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.





Breaking New Ground

Farmers had to break 5 acres of ground a year for five years to obtain title to the land they homesteaded.

Stormin’ Main Street – 1883

The First Run (referring to the first street car in 1911)

Old Time Threshing Bee

Winter Carnival

Air Force Blue



Clarke Bros. Circa 1902



History CPR Station

Tribute to the Age of Theatre

Dancing on River Street (in the 1920s)

The Last Dambuster

Ken Brown was a Moose Jaw native who flew with the famous Dambuster Squadron in WWII, bombing dams in Germany. He was killed in action. 

Capitol Theatre Mural

This mural was on the back wall of a pub.

I'm not sure of the names of these murals.