MOOSE JAW — The Western Development Museum (WDM) is ready to kick off the summer with a variety of fun events. From scavenger hunts to guided tours, the WDM offers a little something for everyone.
Seek and Finds
A staple event at the WDM is Seek and Find events, which come with admission to the museum. They usually have two of these running concurrently, with a new Seek and Find introduced every monthActivity sheets can be found at the front entrance to track progress for all the Seek and Find events.
• June 1 to June 30: Pride Flag Seek and Find. The WDM is celebrating Pride Month with this pride-themed Seek and Find. They have hidden 12 rainbow flags in the museum and need help finding them all. Place your entry in the Seek and Find box on the table for a chance to win a prize.
• June 1 to 30: Before or After 1976 Seek and Find. The Moose Jaw WDM location opened on June 26, 1976. For this Seek and Find, you will have to locate specific artifacts and circle whether said artifact was made before or after 1976. After you’re done, put it in the Seek and Find box on the table to be entered to win a prize.
• July 1 to 31: Where the Wildflowers Grow Seek and Find. This one will have museum-goers look for images of Saskatchewan wildflowers and record their names.
• July 1 to 31: 75th Anniversary Accession Numbers Seek and Find. The Western Development Museum Act was passed on April 2, 1949, and the WDM organization is turning 75 this year. Find the artifacts pictured on your activity sheet and write down their accession number, which is the number that helps the museum keep track of artifacts.
• Aug. 1 to 31: 75th Anniversary Timeline Seek and Find. This Seek and Find is to celebrate the milestone of 75 years and will help you learn more about their history by exploring their galleries to find image cards to answer the questions on your activity sheet.
• Aug. 1 to 31: Yellow and Green Seek and Find. This scavenger hunt is to find artifacts that are yellow and green. This is to celebrate Saskatchewan Day, due to the flag being yellow and green.
• Sept.1 to 30: Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Seek and Find. This Seek and Find event is to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the RCAF. In this scavenger hunt, you will have to locate different aircraft used by the RCAF.
• Sept. 1 to 30: Diamond Seek and Find. This is another scavenger hunt to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the WDM as an organization. Diamonds are traditionally used to celebrate this milestone, so this Seek and Find event will have you locate the 12 images of diamonds hidden around the galleries. You can put your completed sheet in the Seek and Find box on the table and be entered to win a prize.
2SLGBTQ+ Seniors, a Prairies Portrait Exhibit
This is a travelling exhibit that made its stop at the Moose Jaw WDM and will remain on display until July 8. The exhibit shares stories from 12 Indigenous and non-Indigenous 2SLGBTQ+ seniors (55+) who had shared their life stories with the WDM in 2022 for an oral history project.
These seniors share stories of coming out, falling in love, heartache and loss, work, travel, family, leisure and activism, to contemporary concerns about elder care, aging and safe housing. This exhibit can be viewed with museum admission.
Gallery Pop-ups
During July and August, the WDM will have several pop-up galleries appearing. These galleries can be viewed with general museum admission. July 7, 14 and 21 pop-up galleries will be available from 1 to 4 p.m. Aug. 5, 11, and 18, pop-up galleries will be available for the same hours.
Brickspo
Brickspo is taking place on July 27 and 28 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. This event transforms the museum into a Lego paradise with the help of the Saskatchewan Lego Users Group (SLUG).
Members of SLUG will be displaying their original designs. You can explore different themes such as science fiction, medieval, celebrity portraits and much more. While you view the creations, there will be public talks and a Lego yard sale, operating from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. There will be a cash-only concession between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.
"We have been doing this for 12 or 13 years, and it has always been a partnership with SLUG," explained Alexis Jones, the program and volunteer co-ordinator.
If you want to learn more about SLUG, you can visit their website at .
Blow Off Some Steam Day:
Aug. 10, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., the WDM is offering guided tours for museum visitors to learn about how the railway was built and how steam trains operated. The tour times are: 11 a.m., noon, 1 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. In addition to these tours, if the weather permits, the K+S Potash Canada Short Line 101 will be running. Regular ticket fares apply; there is limited ride capacity.
Celebrating the Royal Canadian Air Force’s 100th Anniversary:
During the week of Sept. 7 to 14, the WDM will be celebrating the 100th anniversary of the RCAF. Any military personnel will receive a 10 per cent discount on museum admission.
The Moose Jaw WDM will be providing 20- to 30-minute guided tours of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP) Gallery.
Sept. 7, 8 and 14 tours will begin at 1 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m.
The WDM is the largest human history museum in Saskatchewan. Each museum location focuses on a different theme of Saskatchewan history. Moose Jaw’s WDM’s theme is transportation.
The collection includes the railway gallery, the Snowbirds gallery, the classy car gallery, the land and water gallery, an aircraft gallery and a radio room. There is also a 100-year Saskatchewan history timeline.
"Come and check us out. Come see the different events we have and the different exhibits we have,” says Jones, “We will also be out at Sidewalk Days if you'd like to come visit our booth there."
For more information about the Western Development Museum, visit .
