Moose Jaw is well-known for its historic murals and downtown buildings, but it also has hundreds of homes constructed during the World Wars that possess unique stories.
These wartime homes have caught the attention of the heritage advisory committee, which spoke about the structures during its recent meeting.
According to the meeting minutes — which council approved during its July 8 meeting — member Janie Fries has been researching the history of wartime houses and thought the committee could create an inventory of all such buildings in Moose Jaw. Further, in the fall, she could give a presentation at the library about this subject.
“The goal is to spread awareness of the history of wartime houses and encourage homeowners to take pride in the history of these homes,” the minutes said.
The committee also discussed the possibility of providing homeowners in wartime houses with brochures with information about how they can learn more about their home’s history.
Veterans’ banners
City administration told committee members that city hall has sent all the banner proofs to the applicants to review and approve, while it has received all payments from applicants. Once the proofs are approved, the next step is to fabricate the banners, which will occur this summer.
The committee also discussed plans for the unveiling ceremony, which will occur on Friday, Nov. 1; members will confirm further details at their September meeting.
RCAF 100th anniversary
Members heard about some activities occurring to celebrate the Royal Canadian Air Force’s (RCAF) 100th anniversary:
- The Rotary Club of Moose Jaw Wakamow is running its “Fly the Flag” fundraiser and is planning to run it again in the fall
- Canadian Geographic Films created a documentary called “Wings of Honour: A Century of the Royal Canadian Air Force,” which celebrates the air force’s 100-year history. The Cultural Centre is considering hosting this film in September during other centennial commemoration events
- The public art committee and Tourism Moose Jaw are sponsoring an RCAF-themed public art project that they would add to the base of the Tutor Jet installation at the visitor centre, although they must still determine the specifics of the installation
Heritage plaques
Local tech company memoryKPR assisted the committee in providing some Saskatchewan Polytechnic students with heritage plaque media files so they could begin creating two-minute-long videos that will be posted with the committee’s memoryKPR stories and shared with the public, the minutes said.
Members then discussed possibly installing a standalone post somewhere downtown that could host heritage plaques for sites/events with no specific or associated building.
Also, administration gave the committee a virtual tour of the memoryKPR account and how to use it. Members agreed to work with it over the summer and continue researching and gathering information about heritage properties for the project.
Ghost murals
There are several “ghost murals” on the sides of many buildings, particularly downtown, which provide a fascinating glimpse into the community’s colourful past and advertise businesses and products from decades ago.
Nearly a decade ago, the murals committee repainted a ghost mural on the side of 23 Main Street (The Hive). While the committee wanted to repaint more, safety regulations prevented them from doing so.
During the heritage committee meeting, members discussed the possibility of renewing faded mural signs on heritage buildings and possibly presenting a proposal for consideration to the public art committee.
The next regular council meeting is Monday, July 22.
