We had a thunder and lightning storm last night, and this morning the rain is thundering on my van roof. Jessie refuses to get out of bed for breakfast or bathroom....maybe she is the one with common sense here! I find that if I open my windows, the rain comes in; and if I close them, the condensation is wetter! Hopefully, this type of rain is falling in BC and the fires are being brought under control. My yellow ribbon still clings to the radio aeriel - reminding me to pray for the firefighters and refugees.

With the Mineral Springs closed and the rain pouring down, I'd be inclined to move on if I hadn't already paid for two nights at the campground. So there is something here for me to find and appreciate....today I shall go in search of it.

Evening:

The Tunnels of Moose Jaw run under the city like a spy or mystery movie. The racism and hatred the Chinese community experienced here is, unfortunately, not fiction. The first tour was titled: Passage to Fortune and told the story of this citys' treatment of immigrants from China, and the underground tunnels where they were forced to work and live. Chinese immigrants didn't fare any better in other places tho, with heavy taxes for entry to Canada, until they were barred altogether.

The sin that we inflict on others tears my heart, and how I wish that it was a thing of the past. It doesn't take much reflection however to realize that prejudice, hatred, and cruelty are alive and well among us. The First Nations know it all too well, as do the Gay/Lesbian people who are being attacked at present.

Pictures weren't allowed in the tunnels, but the feelings and the images will stay with me for a long time.

The second tour was The Chicago Connection and explored the bootlegging activities in Moose Jaw of Al Capone and his gang. The young people who played the different parts of "moll" and "gangster" were excellent, and it was fun. Because I knew what a "Tommy Gun" was, I got to hold a real one during the tour. It was very heavy, even without ammunition. I found it both repulsive and fascinating. (?)

Pictures were possible at the Sukanen Ship and Pioneer Village south of Moose Jaw. Tom Sukanen dreamt of returning to his native Finland so started to build a boat to take him there. He died before his dream was realized, but his boat has been saved, and completed as he might have wished....which shows that even if a dream is not realized, someone else might make something different out of it...like a tourist attraction.

The rest of the village was "familiar" as I recognized some things I used as a child! And I met some very charming animals at the petting zoo.

Tom Sukanen's "Dontianen"

Village Street

1907 Tilney United Church