Murals (and a few Signs) of Moose Jaw

The Canadian province of Saskatchewan and its city of Moose Jaw are hardly on most tourist maps (though I recall as a kid I thought it very cool that a city was named after an animal’s mandible). As with many things in life, when you scratch the surface you’ll find something interesting underneath.

So it was this past summer when I was driving between Calgary and Winnipeg. Having passed through Moose Jaw many times throughout the years, without stopping for more than gas, I though I’d head into the city and look around for a few hours. It was an enjoyable break from the day’s driving.

The city has an interesting array of large outdoor murals depicting its history and development scattered throughout the buildings of its historic downtown. There are said to be about four dozen murals, although I think local businesses have gotten into the act and are crafting more of their own. These murals are the focus of today’s post.

There’s other sights nearby including a mineral hot springs spa and a Canadian Forces Base flight training school that is home to the Snowbirds, Canadian’s aerial stunt-flying squadron (much like the Blue Angels south of the border). There is a “tunnels” tour under downtown tied to the booze-running days of Prohibition, which I need to check out the next time I’m passing through. Rumor has it that even Al Capone visited Moose Jaw during those days, although this is unsubstantiated. Moose Javians are friendly folks, very welcoming and eager to chat.

Here are some of the murals I liked as I strolled the city streets:

Cruising Main Street (set in the 1920s)

Painted on the back of the old Capital Theater. I like how they have two figures actually sticking out of the scene, best appreciated in the bottom photo.