Moose Jaw

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.

• Tourism Moose Jaw, 450 Diefenbaker Drive, ☎ [phone]. M-Sa 10AM-4PM. (updated Jan 2018)

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.
• McEwen Airport

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

Greyhound Canada Greyhound Canada terminated all services in Western Canada and Northern Ontario effective October 31, 2018.

• Rider Express, toll-free: [phone]. 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). (updated Oct 2018)

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. (updated Jan 2018)

See

• CFB 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.
• Mac the Moose On the Trans-Canada Highway, Mac is a 10-metre tall cement moose right next to the visitor information centre.
• Saskatchewan Burrowing Owl Interpretive Centre (SBOIC), 250 Thatcher Drive East, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. An educational facility dedicated to the conservation of Burrowing Owls and their prairie home. (updated Jan 2018)
• 🌍 Sukanen Ship Pioneer Village & Museum (13 km (8 miles) south of Moose Jaw on Highway #2), ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. 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. (updated Jan 2018)
• Western Development Museum, 50 Diefenbaker Dr., ☎ [phone]. 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. (updated Jan 2018)

Do

• Tunnels of Moose Jaw, 18 Main Street North, ☎ [phone]. 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. 
• 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

• Town ‘n’ Country Mall, 1235 Main St N. M Tu 9:30AM-6PM, W-F 9:30AM-9PM, Su noon-5PM. Includes Galaxy Cinemas. (updated Jan 2018)

Eat

• Déjà Vu Café, 23 High St E, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. M-Th 11AM-9PM, F Sa 11AM-10PM, Su noon-9PM. More than 70 flavours of chicken wings. 50 flavours of milkshakes. 
• Hopkins Dining Parlour, 65 Athabasca St. West, ☎ [phone], toll-free: [phone], fax: [phone]. 
• Yesteryear’s Ukrainian Borscht, 34 River St E, ☎ [phone]. M-Sa 11:30AM-5PM. Elsie, the owner and delightful hostess, welcomes everyone for live music and authentic, heart warming and delicious food. Available for small bookings and evening parties. 

Sleep

• Temple Gardens Mineral Spa Resort Hotel, 24 Fairford St. E, ☎ [phone], toll-free: [phone]. 
• Prairie Oasis Tourist Complex, Hwy #1 & Thatcher Dr. E., ☎ [phone], toll-free: [phone], fax: [phone]. 

Go next

Routes through Moose Jaw

Calgary ← Swift Current ← Caronport ←	W  E	→ Regina → Winnipeg
Glasgow ← becomes ← ← Assiniboia ←	S  N	→ Jct N S → Watrous → Prince Albert
END ←	NW  SE	→ Weyburn → Estevan