RCMP Heritage Centre a must-visit day trip from Moose Jaw

Visitors to Moose Jaw looking for an engaging and informative day trip should look no further than the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Heritage Centre, only an hour’s drive away and open year-round.

The RCMP Heritage Centre provides a state-ofthe-art, immersive exploration of the history and culture of Canada’s national police force, and the role of the RCMP in shaping the country’s identity. The Centre is located on the grounds of the RCMP Academy “Depot” Division at 5907 Dewdney Avenue, Regina. The RCMP Academy was established in 1885 and remains the exclusive training facility for all RCMP cadets. The Centennial Museum, precursor to the Heritage Centre, opened in 1933. In 2006, the Centennial Museum closed permanently, and the Heritage Centre opened in 2007. Upon arriving at the RCMP Heritage Centre, visitors are greeted by staff and volunteers who provide an overview of the facility’s offerings and can answer any questions. The centre is open yearround, with operating hours from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. For the most up-to-date information on the centre’s schedule, visit their website at www.rcmphc.com.

Visitors can choose between self-guided and guided tours. To ensure a spot on a guided tour, it is recommended to book in advance through the centre’s website or by contacting the RCMP Heritage Centre at (306) 522-7333, toll-free at 1-866567-7267, or by email at info@rcmphc.com.

The centre features a variety of exhibits, including the popular “March of the Mounties,” which showcases a chronological timeline of the RCMP’s development, “Creating a Mounted Police,” which delves into the training and daily lives of officers, and “Cracking the Case,” which invites visitors into hands-on interactive exhibits to examine a scene and help solve a crime.

Before leaving the RCMP Heritage Centre, visitors can stop by the gift shop, which offers a wide range of RCMP souvenirs, clothing, and collectibles. The centre also has a café on-site, providing a convenient spot to grab a snack or a meal during the visit. The Heritage Centre is currently completing a years-long quest to become a National Museum.

National museums are Crown Corporations with their operating costs federally funded. If they can succeed in 2023, the achievement will coincide with the 150th anniversary of the RCMP.

Fulfilling the National Museum requirements has meant a shift in direction for the Heritage Centre. The Centre’s executive team, with the full support of RCMP leadership, has created a strategy to address the full history of the force, including its impact on and relationship with marginalized populations in Canada.

The focus on current issues such as Truth and Reconciliation and positive changes in the RCMP’s relationship with 2SLGBTQ+ communities has coincided with increased resources toward outreach and education. Innovative new programs for high school students, for example, have engaged with thousands of youths so far in 2023, and connected them with serving RCMP officers across the country to answer questions and share experiences.

The RCMP Heritage Centre is the best place in Canada to learn about the legendary red-coated Mounties, including the force’s fascinating roles in both World Wars, Cold War-era espionage, and current status — recognized worldwide as an elite modern law-enforcement organization.

See the Future stars of tomorrow,

Located in a historic old fire hall, the Mortlach Museum features a fascinating array of artifacts that tell the tales of the early pioneers and nearby Aboriginal settlement since the community’s founding in 1902.

Among other things, the museum showcases a courthouse and jail cell that both used to operate in town. Tourists can take home a memorable keepsake from the old jail by posing for a picture inside the structure.

There is no doubt that posing for a photo is probably preferable to sleeping in a drafty old jail cell from 1911.

One of Mortlach’s first pioneers was Khamis Michael, an immigrant from Iraq. Some of his personal effects are on display at the museum, such as an artifact called a samovar, which is used to boil water for tea and is a staple in many Middle Eastern homes.

Michael also constructed one of the town’s first buildings, which became the Wagons West Restaurant. This building still exists and is across the street from the museum.

New this year are in-depth dis plays featuring the artworks of Casey Jones and Fred Lahrman. Jones extensively painted many subjects, focusing on Aboriginal chiefs and First Nations camps. A carpenter for Canadian Pacific Railway, Jones was interested in the Sioux and often visiting a camp south of Mortlach to sketch their chiefs. collection.

Jones determined that many arrowheads and spearpoints were similar to those found in New Mexico. This means a migration path likely existed from the southern United States to Western Canada and vice versa.

The Moose Jaw Museum and Art Gallery currently houses many of his paintings, so volunteers with the Mortlach Museum photographed some of those works and created a display at their venue.

Jones’ interest in First Nations extended to collecting and identifying artifacts such as spear points and arrowheads on the Prairies.

During the Dirty Thirties, the windstorms blew away the topsoil, revealing many relics from Aboriginal people. Jones was an amateur archaeologist and rec

Some of Jones’ relic collection is on display at the Glenbow Museum in Alberta, while the Moose Jaw Public Library archives also holds some items. Meanwhile, the Mortlach Museum’s art display about Lahrman looks at his work as a naturalist, his efforts to re-establish the Canada goose population when it was plummeting and his comprehensive whooping crane conservation work.

As a boy, Lahrman hooked a string to his box camera to take close-up photos of young burrowing owls. One picture is on display at the museum. Also, some of his artwork and dioramas are part of the Saskatchewan Museum of Natural History’s background scenes. The Mortlach Museum opens for the season during the Victoria Day long weekend in May and closes during the Labour Day long weekend. For more