A leisurely way to spend the day in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan is to walk around downtown doing the mural tour. On a nice day it is pleasant checking out the artwork on the outside of historic buildings in the town centre depicting the history of the city. From Al Capone and rum runners to the Canadian Air Force Base just south of the city, the murals represent something for everyone.
An aunt, uncle and I did just that last June when they were visiting from England. There are lots of coffee shops and restaurants to rest and take a break or have lunch to break up the tour. A favourite of mine is the Gallery Café featured in another review on this site. The mural project began in 1990 and now there are over 40 of them. Most of the murals are painted though there is one that is tiled and one that is a bas relief. You can pick up a self-guided tour map at various shops in town or at the tourism office just off the #1 Highway – look for the giant moose and Tudor jet. However, we strolled around town taking photographs of the murals and doing some shopping. We ended up in Crescent Park just to the east of downtown to see the murals on the open-air stage.
I have posted quite a few photographs to give you an idea of the diversity of the stories pictured. Moose Jaw is advertised as the mural capital of North America. I do not know if that is true but they certainly add an interesting aspect to a stay in this little gem in the prairies.
