March 8 is International Women’s Day. While there are countless women who have left their mark on Canadian history — such as Viola Desmond, Pauline Johnson, Agnes Macphail, and Nellie McClung — we wanted to highlight some of Moose Jaw’ incredible women of the past and present. These women have demonstrated tenacity, artistry, and leadership. They have forged their own paths and have left their mark on Moose Jaw.
Phyllis Dewar
Phyllis Dewar was Moose Jaw’s first major athlete. She began her career by joining Moose Jaw’s Aquatic Club and taking to the waters at Plaxton Lake in Wakamow Valley. She held every free-style swimming title in the province by 1933. The following year, she entered the Dominion swim competition in Winnipeg and placed first in the Canadian 100-yard free-style.
Later, at the trials in Hamilton, Ontario she earned a spot to represent Canada at the 1934 British Empire Games at Wembley. She ended up winning gold in both the 100 and 440-yard events, setting new records in the process.
She returned to a hero’s welcome, as thousands of Moose Javians came out to celebrate her accomplishments. Dewar truly put Moose Jaw on the map athletically.
Her name still adorns the outdoor pool.
Leith Knight
Much of Moose Jaw’s early history might have been lost if not for Leith Knight. Leith worked tirelessly to help develop the public library archives, which were the first of its kind in the province. Leith was constantly researching and writing about Moose Jaw’s history. Beginning in 1969, Leith wrote a regular column (“Historically Speaking”) in the Moose Jaw Times-Herald about the city’s past. These articles proved to be among the most popular in the newspaper. In 1982 she compiled these articles into a book known as All the Moose, All the Jaw.
In addition to her work promoting and preserving the Moose Jaw’s past, Leith loved nature and was an avid bird watcher. In 1967 she published a book titled Birds of the Moose Jaw Area. Leith was an accomplished musician and played the organ at Minto United Church for many years. She also played at St. John’s and provided relief at several other churches. Leith also rang church bells and had the opportunity to do so when Queen Elizabeth II visited the city in 1978.
Leith and her husband, Cy, received the Moose Jaw Honours Award in 2010.
Yvette Moore
Yvette Moore is one of Moose Jaw’s most well-known residents. She first gained attention with the release of the book, A Prairie Alphabet. It was written by Jo Bannatyne-Cugnet and illustrated by Yvette. It went on to become a best seller and is still beloved to this day. Together, they pair released two other books, which have sold approximately half a million copies combined.
Yvette has become a fixture of the downtown core, having renovated the former Land Titles building and turning it into her popular gallery, which greets countless visitors each year. In addition to showcasing her own artwork, the Yvette Moore Gallery also features other local and Saskatchewan artists.
Aside from her artistic efforts, Yvette is committed to the community as a whole and has served on many committees and boards. She has been honoured with the Business Leader of the Year Award from the Moose Jaw & District Chamber of Commerce’s Business Excellence Awards (2013), the PRISM Award for Success (2017), and has also received the Saskatchewan Order of Merit (2014-15). Yvette was appointed honorary colonel with 15 Wing Moose Jaw from 2007 to 2012.
She was named Saskatchewan Women’s Entrepreneur of the Year in 2005 and Moose Jaw’s Citizen of the Year in 1999.
Lisa Franks
When Lisa Franks was 14, she was diagnosed with arteriovenous malformation. Suddenly, she was paralyzed and had to use a wheelchair. But Lisa never let this slow her down. Rather, she went on to become a world-class athlete.
Lisa participated in the 2000 Paralympics in Sydney, Australia. She brought home four gold medals in wheelchair racing, winning the 200, 400, 800, and 1500-metre events. But Lisa was just getting started. She also participated at the 2004 Paralympics in Athens, Greece. There, she won two gold medals and one silver. In addition to all her hardware, Lisa set several world records.
Eventually, Lisa transitioned to wheelchair basketball. As a member of Team Canada, she participated in the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing, China. She helped the team earn a fifth place finish. She and Team Canada also won the World Basketball Championships in Amsterdam in 2006 and a silver medal at the 2007 Parapan Am Games in Brazil.
Lisa was inducted into the Moose Jaw & District Sports Hall of Fame in 2015, followed by the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame in 2018.
Siera Bearchell
Siera Bearchell has helped put Moose Jaw on the map internationally, thanks to many top finishes in beauty pageants. In 2009, after her family lost their house in a fire, Siera was inspired to work with the Red Cross. This eventually led to her entering the Miss Saskatchewan 2009 competition. She was ultimately crowned the winner. She followed that up by being crowned Miss Teen Canada World, before being named second runner-up at Miss Teen World.
Siera was named the first runner-up at Miss Universe Canada 2013. She has also been named Miss Supranational Canada and finished as the first runner-up at Miss Supranational 2015.
Siera then won the title of Miss Universe Canada 2016. She went on to the Miss Universe competition that year, and that is where she truly left her mark. Siera noted that she had received comments about her weight prior to the start of the competition. Rather than let this get her down, she decided to promote a body positive image that got the attention of major news outlets around the world. She finished in the top nine, which ended a 10-year drought of Canada not placing in the competition.
She may not have been named Miss Universe, but there was no doubt that Siera walked away a winner. She continues to advocate for body positivity and anti-bullying.
Siera has also had the opportunity to speak at WE Day. She has received numerous honours, including the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal, the Red Cross Young Humanitarian Award, and the Peter Mansbridge Youth Leadership Award.
