It has been 487 days since the Tunnels of Moose Jaw last promoted tales of bootleggers, gangsters and Chinese immigrants, but after 16 long months, those legendary characters are set to return.
The Chicago Connection will be the first tour offered when the business reopens on Friday, July 16. This popular tour takes visitors back to 1929 and gangster Al Capone’s bootlegging organization. Guests start in businesswoman Miss Fanny’s club and end up in a tunnel somewhere underground.
Passage to Fortune, another popular tour that looks at early Chinese immigration to Moose Jaw, will likely return later this summer or the fall.
The Tunnels of Moose Jaw closed on March 17, 2020, and while that closure was difficult for everyone, there were some silver linings, Kelly Carty, business development manager, said. This “long pause” gave staff the time to refurbish, renovate and restore objects, sets, costumes and scripts.
“I worked every day. I joked that I was unemployed for one day, and then it’s like, ‘Oh no, we’ve got to do this,’ so it’s been exciting to have the chance to up our game,” she remarked.
This closure allowed the business to dig deeper into certain characters and flesh out their stories. For example, not only did the business renovate Miss Fanny’s club, but it also made it more explicit that she is a capable businesswoman. While the Chicago Connection tour is still fun and filled with jokes, more history was added to provide a better picture.
“We’re so excited (to present the enhanced tour). It was really fun to have our returning staff come back and see the spaces. We even refurbished the bathroom,” said Carty.
What’s also exciting is that the business has a new ticket system and website that bring the Tunnels of Moose Jaw’s operations into the 21st century, she continued. Visitors can now book their tickets online, something that was not possible before.
For more than a year, construction crews have been working at 32 Manitoba Street West and remodelling the upstairs and the downstairs of one section of the building. This work is preparing for a new tour that the Tunnels of Moose Jaw plans to offer — and announce — soon.
With a laugh, Carty stated that she would not reveal what the new tour is about but noted it would showcase a different period of Moose Jaw’s history. The script is written and the sets are almost finished, and once the tour is operational, visitors will likely not believe what’s underneath their feet.
Carty was unsure when Passage to Fortune would return since restoration work was required after water damaged some sets. However, the business changed the story and built up the Chinese characters, including doing a better job promoting their businesses and their use of cultural medicines.
“As opposed to just talking about them as being victims, we’ve empowered them … ,” she said. “I’m super excited for people to see that.”
The COVID-19 pandemic is still ever-present, so the Tunnels of Moose Jaw has changed how often it gives tours. The tours were originally offered every 15 minutes, but they will now be given every 30 minutes. While tours have been offered until 8 p.m. during the summer, everything will depend on whether people come out and any lingering pandemic restrictions.
For more information and to book tickets, visit https://tunnelsofmoosejaw.com.
