Gull Lake in the War Years: 1917–1918

Gull Lake lived through these two wartime years with a kind of steady resilience, keeping civic life moving even as the wider world was changing in ways no one here could ignore.. Council meetings continued, bylaws were passed, and appointments made, but beneath the routine lay drought, fire, epidemic, and the strain of a nation at war.

1917: A Quiet, Wartime Year

In 1917, Dr. McCue served as mayor, supported by councillors A.H. Thomas, G.A. Currie, W.J. Crosbie, E.A. Fowlie, M.O. Rollefson, and George Donegan. Dr. Coulter, the Medical Health Officer, was appointed at a salary of $400 per year, while Fred Hinton continued in his long‑standing role as secretary‑treasurer.

Little in the council minutes suggests major civic developments. The nation’s energy was fixed on the war effort, and Gull Lake was no exception. Even so, a few details stand out. The town drafted a bylaw to regulate automobile speed, setting the limit at ten miles per hour—a sign of changing times. Policing also shifted: George McLeod resigned early in the year, replaced by Gus Henderson, who himself resigned later. Council briefly appointed T.L. Foster before reversing course and hiring Mr. Tims at $100 per month, plus a uniform supplied by J.W. Paul for $94.

Taxes reflected wartime realities: a general levy, school and business taxes, and a patriotic tax of two and a half mills. And in one small but memorable incident, W. Henry received $25 in damages after his buggy struck a plow left on Proton Street.

While council dealt with routine matters, life outside the council chamber was changing as well. The area west of town known as the Jews' Pasture—a name long used locally for that district—was becoming firmly settled. Homesteaders had set boundaries, built their first structures, and seeded spring crops. A wet year helped produce good flax and oats, offering a rare bright spot amid wartime uncertainty.

1918: Fire, Drought, Flu, and the End of War

If 1917 was quiet, 1918 was anything but. Dr. McCue again occupied the mayor’s chair, joined by councillors Wilbur George, J.S. Tweed, E.A. Fowlie, A.H. Thomas, George Donegan, and R. Shingler. Salaries rose modestly: the town clerk earned $125 per month, and the policeman $115. Dr. Coulter continued as Medical Health Officer, and Bob Broley was appointed auditor.

One of the first notable actions of council was a $25 grant to the Gull Lake Band—the earliest recorded mention of a musical group in town. Though the full roster is lost to time, memories remain of Walter Smith, who later moved to Shaunavon; John Rushford Jr.; Rusty Warren, who died during the flu; and Westall, a homesteader from the White Craig district. Their presence hints at the cultural life that persisted even in difficult years.

But 1918 quickly turned grim. A succession of mysterious fires broke out across town, often in the early morning hours. The cause of the fires was never settled, though plenty of people quietly wondered if someone had been setting them.The situation grew so serious that citizens organized night patrols, taking turns as fire wardens to protect the community while most slept. It was one of the earliest examples of Gull Lake residents stepping forward to defend their town when official resources were stretched thin.

Nature offered no relief. Following a dry 1917, the winter brought almost no snow, and spring delivered little moisture. Then came a year of relentless heat and southwest winds. By July, pastures were burned brown, crops had withered, and feed had to be imported — bringing with it noxious weeds that would trouble farmers for decades. Many old‑timers would later recall 1918 as one of the worst crop years in local memory.

Then, in November, the Great War ended.

Word of the Armistice arrived by telegraph—there was no radio yet—and Gull Lake responded with a mixture of relief and restraint. Bells rang. Small gatherings formed. Herb Sweeting assembled a group of Boy Scouts in front of the old fire hall, drum and bugle in hand, trying to mark the moment. A few surviving band members attempted a parade, adding what cheer they could.

But the Spanish Flu was at its height. Daily funerals cast a pall over any celebration, and the community’s joy at the war’s end was overshadowed by the grim reality of sickness, loss, and constant care for the ill. The town’s relief was real, but subdued—tempered by the knowledge that many families were grieving even as peace was declared.

A Community Holding Together

Taken together, 1917 and 1918 show a town navigating one of the most difficult chapters in its history. Council meetings continued, bylaws were passed, taxes set, and appointments were made—but the real story lies in the resilience of the people who kept Gull Lake functioning through war, drought, fire, and epidemic. These years show that a town’s progress isn’t just found in bylaws or budgets but in how its people hold together when times are hard.

Gull Lake Events

Source: Gull Lake Memories: A History of the Town of Gull Lake.

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