After a last minute rush to finance the Moose Jaw Canada Day celebrations, the planning committee has now made enough money to have the fireworks they canceled in the beginning of June, thanks to some help from Moose Jaw’s business community.
With the celebration only a week away, the committee was still over $7,000 away from being able to afford the city’s iconic Canada Day fireworks. But after they shared on Facebook that they would be short of their goal, the donations came pouring in from businesses across the city.
“In about a week we had raised over $8,000, “explained Jacki L’heureux-Mason, executive director of Tourism Moose Jaw. “We now have more than enough for fireworks.”
James Benn, owner of Apex Electric Ltd, was the first business to make a donation to have the fireworks.
“I just couldn’t imagine a Canada Day without the fireworks!” explained Benn “We’re just happy to give to a good cause.”
The Canada Day celebrations in Moose Jaw are typically planned by an independent committee that fundraises throughout the year to pay for the annual festivities. But after that committee suddenly dissolved back in April, a handful of volunteers, and employees from tourism Moose Jaw were left to finance the celebration in only two months.
With a budget of $7,400, the new committee was able to book a variety of events for Canada’s special day, but was forced to leave out the fireworks.
Debbie Lougheed has been going to the Canada Day fireworks in Moose Jaw for more than 50 years. She began bringing her grandchildren in recent years so they could experience the celebration.
“It’s one of the big things we do when they come out,” said Lougheed. “It’s really important to them.”
Canada Day celebrations begin in Moose Jaw at 12:30pm.
“I think it says so much about our community,” said Lougheed. “That there are people out there who are willing to work to put this on for others that they don’t even know. I think it’s wonderful.”
