MOOSE JAW — The Moose Jaw Canoe and Kayak Club has teamed up with unofficial aid group Ukraine Help and Exchange in Moose Jaw to take Ukrainian newcomers out for a relaxing paddle and to see the local wildlife.
Head coach Mark Gilliland has been with the club for 18 years and is passionate about the benefits of paddling and being outdoors. He also teaches art classes at the Moose Jaw Museum & Art Gallery (MJMAG) 16 weeks of the year, so he knows Christy Schweiger, the MJMAG’s education co-ordinator.
“So, I see Christy a fair bit, and I know that she’s sort of an advocate for these Ukrainian newcomers in Moose Jaw,” Gilliland said. “I saw an opportunity there to reach out and help. I thought, if we can take out some groups of newcomers, we can show them that people in Moose Jaw care about them, we could welcome them to Moose Jaw, and they could learn about Wakamow, too, and the Moose Jaw River ecosystem.”
Schweiger, and many other Moose Javians like Brenda Tuplin, have donated their time, energy, and resources through their Facebook group to help Ukrainians fleeing Russia’s invasion. The newcomers aren’t refugees, so they don’t have government help. They often arrive with nothing, but the online community of Ukraine Help and Exchange in Moose Jaw supplies them with everything they need.
“Mark Gilliland and volunteer Sebasten (Halvorsen) volunteered their time to introduce families to the park, nature, and kayaking for the first time,” Schweiger said. “There were two groups taken out, totalling 17 people. … And they are so great to work with.”
The attempt at a second outing was spoiled by a thunderstorm, but Gilliland will continue to take families out on the water on Sundays, he said.
“We can paddle in a lot of conditions, but thunder and lightning is one thing we can’t bend on,” he laughed. “But this Sunday, I’ve got another 16 to 18 people, and I imagine there will be more.
“Part of the time, like with any group, is about 15 to 20 minutes of dryland instruction. How to choose a paddle, how to use a proper grip, how to get the boat on the dock, into the water, getting in and out of the boat, how size and wear the PFD properly, those kinds of things.”
Once on the water, there’s a lot more learning to do, Gilliland said. Nevertheless, everyone has had a great time, both learning to paddle and enjoying the outdoors.
“The turtles have been pretty good the last couple of years,” he added. “They’re Western Red Painted Turtles, and the numbers of them have been really good, and they’re a good size, too.
“We’ve also seen beavers, muskrats, mink. Lots of deer, mule deer, geese, ducks. There’s lots of snakes in the reeds and grasses. We’ve had a good time.”
