The Inevitable Question

We have our answer down pat.

Since moving to Moose Jaw from Vancouver not even a month ago there has been one question that has been asked by everybody. "What brings you to Moose Jaw?" is the inevitable question that comes once we have been asked "You folks from around here?" At first, floored by the overwhelming friendliness of the business owners and service people populating this small city, my partner, Leon, and I would launch into a long winded explanation of the miraculous events that had us packing up our west coast lives to move to Saskatchewan. But soon, oh so soon, our answer was whittled down - for the sanity of all involved. Now, when some curious Moose Jaw-vian wonders what would possess two Vancouver Musical Theatre actors to move to a rural city where there are far more parkas than feather boas and a Tim Hortons instead of a Starbucks, we simply state the truth.

Affordable housing in a growing market.

Too complicated to explain that I am not really new as I was raised here, leaving at eighteen to attend theatre school and pursue the stage. Ridiculous to start telling the story of how, while on contract here in the fall, we decided to try and get pre-approved just to see if we could (actors and mortgages don't usually go hand in hand). How, once we passed that first hurdle, the situation unfolded like a set of dominos and we found ourselves the owners of a house we never expected to buy. And although it does bring big laughs, it was extraneous to amuse the inquisitive with tales of how Leon bought the house during Saskatchewan's warm spell in October and is only now finding out what living through a prairie winter is all about.

For now, we have come to build equity. While we stay we hope to further our creative careers and refrain from losing our extremities to frostbite. We'll do the things we couldn't do as easily in Vancouver; namely accomplish 42 errands in under an hour and pay a house mortgage on an artist's income. Leaving our smirking theatre friends behind in Vancouver and Toronto, we feel like pioneers out here, choosing a road less taken. And a beautiful road it is...

even if it is flat and covered in 3 feet of snow.