MOOSE JAW — Jacki L’Heureux-Mason, the executive director of Tourism Moose Jaw for the past eight years, has announced that she will step down from her role later this year.
“When I initially… sat down with the hiring board, I very clearly said that my intention was to be here for three to five years to ‘shake things up,’” L’Heureux-Mason said about her October 2016 interview.
“I felt like the potential for Tourism Moose Jaw was at the time not being realized, and I thought I was the right person for the job…”
L’Heureux-Mason said she felt this was the right year to “pass the torch” and began contemplating the decision in January.
“I… had a bit of an understanding that this is going to be my last year… and just wanted to… weigh what my next (step) in life was going to look like,” she added.
When facing the unique challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, she chose to temporarily extend her tenure at Tourism Moose Jaw.
“I decided to extend my time here (during the pandemic), just because I thought some consistent leadership at that time might be a positive thing,” she said.
“And then, to be honest, we just had a couple of really great years so I thought, ‘Okay, well, I’ll hang in until we get a new trolley,’” she continued. “I always had these little benchmarks so I thought we would just kind of keep going.”
She knew this extension would not go on forever, of course.
“Working in a non-profit is a passion project for me, and as somebody said (to me), leading by passion can be exhausting.
“I feel like I have done everything I can for the organization. I have another friend who (said)… I was running a sprint, and it turned into a marathon somewhere along the way,” she stated. “So, I think … I was ready for something new in my life, but I also felt like — just for the good of the organization — I have done all I can do, and (it’s just time) to pass the torch.”
Her role as executive director has had many memorable highlights.
“I absolutely am very blessed (and am) very proud of the team that I work with, so many of the memories that I have are going to involve where we’ve come together as a team,” she said.
One memory that’ll always remain with her is the team’s response to the death of Snowbirds pilot Captain Jenn Casey on May 17, 2020.
“When the Snowbirds came home, we organized Tourism Moose Jaw (as) a spot so that when the (CC-130 E Hercules) flew by, they would be able to see the love of Moose Jaw,” she recalled with evident emotion.
“(This)… was during the middle of the pandemic and my team hadn’t been here for months,” she said. “It was definitely one of those moments where I was so proud of my team and I was so proud of this city. That’s number one that is going to be carried with me forever.”
Additionally, she said the “bacon wars” in 2021, the successful prohibition days pub crawl, and the internationally recognized “moose war” between Moose Jaw and Stor-Elvdal, Norway — which she describes as her “unicorn moment in marketing” — all stand out to her.
When she first started at Tourism Moose Jaw, the city was focused on promoting itself as an ideal retirement community. Her goal has been to position Moose Jaw as “more of a diverse and mature player in the tourism industry…”
“We are a young and vibrant and diverse community that has so many things to offer for so many people,” she declared.
L’Heureux-Mason said the next step in her journey is still uncertain.
“I’m working on some stuff, so I’m not completely in the position to be able to say where I’m going,” she said, adding that she plans to take “a little bit of a break before the next chapter.”
In her closing remarks, L’Heureux-Mason wished to share a few words of thanks to Moose Jaw and stated that she’s appreciative for the openness shown by the community who supported her ideas.
“I’ve been so blessed to work with people who have vision and inspiration when it comes to planning some really great events and ideas,” she said.
“(Some of the best memories include) the people that I’ve gotten to know, the board members that have come in as complete strangers to me and left as friends or stayed on as friends, and just people who shared such an incredible passion for this city that has always been in my blood and will always be in my heart.”
L’Heureux-Mason is expected to continue in her role at Tourism Moose Jaw until Dec. 31.
