MOOSE JAW - City hall’s heritage committee is continuing to , while it has also received valuable help from one of the community’s most knowledgeable historians.
During its recent meeting, Richard Dowson, a local historian and genealogist, provided the committee with several veterans’ stories and offered members further information to use with their wartime homes project, the meeting minutes show.
Dowson told the committee that he has created a large historical database that includes entries about the Canadian Armed Forces from the 1930s and ’40s, while he has also collected the stories of community veterans and where they lived in The Friendly City.
Furthermore, he suggested that a worthwhile program for the group to pursue could be to recognize the history of veterans and their past homes by installing plaques at those properties. He then provided them with information about how to complete their own research on veterans from the Moose Jaw area and how to determine if a veteran lived in a home.
This information included searching in a Henderson Directory in the Moose Jaw Public Library archives and inputting data into the online Canadian or Saskatchewan Virtual War Memorials.
“The committee discussed the possibilities of how members could use Mr. Dowson’s expertise and varied information on the history of local veterans,” the minutes added. “The committee plans to collaborate in the future with Mr. Dowson to create a local veterans memoryKPR story that can be shared with and contributed to by the public.”
Wakamow Valley excavation
Coun. Crystal Froese told members that an archaeological team had excavated a site in Wakamow Valley near Ninth Avenue Â鶹´«Ã½AVwest over the summer and uncovered some interesting findings, including bison bones and pottery.
“The gathered data from these findings could present a great opportunity for the city to help grow the story and history of the City of Moose Jaw,” the minutes said.
Froese also noted that if the archaeology team produces a report, the committee wants city administration to acquire a copy since members would be “very interested” in reading it.
Veterans’ banners
City hall has received 24 new veterans’ banners from the printer and plans to start installing them on Tuesday, Oct. 22, while the official unveiling will be Friday, Nov. 1, near the northwest corner of the Moose Jaw Public Library. There will then be a gathering afterward inside the Moose Jaw Museum and Art Gallery.
City hall has been sending out invitations to all parties involved in the project, including individuals and families who purchased a banner. Meanwhile, several people have contacted the project co-ordinator saying they are interested in purchasing a banner for next year.
Ghost murals
One committee member told the group that she plans to create an inventory of all ghost murals in the community and bring her findings to a future public art committee meeting for its information.
Heritage properties
Administration told the committee that a city building official completed an inspection of the historic Coach House at 35 Athabasca Street West with a contractor who had performed some work on the building previously, the minutes said. The city is waiting for a quote for any recommended structural repairs.
The committee has been concerned about some heritage properties in Moose Jaw and has been looking for ways to preserve them by working with city hall, the homeowner, or both.
