Blog: 2013 is going to be a big year for Moose Jaw, writes former Shropshire resident Rebecca Lawrence from her new home in Canada.

Recently, it was announced that the city will, along with Regina, the capital of Saskatchewan, host the Juno Awards and Juno Week celebrations in 2013.

The Juno Awards are presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands for artistic and technical achievements in all areas of music.

A Juno award

The awards began in 1970, when organizers Stan Klees and Walt Grealis, who published RPM, a weekly music trade publication, held the Gold Leaf Awards in the St. Lawrence Hall in Toronto.

A year later, the event changed its name to the Juno Awards, at the suggestion of reader, who asked the magazine to honour Pierre Juneau, the then-head of the CRTC (Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission).

The spelling was changed to Juno, when it was realized that was the name of the Chief Goddess of the Roman Pantheon.

Now the 42nd annual Juno Awards will be broadcast live from the Brandt Centre in Regina on April 21, 2013, and celebrations will start on April 15, with concerts and an important hockey game in Moose Jaw.

Moose Jaw’s new hockey stadium, Mosaic Place, will host the popular NHL (National Hockey League) greats versus Canadian musical celebrities on-ice hockey game called the Juno Cup.

As well as an exciting time for the two cities, the event will also have an impressive economic impact.

According to Melanie Berry, president and CEO of the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, the 2007 Juno Awards held in Saskatoon had an economic impact of $10 million while the 2011 event in Toronto was responsible for an economic impact of $14.2 million.

It’s also about the spotlight put on the cities by media across Canada.

Barb Fysh, the City of Moose Jaw’s recreation services manager, who represents Moose Jaw on the Regina Juno Awards 2013 Inc. host committee, told the Times-Herald newspaper she is very excited.

Her role is to plan and to find the right venues which will be used across the city and decide what can be hosted at particular venues.

“It’s going to be very, very exciting. I think everyone is going to be absolutely thrilled. It’s going to be great for the economy and for us, being in the spot light through the whole country,” she said.

A key component to the Regina bid was the inclusion of Moose Jaw and the 2013 event will mark the first time two cities have ever combined to host the Juno festival.

Moose Jaw’s Mayor Glenn Hagel said hosting the Juno Awards is very exciting news for the city both culturally and economically.

“It’s certain to have an impact in our city in the world of hospitality and tourism and it’s a very significant event. I think this is the kind of event that has the potential to create memories.”