The city of Moose Jaw, located in southwest Saskatchewan, is a small, but lively city whose friendliness is so renowned that its official pseudonym is 'the Friendly City'. In the early 1900s, however, Moose Jaw was known in some circles as the 'Chicago Connection' for a very different reason.

During Prohibition, in the early 1900s (1915 to 1920), Moose Jaw's convenient location, approximately 2 ½ hours from the American border, and already established underground tunnels made it an attractive locale for Al Capone and his illegal alcohol distribution ring. Although it has never been officially confirmed that Capone himself ever stepped foot in the city, there are a lot of accounts from people who claim to have come face to face with the Chicago crime czar.

Before they flowed with alcohol, the tunnels were used by the Chinese immigrants who are credited with digging them. These immigrants lived and worked in the tunnels in an attempt to avoid the 'head tax' imposed during the late 1800s. Badly treated and living in deplorable conditions, it took some immigrants years before they could save enough to pay their head tax and, in doing so, buy their way to freedom.

Today, a portion of the tunnels that remain have been converted into two underground tours: The Chicago Connection and the Passage to Fortune, and are Moose Jaw's largest attractions.