There have been famous summits in Geneva, Vienne and Moscow, but this week Moose Jaw will host a summit of its own.
Linda Otnes Henriksen, the deputy mayor of Stor-Elvdal, Norway, will arrive in Moose Jaw Friday for a “Moose Summit” with Moose Jaw Mayor Fraser Tolmie.
Otnes Henriksen will be in the city from Mar. 1-6 to meet with City officials, visit the city and of course visit Mac The Moose.
Stor-Elvdal and Moose Jaw grabbed international headlines over their moose feud as the two communities battled to claim they have the “world’s largest moose statue.” Mac The Moose held the honour since he was constructed in 1984, but Stor-Elvdal’s Storelgen was built 30 centimetres larger than Mac in 2015.
In January, news that Mac had been dethroned began to make news and a campaign was launched to find a way for him to regain his crown. There have been significant financial and gift-in-kind support offered by individuals and businesses so that Mac The Moose can be made bigger than his Norwegian counterpart.
“We are excited to welcome Ms. Henriksen to Moose Jaw,” said Moose Jaw Mayor Fraser Tolmie in a statement. “Although she has suggested the possibility of the two moose becoming equal in size, we can’t ignore the overwhelming financial and emotional support that has been offered in the name of making Mac the world’s tallest moose statue.
“However, there is potential for future tourism and economic development partnerships with Norway that we will certainly discuss during her visit and we know our community, including Mac the Moose, will welcome her with open arms.”
The City said that during her stay, Otnes Henriksen will visit Tourism Moose Jaw, attend a Moose Jaw Warriors hockey game, take in some of Moose Jaw’s tourist attractions and tour some local schools.
