Shaunavon, Saskatchewan

Prior to September 17, 1913 Shaunavon's earliest development as a civic centre began in 1912 when the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) bought the land as "a divisional point on its Weyburn-Lethbridge line" going west to east. At the time there were 9 surrounding townships to the site. The CPR would build tracks through the current site of the town mainly for its bountiful water supplies. As such, prior to the railway being laid temporary shacks "sprung up around the Hipfner farm just north of the town site" of Shaunavon. as people speculated as to where the railway would go. The exact spot of where the railway would go was unknown so many pre-incorporation buildings were built on skids along Government Road. Initial land sale and development On the morning of September 17, 1913, 51 kilometres north in Gull Lake, the sale of lots in the new CPR town site began. The Shaunavon Standard, established 1913, published its first issue the next day. It reported that "approximately 125 people" were in attendance, and that many had been waiting for "13 days and 13 nights" for the sale to begin. In the same issue the Standard reported that "within eight hours 370 business and residential lots had been purchased". per residential position number, with some buyers buying multiple plots. Members of the 209 reported to the Swift Current barracks on September 15, 1916. Many had been on leave helping their respective families on their farms. Expansion By 1916 Shaunavon had grown to 897 people, keeping with its reputation as a boom town considering. Years after the war in 1922 Shaunavon appealed to the Employment Bureau to make Shaunavon a port of entry for American workers to help with harvest that year. From its inception agriculture was a major component in the Shaunavon economy but 1922 saw a shortage in helping hands. Early Mineral Development Later that year lignite, a form of coal, was found south of Shaunavon and was soon after mined and heavily developed. Lignite had always been present in the region and in some cases it was close enough to the surface that farmers could pick it up by hand and, for some time, had been using the lignite to heat their homes. to June 27, 1928 considerable funding went into the town. In subsequent years several buildings were erected. 1928 saw the completion of the King's Hotel. the Tide Water Associated Oil Company was interested in the region of south-west Saskatchewan for the development of oil. The discovery of oil in the region was in 1952 and the initial production came from Delta field, Dollard and Eastend. With this discovery of oil, Shaunavon experienced a population boom and an increase in housing. Industrial Park In 1981, Shaunavon began developing 65 acres of serviced land for the Shaunavon Industrial Park. The park is located on the west side of Highway No. 37. This highway connects Shaunavon to the United States and the Trans-Canada north at Gull Lake. The extremities included electrical, natural gas and water services. The first park development was Foothills Pipelines (Sask.) Ltd. In 1983, land sold for $8,500- $9,500 an acre, marketed by SEDCO (Saskatchewan Economic Development Corporation). however, a $665 million purchase in 2009, made Crescent Point the predominant company. Crescent Point Energy is an oil and gas company based out of Calgary, Alberta. In 2009, Crescent Point Energy became the main oil company to invest in Shaunavon, owning approximately 90% of the oil play. Coal Before the discovery of oil in 1952, Shaunavon relied on coal. Coal was dug outside Shaunavon in the hills and used to heat homes. Coal was used as barter during the Great Depression. and ts in one of the three coal fields in Saskatchewan that contain almost five billion tonnes of Lignite resources. This means it is able to supply the province with thermal electric power for 300 years with the current rate of consumption. World War I/ World War II/ Korean War In 1939, 83 men of the 14th Canadian Light Horse left for Dundurn In October 1940 Shaunavon local, Dennis King with the C.A.S.F. England captured a German pilot after his plane was shot down. Water In 1913, settlers came to the area that would later be known as Shaunavon. Under a deal by the government at the time, land could be purchased throughout the province for as little as $10 a quarter section after building a homestead on the quarter. Within eight hours, 370 lots totalling $210,000 were purchased! The town gained the title "the water capital of Canada." After the 1983 removal of the Crow Rate, a railway subsidy that benefitted farmers, farmers were forced to pay to ship their grain through larger mainline terminals. Adding to this, by favouring establishing grain terminals on their mainlines, the Canadian Pacific Railway and the Canadian National Railway deprived their thousands of miles of track across the Canadian prairies. Railway companies were forced to abandon some lines in Saskatchewan. These two developments decreased the number of cars moving via railway and forced the Canadian Pacific Railway to abandon the Southwest Saskatchewan Railway portion of Great Western Railway. to sell 550 km (330 miles) of track in south-west Saskatchewan. Then in May, Westcan Rail began negotiations with CP Rail to purchase the four branch lines. The Great Western Railway was at the time, a fully owned Saskatchewan subsidiary of Westcan and its headquarters are located in Shaunavon, Saskatchewan. Finally on September 13, 2000, Westcan Rail received provincial government approval to purchase the lines. In the fall of 2004, a group of local farmers and municipal governments formed a company and purchased the branch lines to keep the GWR running. and the remaining $1.7 million was supplied by a provincial loan. Today it is still locally owned and operated. The GWR moves 6,400 cars annually. The initial goal in 2000, was 4,000 cars per year, which is the same as 30,000 fully loaded axle trucks off the roads. Grain, fertilizer, corn, crude oil and recycled rubber are the main resources transported, as well as running a prosperous storage car business. However, Shaughnessy was of Irish descent, but was born to dirt poor parents in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Thus, the existence of any kind of an old country estate is highly unlikely, and no such place shows up in Irish place name references. Since CP's files are silent on the subject, the derivation of the town name Shaunavon is likely to remain a mystery. ==Political history==

