Captain Jack's River Cruise

The name Moose Jaw comes from the Cree name moscâstani-sîpiy, meaning “a warm place by the river”.

Another popular legend says the Indian word “Moosoochapiskanissippi” means “the river shaped like the jaw of a moose”.

So I have moved from Shrewsbury — a town situated in the loop of the River Severn — thousands of miles across the world to another town surrounded by water.

I love being able to walk along the river in Moose Jaw; it reminds me of the many walks we took while living in Shrewsbury.

The River Severn flows far faster than the Moose Jaw River — it’s so slow that at times we have not even been sure in which direction it is actually moving.

While the sunshine lasts we have been making good use of the Moose Jaw River — probably far more than we did in Shrewsbury, which is something we shall correct when we return.

Canoeing, or kayaking, on the Moose Jaw River is a very popular activity. You can hire them for a day, half day or even just an hour.

For our first attempt we decided on a double canoe for an hour and enjoyed rowing up the water trying to spot wildlife. A heron stayed remarkably still so we could get a good look at him and we spotted a few fish.

The Moose Jaw River runs through Wakamow Valley, which is a series of parks with many trails.

Wakamow means the ‘turn’ in Cree and the river makes an abrupt turn from north to east. In fact, the river is so full of turns and bends that it’s sometimes hard to work out where you are in relation to the town.

It’s the river that gave life to Moose Jaw. It began as an Indian fur traders camp, and with a narrow crossing and plenty of water, it was an ideal place to start a new town.

Friends have recommended that we explore the Moose Jaw River and Thunder Creek on board Captain Jack’s River Boat Tour.

While we have yet to experience this unique boat, Captain Jack did wave as we rowed past.

With fall on its way, I’m looking forward to watching how the river changes through the seasons.

I don’t think the Moose Jaw River has as much of a tendency to flood as the River Severn does and I can’t wait to see a snowy, frozen winter scene — I shall just have to make sure I’ve got my winter boots by then.

Rebecca Lawrence