Tourist Dollars Flow Saskatchewan cashing in with mineral spas By Craig Wong (The Canadian Press)
Sinking into the warm water of the outdoor pool at the Temple Gardens Mineral Spa, Robert Braun had one thought. "You don't expect something like this in a small town," the North Bay resident said as steam rose off the water and his breath hung in the cold air. "I didn't think it would be this magnificent." Mineral spas in Saskatchewan are one of the province's growing tourist attractions. Along with the more established waters in Manitou Springs, Moose Jaw is making Saskatchewan a destination spot on the Prairies for those seeking the soothing waters. The mineral-rich water for the Moose Jaw pools is drawn from a porous rock formation of ancient seabeds more than a kilometre below the surface. Rich in sulphates, the water in Moose Jaw also contains a dozen other minerals and is similar to the water found in the hot springs in Banff, Alta., and Radium Hot Springs, B.C. First opened in June 1996, the Temple Gardens hotel has grown aggressively, the latest expansion earlier this year adding more than 80 rooms including several with fireplaces and Jacuzzis. "We've also developed the spa concept so people can come here to relax and de-stress and rejuvenate, and we have a whole menu of spa services that we offer," said Deb Thorn, Temple Gardens' chief executive. "Some places have oil and gas and we happen to have mineral-rich waters, so we've taken advantage of that. "We credit not only our 1,000 shareholders and their families, but literally the entire community of Moose Jaw. We say we have the most powerful marketing machine, 35,000-people strong, to market Temple Gardens," Thorn said. STREET PARTY Moose Jaw, about 75 km west of Regina and home town to Saskatchewan Premier Lorne Calvert, played host to the western premiers conference in 2001 and the spa was the venue. The expansion across the street from the original building includes easy access to a casino. It also offers more refined rooms with custom furniture made for the hotel and artwork by local artist Yvette Moore depicting scenes from the city. Temple Gardens has worked hard to stay connected to the community. Before the expansion opened for business the hotel held a street party and those involved in the project toured the new rooms showing off their work to friends and family. But Moose Jaw is not the only mineral pool destination in the province. A little to the north, the more established Manitou Springs is also a big draw for those seeking the waters. "If you analyze our water it is very close to the Dead Sea," says Lorne Jones, general manager of the Manitou Springs Resort and Mineral Spa, located outside the town of Watrous. "It has all of the things the Dead Sea has except a couple: It doesn't have radon 222 which you don't want, (and) it doesn't have arsenic which the Dead Sea has and you don't want." Jones says many believe the waters in his pools, similar to those found in just a handful of places around the world and unique in North America, have healing properties. Nestled between two sets of rolling hills on the Prairies, the water for the pools in Manitou Springs comes from springs which bubble up from beneath Lake Manitou which, like the Dead Sea, has no tributaries nor does water flow from it. "They send people to the Dead Sea for about $4,000 a week," Jones said. "They can come here for a long time for four grand." Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com
