Former Moose Jaw Mayor Al Schwinghamer has passed away at the age of 88. The city announced his death in a news release Monday, adding that the flags at City Hall will be lowered to half-mast in recognition of his death and the fatal fire at CFB Wainwright over the weekend. “On behalf of City Council and the residents of Moose Jaw, I extend our sincere condolences to Al’s family, friends, and all those whose lives were touched by his leadership and service,” Mayor James Murdock said in a statement. Originally from Bruno, Sask., Schwinghamer graduated from the University of Saskatchewan’s College of Engineering as a civil engineer. His work as a civil engineer took him to many different communities before becoming a city engineer with Moose Jaw in 1974. He was in that post for about 20 years before getting elected to Moose Jaw city council in 1994, where he served until 2000. Schwinghamer was elected as mayor in 2000 and held office until 2006. He returned to Moose Jaw city council that same year and served until 2009. “Al’s commitment to Moose Jaw spanned many years and several important roles, including City Engineer, City Councillor, and Mayor,” Murdock added. “His knowledge of our community, dedication to public service, and contributions to the growth and development of Moose Jaw left a lasting impact. We are grateful for his service and will remember him with great respect.” A funeral for Schwinghamer will be held Tuesday, Oct. 20 at 11 a.m. at Moose Jaw Funeral Home.
