The tourism industry slowly returned to pre-pandemic levels in 2021, and while numbers were still below baseline, Tourism Moose Jaw (TMJ) was nevertheless excited to highlight its successes recently.
The organization held its annual general meeting on May 30, with roughly 20 member businesses in attendance. Reports were provided by the past president, current president and executive director, bylaws were updated and approved, and the financial report was presented.
Of note, TMJ expects to receive a new heated, air-conditioned, wheelchair-accessible trolley by July. The vehicle costs $321,000, of which $295,000 was paid using a federal grant, while the organization paid the remaining $26,000.
Finances
Tourism Moose Jaw’s balance sheet stayed consistent year over year, with the organization having a cash balance of $156,344 at the end of 2021 versus $135,760 in 2020, said treasurer Marta Woodrow.
The organization had revenues of $420,667 — nearly double that of 2020 — and expenses of $432,687, leaving a deficit of $12,020. However, after removing sales costs, that deficit increased to $41,088.
The financial picture is not that bad, considering the deficit is mainly due to “accounting magic of timing things,” Woodrow explained. For example, trolley maintenance expenses, a trolley deposit, and grants either finished in 2020 or arrived in 2022 but were added to last year’s budget for accounting purposes.
“So … we actually did just fine,” she added.
Past president’s report
Kelly Carty, past president, highlighted how the past two years have been challenging for the tourism industry. However, she and the board thought that executive director Jacki L’Heureux-Mason did a great job handling things.
“Jacki, through careful management, has kept Tourism Moose Jaw fiscally responsible through these past few years. We were able to receive financial assistance through her and her staff’s hard work,” Carty said. “These grants and subsidies are the lifeblood of tourism in our city.”
The organization had a “ridiculously successful social media campaign” to promote its trolley tours, and with a new trolley arriving in 2022, that will be a welcome addition, she continued. Meanwhile, the return of Sidewalk Days in July is great news for Tourism Moose Jaw and the community.
Carty served as president for three years before Rick McKeown was elected president during January’s board meeting.
President’s report
McKeown thanked Carty for her service and commended the board for working well together to ensure policies were current and effective, while he was pleased that the board created a policy manual and job description for the executive director.
He also appreciated how the board supported L’Heureux-Mason as she developed new trolley tours, created partnerships with the Downtown Moose Jaw Association and Visit Moose Jaw and worked through pandemic restrictions.
“2022 will be an exciting year with the acquisition of Moose Jaw Mysteries, a growing inventory of new items and, of course, the new trolley … ,” said McKeown.
“The board is very pleased with the efforts … by Jacki and her staff, and we look forward to providing more guidance and support as Jacki and her team take on the biggest year yet.”
Executive director’s report
Visitor centre numbers improved in 2021 compared to 2020 but were still down 48 per cent, said L’Heureux-Mason. However, last summer was still busy and TMJ’s trolley tour sales reached 90 per cent of pre-pandemic numbers.
“Merchandise sales also held strong, at 75 per cent of pre-pandemic numbers, so some really positive things (came) out of what was a still a really tough year last year,” she added.
Tourism Moose Jaw worked with various community groups on different marketing campaigns, including highlighting the number of businesswomen who work downtown and showcasing several businesses, said L’Heureux-Mason, who noted most downtown business owners are female.
The organization also accessed several student- and pandemic-related grants, while it reduced utility costs by $180 after installing LED lights.
Prohibition Days was a “smashing success” before the province reimposed pandemic restrictions, L’Heureux-Mason said. TMJ wants to work with the downtown association to continue the pub crawl while adding new features.
TMJ’s social media was regularly active in 2021, with three videos taking off throughout the year. These included the former mayor’s visit to the spa, a promotional video for the trolley ghost tours — this video exploded organically without advertising — and the daytime trolley tours.
L’Heureux-Mason praised her staff for keeping the centre running smoothly, while she highlighted how the organization is now sourcing more local merchandise and recently published a school-age book about Mac the Moose.
“We’re really excited for what we fully anticipate will be an extremely big year,” she added. “Our numbers have increased already … .”
