnout

Munib Waqas Ahmad (left), member of Ahmadiyya
Muslim Jama'at Moose Jaw, and Khalid Minhas,
member of Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at Saskatoon,
speak at the Jan. 9, 2016 Holy Qur'an Open House
to Demystify Islam at the Moose Jaw Public Library.
Lisa Goudy/Times-Herald

By Lisa Goudy

In the Herb Taylor Room of the Moose Jaw Public Library, members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at Canada were poised to answer questions.

Ranging from topics including how the actions of ISIS and other terrorist groups have affected local Muslims, the role of women in Islam and the afterlife, the full room of people asked a multitude of questions during the Holy Qur'an Open House to Demystify Islam on Saturday afternoon.

"It's amazing. It's a very overwhelming response that we've received from the public," said Munib Waqas Ahmad, representative of the Moose Jaw chapter of Ahmadiyaa Muslim Jama'at.

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Moose Jaw Times-Herald: The 'trickledown effect' of the low loonie

Moose Jaw chamber CEO says creativity is needed is these economic circumstances

Rona will be opening a location in Moose Jaw in spring 2016.
Lisa Goudy/Times-Herald

By Lisa Goudy

With the loonie in rough shape, Moose Jaw and District Chamber of Commerce CEO Rob Clark believes novelty is key.

"Everybody has to watch what they're spending and what they're doing and be somewhat innovative and creative in their business and personalize," he said. "Patience is key. Ride it out the best you can."

According to the Canadian Press, as of Thursday, the Canadian dollar closed at its lowest point against the U.S. greenback since July 2003.

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Moose Jaw Times-Herald: Another record year for 'I Bought Lunch'

Hunger in Moose Jaw campaign for child nutrition program releases final tally

By Lisa Goudy

Jennie Wilson was left almost without words when she counted up the final tally from the 2015 I Bought Lunch campaign.

The campaign that wrapped up in December raised $66,832. The goal was to raise $50,000 in 50 days.

"It's kind of incredible really," said Wilson, campaign co-ordinator for Hunger in Moose Jaw. "For the second year in a row, we are over $65,000."

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Moose Jaw Times-Herald: Lisa's Corner: #WheresRey part of a continuing problem

By Lisa Goudy

The quest for Rey's token in the most recent 'Star Wars' monopoly game is a journey that never should've happened.

Hasbro released a new 'Star Wars' monopoly set featuring four playable characters - Luke Skywalker, Finn, Darth Vader and Kylo Ren. There is no sign of Rey. For those of you who haven't seen 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens,' (and as I detest spoilers, I will keep this column spoiler-free), Rey is one of the main protagonists of the 'Star Wars' sequel trilogy, played by Daisy Ridley.

Now Disney did a spectacular job of keeping everything leading up to the film's release spoiler-free - which is why Hasbro states Rey was not included in the set - but to exclude one of the main characters is like having an original 'Star Wars' trilogy set that didn't include Luke or having a 'Harry Potter' set without Harry. It doesn't make sense.

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Moose Jaw Times-Herald: Man charged with B&E, assault and uttering a death threat

By Lisa Goudy

A 27-year-old man has a number of charges stemming from a break-and enter-police call on Wednesday night.

At 9:18 p.m., there was a break and enter on the 1100 block of Third Avenue Northeast. Suspect Justin Peter James Donnell made his first court appearance in Moose Jaw Provincial Court on Wednesday morning.

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Moose Jaw Times-Herald: Fewer permits in 2015 over 2014

City issued fewer permits with a lower value in 2015 compared to 2014

By Lisa Goudy

In 2015, the City of Moose Jaw issued 41 fewer permits than in 2014 with a 2015 value of $78.25 million less than 2014.

From Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, the city issued 290 permits valued at $53.26 million. In the same time period in 2014, the city issued 331 permits valued at $131.51 million.

Also in 2015, the city issued 28 fewer permits for new dwellings with a value of $6.39 million lower than in 2014.

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Moose Jaw Times-Herald: Inviting the community to Demystify Islam

Ahmadiyya Muslim community holding Holy Quran open house on Saturday

Munib Waqas Ahmad, member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim
Jama'at Moose Jaw, stands in the Moose Jaw Public Library.
On Jan. 9, 2016  at the library, there will be a Holy Quran
open house to Demystify Islam from noon to 4 p.m.
Lisa Goudy/Times-Herald

By Lisa Goudy

Munib Waqas Ahmad wants everyone to "stand up against terrorism" and a big part of that is education.

"That's a common cause between other religions and Islam because no religion promotes violence," he said. "So we should all join hands and stand up to these terrorists."

On Saturday, from noon to 4 p.m., there will be a Holy Quran Open House to Demystify Islam at the Moose Jaw Public Library as part of a national campaign put on by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association.

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Moose Jaw Times-Herald: Adding to the police force

Two new constables sworn in with the Moose Jaw Police Service

(From left): Const. Adam Strube, Police Chief Rick Bourassa
 and Const. Branden Hoggins pose at the swearing in ceremony
in the Moose Jaw Police Service classroom on Jan. 4, 2016.
Lisa Goudy/Times-Herald

By Lisa Goudy

The first application to a police service that Branden Hoggins submitted was for the Moose Jaw Police Service (MJPS) a few years ago.

When he saw the new opening come up in mid-2015, he applied again. This time, however, he was successful. On Monday, he was one of two new police officers sworn in with the MJPS. Hoggins and Adam Strube are now constables with the MJPS.


"It's a little bit surreal, I think. It's been a long time coming," said Hoggins.

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Moose Jaw Times-Herald: Grease fire displaces family

By Lisa Goudy

Over the weekend, a fire caused between $10,000 and $20,000 to a home on the 1000 block of Prince Charles Place.

"It was a grease fire on the stove. It started during cooking supper," said Rod Klippenstein, fire prevention officer with the Moose Jaw Fire Department.

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Moose Jaw Times-Herald: Year in Review: A year of cast iron water mains

A close-up portion of a cast iron water
main in the City of Moose Jaw is pictured on
Jan. 10, 2015 in city hall following a water
main break by Casino Moose Jaw.
Lisa Goudy/Times-Herald

By Lisa Goudy

For the first time in recent history, the City of Moose Jaw has initiated a multi-year cast iron water main replacement program.

The purpose of the program is to "improve and rebuild" the city's infrastructure, said Mayor Deb Higgins.

"It is the largest infrastructure program that the City of Moose Jaw has ever undertaken when you look at the size and scale and scope of it," said Higgins, "but it's something long past due and people realize that it is long past due and it's time that we got at it."

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