MOOSE JAW — This summer will be particularly relaxing and enjoyable for the Western Development Museum’s Kathy Fitton, who has decided to retire after 29 years as the operations manager in Moose Jaw.
Multi-coloured balloons, a yellow-and-white chocolate cake and dozens of family, friends, volunteers and WDM staff helped celebrate Fitton’s farewell on April 2.
CEO Joan Kanigan, new operations manager Karla Rasmussen and Alexis Jones, the programs and volunteer co-ordinator, spoke — humorously and emotionally — about their colleague, while Fitton also discussed her time with the museum.
“It actually just feels like the right time for me, and I think it’s also the right time for the museum,” Fitton told the Moose Jaw Express/MooseJawToday.com. “I think after 29 years, it’s a good idea to bring somebody new in (who has) some new ideas, just to freshen everything up a little.
“So it’s bittersweet for me,” she continued. “I’m not leaving because I don’t like (the job); I love it here. But I do just think it’s time.”
Fitton began working at the Moose Jaw WDM on March 19, 1996, and over those three decades, she did what she had to to keep the place running, from human resources activities to organizing special events; the Thunder Creek Model Train Show began 25 years ago, while Brickspo has been around for 14 years.
She noted that besides paperwork on her desk, there were also other items like train parts or car pieces that she had picked up while working with volunteers to move vehicles or set up exhibits.
“We all have to pitch in. It’s a small group here,” she said.
Fitton’s favourite part of the job was the people with whom she worked, whether it was staff, volunteers, or the visitors. Meanwhile, one memory that stands out is replacing the gravel-and-boardwalk floor with concrete in the early 2000s.
That project saw staff move every exhibit out of the aviation wing one winter so contractors could pour the concrete, while the next winter, employees moved over every other exhibit so contractors could finish the work.
“That was a huge job. It … was a real team-building effort between staff and volunteers,” said Fitton.
Concrete floors made “a huge difference” with showcasing exhibits since there was less dust to clean, while the floors reflected the light better than the dirt and gravel, she added.
Another highlight for Fitton was developing a relationship with the 431 (Snowbirds) Air Demonstration Squadron Alumni Association, which led to the group naming her an honorary Snowbird in 2022.
Fitton explained that the group was looking for a home when it first organized, and since the WDM had a Snowbirds display, it reached out.
“They’re just a wonderful group to work with,” she said. “And with us wanting to do an entirely new Snowbirds’ exhibit, that relationship has just grown and there’s going to be a whole lot more to do going forward.”
Fitton added that Rasmussen would make a great operations manager since she was the former programs and volunteer co-ordinator in Moose Jaw and the former programs manager for the head office in Saskatoon, while she was great at developing relationships.
Rasmussen, who has worked for the WDM for nearly nine years, said she was excited about the position, while she looked forward to returning to the local level, reconnecting with Moose Jaw and growing community partnerships.
“It’s a little surreal in some ways,” she said, noting that she enjoyed attending the WDM as a visitor before joining as an employee, while it is fantastic to use all that knowledge in this new role.
“It’s definitely going to be a little bit of a learning curve,” she remarked. “I grew up in my family’s business and so I’ve had experience, but it’s been a while since I’ve been in this sort of role.”
Rasmussen added that her favourite artifacts are the snowplanes, since they look cool and are incredible technology, while she wants to ride in one someday.
