Several late‑1915 events shaped the year that followed. In October 1915, the long-awaited Wadlinger & Balkowski lease was finally opened for homestead entry—a large block of former Crown grazing land northwest of town that many local settlers had waited years to file on. Many residents went to Maple Creek on October 20, 1915, to secure their claims. Only a week later, the district faced what oldtimers remembered as the most disastrous prairie fire ever witnessed here. Beginni

Long before regional health budgets or modern fundraising campaigns, Gull Lake’s hospital depended on something far more local: the steady, practical work of the Homemakers Club and the Hospital Aid. These two groups operated side by side for years, each taking on the same mission in their own way — keeping the hospital supplied, equipped, and functioning through decades of change. A Community That Filled the Gaps When the 1930 hospital opened, it did so in the middle of the

The year 1915 began without the need for a municipal election. R. Shingler continued as mayor, and the council consisted of D. Dewar, F.W. Busse, Gus Henderson, J.S. Tweed, A.H. Thomas, and E.G. Shilling. A Change in Law Enforcement At the first council meeting in January, James Baxter, who had served as town constable for several years, was relieved of his duties. Automobiles Begin to Influence Daily Life Automobile traffic was becoming a factor in town affairs. In March, Cl

The café door announced itself with a metallic bang, and Earl shuffled in like a man carrying forty years of memories in the small of his back. “Read that ambulance history Blake posted,” he said as he lowered himself into his chair. “My spine started hurting right where that old Dodge used to bounce.” Edna didn’t even look up. She just raised the sharp eyebrow—the one that could cut plywood. “That Dodge was held together by prayer and baling wire. And half the time the balin

Before Gull Lake had a formal ambulance service, emergencies were handled by neighbours using trucks and station wagons. When time allowed, Swift Current’s ambulance made the trip west. That changed in 1975, when the Town of Gull Lake purchased its first dedicated ambulance — a used 1968 Dodge station wagon with a raised roof, bought from the Swift Current Union Hospital. Volunteers stepped forward as drivers and attendants, forming the backbone of a true community‑run servic

The Round Table was louder than usual—the kind of morning where the coffee hadn’t even settled and already three stories were competing for space. Earl dropped into his chair with a clatter, and something metal fell out of his coat pocket and hit the floor. Mabel raised an eyebrow. "You're bringing tools to breakfast now?” Earl shrugged. “Never know when something in this town needs fixing.” “Speaking of fixing,” Mabel said, topping him up, “the downtown restoration hit seven