MOOSE JAW — Tourism Moose Jaw had an economically challenging 2024 compared to previous years, with trolley breakdowns and a lack of federal funding affecting the bottom line.
The tourism centre had just under 25,000 visitors this year, compared to about 28,000 visitors last year and nearly 26,000 people two years ago, according to a recent city council report. Furthermore, trolley revenues were just under $600,000 this year, compared to roughly $700,000 last year.
Meanwhile, operating expenses were roughly $520,000 this year compared to just under $700,000 last year and just over $500,000 two years ago.
On a positive note, Tourism Moose Jaw’s membership has grown from roughly 150 in 2017 to just under 220 this year.
Executive director Jacki L’Heureux-Mason discussed the organization’s ups and downs this year during council’s recent third-party community group budget meeting.
Tourism Moose Jaw and the Canada Day Committee want $103,628 and $2,824, respectively, for next year, which is $3,018 and $82 more than this year, respectively.
“2024 was a very challenging year,” she said.
Reasons included “a slight depression in the economy” and the fact Moose Javians and Saskatchewanians who stayed close to home during the past three years “spread their wings again” and went elsewhere, she continued. However, more American visitors returned as part of a post-pandemic bounce-back, which was positive.
Meanwhile, trolley renovations “went a little sideways” because there were still pandemic-related supply-chain issues that hampered repairs with the air conditioning, while there were also learning curves with the new vehicle, L’Heureux-Mason said.
“It was a very hot summer relying on the old trolley. She did better than expected, but we had to cancel a few days because it was very, very hot,” the executive director stated, noting that the visitor centre’s numbers declined because the trolley was inoperable for 75 days.
“Anecdotally, it sounded like a decent summer for downtown businesses.”
Overall revenues were down because Tourism Moose Jaw “did not receive one penny in federal grants,” she continued. Many non-profits were disappointed this year — “It was a real gong show” — because they faced this same issue and did not receive any answers about why their applications were rejected.
Tourism Moose Jaw did not receive the same federal grant this year as in 2023 for the trolley, while it did not receive the usual $30,000 to hire a summer student, the executive director said. The organization did not receive any insightful answers about why Ottawa denied its applications.
Other challenges included increases in wages, building costs, utilities and daily operations, while structural issues facing the 21-year-old visitor’s centre grew, L’Heureux-Mason noted. The latter issue has been the biggest challenge she’s handled during her eight years, and she accused the city of not making any “real improvements” during that time.
Tourism Moose Jaw is operating the centre without an updated lease, which is something the board wants changed, considering the centre is a “beautiful building, a beacon, and one of the best stops on the No. 1 (highway),” she continued.
“We take great care of it … (but) we need help. We have a floor that needs to be completely replaced,” L’Heureux-Mason continued, along with a septic system that should be tied into the city’s sewer system.
“We do a really, really good job of bringing revenue in, but we have finite resources. I’d like to see a better relationship with the city,” the outgoing executive director added.
L’Heureux-Mason also summarized the organization’s successes this year, including Sidewalk Days, the third annual Greek Night, a Halloween pub crawl and supporting the Kinsmen Club’s Canada Day fireworks show.
L’Heureux-Mason was unable to provide any hard numbers about how many tourists visit Moose Jaw annually or how much the industry contributed to the local economy. Yet, based on her estimations, annually, roughly 350,000 visitors generate almost $100 million for local businesses.
The next budget meeting is in January.
