Al Capone and Mac the Moose!!

June 26, 2019

It was my turn to make breakfast and while I toiled over a hot stove, Debbie reorganized the trailer.  We had tickets to see the famous tunnels of Moose Jaw at 10:30.

The tunnels of Moose Jaw are well known because during the Prohibition days in the USA, Al Capone travelled to Moose Jaw and set up a successful bootlegging syndicate.   Moose Jaw is a main terminus of the CP Railway and the railroad runs right to Chicago. Al Capone, had moved from New York to Chicago and as the law tightened their grip on his illegal liquor sales, he moved his operation to Moose Jaw.  

The main buildings in Moose Jaw near the railroad station are joined together underground by tunnels.  These tunnels were built as the buildings were erected so that the maintenance folks could access the steam pipes that heated the buildings.  The tunnels run from building to building and cross under main street to other buildings.  It was a perfect place for Al Capone to set up his business and still keep a watchful eye on the law.  He had also managed to bring the Chief of Police under his “care”.  It is believed that Al Capone was making one million dollars weekly. 

We are not allowed to take photos of the tunnels. Actors are dressed in period costumes and take the groups through the tunnels, showing the hidden doors, and escape hatches that were used.  They also showed the hotel room that was used by Capone, which had a secret passage to the tunnels.  We really enjoyed the hour of walking through the narrow passages and suddenly ending entering into some small room  that was used for the storing of his guns or counting his money or refilling the liquor bottles or casks. 

The second tour of the tunnels had a different theme.  This tour focused on the life of the Chinese immigrants that had come to Canada in the mid 1800’s.  The Chinese immigrants came in large numbers because China was going through a major depression and Canada needed workers to work on the railroad that was the major project in Canada at that time.  The immigrants were exploited by unscrupulous sponsors who brought them to Canada, promising work and housing etc. for a fee of course.

As the railroad grew westward these workers moved west with it and then when the railroad was completed these workers were suddenly out of work.  As Moose Jaw was a terminus for the railroad many of these workers ended up here  homeless and unemployed. They moved underground into the tunnels.  They started up laundry and cleaning businesses inside the tunnels where they lived and worked in the same area.  The laundry was a huge operation that housed 50 – 100 workers who worked round the clock, washing, folding, and ironing, in horrible conditions.  The workers slept in a three- tiered bunk bed situation and because they worked in shifts, they shared three to a bunk! The temperature was hot and humid, subjected the workers to various types of disease.  This resulted in one worker setting up a Chinese naturopathic drug store to heal the sick workers.

  We were also shown the Chinese opium den that had been established in the tunnels. Obviously this was an escape from the hardships for some.  There were racial issues that occurred in the community and the workers were called “coolies”, and treated as second-class citizens.  Some of these Chinese workers were successful in moving beyond the tunnels and starting successful businesses within Moose Jaw.  This tour also proved interesting and informative.

It was time to see daylight again, so we toured the city looking at the murals and getting a taste of Moose Jaw.  We ate delicious burgers in the Park, and then went to the Western Development Museum of Moose Jaw. This WDM featured transportation.  We really enjoyed the museum but we also realized that we were “Museum-ed out”!! 

Before we went to the WDM, we had to visit Mac the Moose! He is the iconic statue for Moose Jaw situated at the entrance to Moose Jaw on the Trans Canada Highway.  Mac has been very popular in the news because he had recently been de-throned as the largest moose statue in the world by Storelgen, a rival statue built in Norway.  Storelgen is situated about 240 kms north east of Oslo, Norway.  He is 30 cms taller than Mac!  Storelgen means big moose in Norwegian.

Well what do you know?! Mac is missing his antlers! Because of the huge news media coverage, there has been a movement afoot to remake the antlers for Mac so that he can regain his claim as the largest moose statue in the world.  Many donations rolled into Moose Jaw, including a very large donation from Moosehead Beer Corp from Halifax.  Mac’s new antlers will be installed sometime in September.  

Debbie spoke to the Moose Jaw information centre host, who told her that tourism has boomed since the news media blitz and tourists from all over the world have come to Moose Jaw specifically to see Mac. We to had to take photo of the hornless Mac, and we also took photos of the Snowbirds Jet, as Moose Jaw is also the home of the Snowbirds, the iconic arial precsion flying team.      

On our way into downtown, Debbie spotted Quilter’s Haven, a neat, well-stocked store.  The owner was very friendly and engaging.  Stores close at 5:00 in Moose Jaw, but the owner kept the store open until Debbie left at 5:30, with a bag of more quilting goodies.  

We returned to the trailer and picked up our lawn chairs as we were going to an outdoor concert in Crescent Park.  

The tourist brochures claimed that the Mad Greek restaurant was a “must eatery”, so we went there, before going to the park.  We ordered his famous boneless ribs with the homemade sauce.  It was truly delicious but the large portion was enough for us to enjoy it for two days!  

A five-piece band was playing good old country music, Hank Williams, Johnny Cash and some other old favorites.  Half way through the performance the daughter of the lead singer, came on stage and sang a series of rocking country tunes.  She had driven from Saskatoon to sing tonight.  The evening was warm, no rain and there was a pretty good attendance, considering it was the first of several concerts in the park for the summer.

  That big ole black cloud had not followed us today, so all in all it was a great way to end the day.