More than games: convention community brings travellers to Moose Jaw

For some visitors to Saskatchewan Retro Game Con, attending conventions isn’t an occasional outing. It’s part of how they spend their vacations, run their businesses and pursue their hobbies.

Visitors and vendors travelled from outside Moose Jaw for the two-day convention at the Temple Gardens Centre, bringing cosplay, collectibles, photography and other interests with them.

Alan and Laurien Short travelled from Calgary as volunteers with the 501st Legion, an international Star Wars costuming organization.

“This is what we do with our vacation,” Alan said. “Some people go to Disney. This is what we do. We like to go to various cons and do Star Wars.”

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Costumes cross provincial borders

The Shorts said their convention travels have taken them throughout Western Canada and farther afield, including events in Saint John, N.B., Anaheim, Chicago and Provo, Utah.

Their Star Wars costumes represent characters associated with the Galactic Empire.

Alan wears a Shadow Trooper costume, while Laurien has an Imperial Army engineer costume.

His hard-plastic armour was purchased second-hand and adjusted to fit, while Laurien made her costume herself.

“About a month of cursing and sewing,” she said when asked how long the process took.

For people attending their first convention, their advice was to avoid putting pressure on themselves to see everything.

“Enjoy yourself. Don’t try and see everything,” Alan said. “Just relax, enjoy it, have fun, be open.”

He said costuming isn’t limited to a particular age group.

“There are people in their 90s costuming. There are babies being costumed and anyone in between.”

A hobby becomes a business

Chris Pierce, better known as Ragnar, was also among those who travelled to Moose Jaw.

Pierce operates Ragnar the Trader and attends conventions across Western Canada selling what he describes as “Nordic and nerdy” merchandise.

“I get around. I definitely get around,” Pierce said.

His primary route stretches from Winnipeg to Vancouver, although his travels sometimes take him farther. He planned to travel to New Brunswick for another convention following his Moose Jaw stop.

The business wasn’t originally intended to become a career.

Pierce said it started while he was involved in Viking living-history re-enactment and began making items as part of the hobby.

“The stuff just kept selling and selling and selling, and eventually it turned into my full-time job,” he said.

For people who haven’t attended a gaming or comic convention, Pierce said the selection is often broader than expected.

“You don’t have to dress up, but you are totally encouraged to do so,” he said. “There’s a lot more to these shows than just comic book stuff.”

Chris Pierce and a partner vendor (photo credit: TJ England).

Finding a new hobby behind the camera

For photographer Norwin Hall, conventions provided an unexpected new subject for his camera.

Hall said he began attending conventions after looking for something connected to Tomb Raider. Once there, the variety of costumes caught his attention.

“I started asking people if they wanted pictures,” Hall said.

That eventually became a cosplay photography hobby, giving cosplayers photographs of their work while giving Hall subjects to photograph.

“It was a two-way win-win, and I got hooked,” he said.

Hall has since attended conventions in Regina and Saskatoon and came to Moose Jaw to see Saskatchewan Retro Game Con.

“So far it’s very appealing, and I wish them huge success so that we’ve got something between the two cities that we can call our own,” he said.