The sound of Moose Jaw’s first town bell will ring through the city once again.
The City of Moose Jaw officially unveiled the restored bell on Thursday with the ringing of the bell. The piece of Moose Jaw history is installed on a derrick on the east side of the Moose Jaw Events Centre, close to its original location.
Coun. Crystal Froese sits on the Heritage Advisory Committee and was a driving force behind restoring the bell. She had the opportunity to ring the 121-year-old bell.
“My heart was pounding, actually, because I've been following this thing since 2017. This has been a labour of love and it's just a real sense of pride for our city,” she said.
John Bye, chair of the City of Moose Jaw Heritage Advisory Committee, was ecstatic about the finished product.
“To see this thing come and be put up here in a place that represents community gathering and that type of thing, and being able to ring that bell and have it heard citywide is awesome,” Bye said.
The bell was originally ordered on May 16, 1902, from the American Bell Foundry Co. for $100. The bell was erected on July 4, 1902 behind the former city hall at the corner of Main Street North and River Street West.
The bell was then moved in 1904 to the bell tower of the newly built city hall on Fairford Street West and First Avenue Northwest.
It was used as the city’s fire alarm and for curfew during prohibition. Legend has it that the bell could be heard as far as seven miles, or 11 kilometres, away.
In 1951, the bell was removed from city hall and moved to St. George’s Church. It was then moved to Crescent Park in 1972 under the curation of the Moose Jaw Museum and Art Gallery.
After being vandalized, the bell was removed from Crescent Park and its location became a mystery.
After a number of inquiries, the bell was eventually found sitting in one of the city’s yards. The City of Moose Jaw’s Heritage Advisory Committee took on the task of restoring the bell in 2017.
Vern Corbett took on the role of the project engineer, while Saskatchewan Polytechnic’s welding department took on the task of restoring the bell with welding repairs and the fabrication of new pivot bushings. The bell itself is made of cast alloy steel and weighs about 1,500 lbs.
I&E Painting and Sandblasting took on the job of painting the bell and Steady Metalworks came up with the initial design concept for the bell stand. C&S Builders poured the foundation and Right Choice Energy Services fabricated and installed the derrick and mounted the bell.
The Heritage Advisory Committee is hoping that the city will be able to ring the bell during special events.