Moosomin

FTLComm - Moosomin - Tuesday, November 13, 2001 (photos by: R. W. Shire)

Moosomin is one of Saskatchewan's older towns actually more than a hundred years newer than Cumberland House but old enough when compared with other communities in the province. Settlers first arrived in the area around 1883 two years before the main line CPR was finished and for a very short while it was a major centre as the Reil Rebellion took place. The gallows built to execute Louis stood in Moosomin for a century but have been taken down. They were never used, Louis Reil was hung in the upstart town of Pile "O" Bones now known as Regina.

Moosomin and Maple Creek are remarkably similar, they are the two anchors on the map as you enter Saskatchewan. The main buildings in town like the United Church and old bank building at the top of the page are brick and both communities have an armoury. When you consider that these towns were established with a civil war in progress the concept of an armoury makes some sense. Unlike Maple Creek with its vast

ranching culture Moosomin is just another casualty of rural depopulation. It was once the main commerce centre for the area providing the farmers for a huge area around it as the place to buy a car, a tractor or a suit of clothes. This was once the most important department store for everyone from Maryfield to Wapalla to Rocanville. The family owned McNaughtons store was a thriving business and of course it also was one of the family of one of the most famous figures of World War I, General McNaughton for whom the local high school is named and it was from this store that we bought our first television in the fall of 1958, at that time it was no longer owned by the McNaughton family. Moosomin remains an inportant commerce centre today but that form of commerce has changed considerably with a large cattle auction, several major agri-business outlets and a healthy tourist industry that works the Number 1 highway that passes through the North side of town. Fast food and fuel outlets are strung along the length of the town. Like so many Saskatchewan communities of its size it has a large population of retired people who now make their home in what used to be a big town.