Federal politics Since Shaunavon was founded in 1913, the town and surrounding area have been represented by several different political parties and leaders. The town became a part of the new Maple Creek electoral district, established in 1914. In the 1917 federal election, Unionist party member and Saskatchewan Grain Growers' Association organizer John Archibald Maharg ran unopposed, becoming the first Member of Parliament for the area. The next election in 1921 saw Progressive candidate and Gull Lake resident Neil Haman McTaggart win the district, and Liberal George Spence won in 1925. Spence would resign the next year, replaced with fellow Liberal William George Bock. Swanston's time in federal office ended in 1935, when Liberal candidate Charles Evans won the election. Swanston finished third in a race that was closely fought between four candidates. From 1935 until the ridings' redistribution in 1952, the Maple Creek riding was in the hands of left-wing parties. The Liberals held the seat the entire time, except from 1945 to 1949, when Co-operative Commonwealth Federation candidate Duncan John McCuaig won. Swift Current–Maple Creek constituency combined with the Assiniboia constituency in 1987. Not long after, in 1993, Lee Morrison, a Reform candidate, broke the Progressive Conservatives' hold on the riding. Morrison was elected again in 1997, when Shaunavon was represented by the newly formed Cypress Hills-Grasslands riding. The Canadian Alliance party and candidate David Anderson won handily in the 2000 federal election. Anderson, who became a part of the Conservatives in 2004, represented Shaunavon federally until 2019, when he stepped down. The current MP is his nephew, Jeremy Patzer. Since Dr. Swanston's loss in 1935, the Member of Parliament representing Shaunavon has never been a native of the town: Figures like Morrison and Anderson, while representing the town federally, have come from other towns nearby (Morrison and Anderson come from Vidora and Frontier, respectively.) Provincial politics Provincially, Shaunavon was part of the Gull Lake constituency from the town's beginning in 1913 to 1917. They were led by Liberal party member Daniel Cameron Lochead. In 1917, Shaunavon became part of Saskatchewan's Cypress constituency, and elected Liberal leaders in three straight elections. Henry Halvorson won two of those elections, including the 1921 provincial election, in which he ran unopposed. Shaunavon had its own electoral district between 1934 and 1938, and elected Farmer-Labour candidate Clarence Stork. The Shaunavon district was abolished in 1938, and Shaunavon was made a part of the nearby Gull Lake constituency. The first leader of the new Gull Lake district was Liberal Harvey Harold McMahon, and he was replaced by CCF candidate Al Murray after the 1944 provincial election. The CCF would control the district until it was rezoned and renamed in 1952. Wayne Elhard won the Cypress Hills Constituency for the Saskatchewan Party in 1999, and served until his retirement in 2016. The constituency is currently represented by Saskatchewan Party MLA Doug Steele. == Agriculture ==

Early Agriculture Shaunavon is largely an agricultural community. Before settlement in 1913, Shaunavon was entirely open land. After settlement, the community largely subsisted on agriculture and ranching, including growing wheat that won top wards at international agriculture shows. The 1920s and 1930s met with unprecedented economic boom. In 1921, Rancher Harry Otterson constructed the community's first dipping vat. At the time, his land included 20,000 acres and 350 head of cattle. In 1927, Otterson shipped a stock of cattle to Chicago for $16.65 per 100 lbs, which was the highest price for cattle post war up until that point. Other animals bred in Shaunavon at the time included horses, pigs, and turkeys. Like much of the rest of the Saskatchewan, the 1940s experienced difficult farming conditions. In June 1940, Shaunavon experienced an increasing number of grasshopper infestations that negatively affected crops. The 1940s also experienced several natural disasters. The winter of 1940 had record breaking snowfall. The snowfall disrupted several services, including road clearing and mail. During the winter, Rancher Dan Gunn spent several days travelling 10 miles to his neighbour's farm in an unsuccessful trip to get some horse feed. In 1942, Shaunavon experienced two large prairie fires that destroyed thousands of acres of crops. The fires were believed to have been caused by sparks from machinery, with one spark originating in the Waldville district. The damage spread far enough to cause concern for citizens in Montana on the other side of the border. The 1940s also saw an incredible decline in crop yields, likely resulting from the conditions described above. In 1949, crop yields were at an all-time low. Spring wheat, barley, and fall rye produced a mere one bushel per acre. Oats proved completely impossible to grow, being recorded as producing zero bushels per acre. This time also saw a sharp turn upwards for agriculture. In 1948, residents of Shaunavon first began experimenting with fertilizer. The first farmer to use fertilizer was Anton Dynneson. By 1950, the benefits for fertilizer had become evident, with Dynneson reporting better yields than years without fertilizer. This year also marked a great emphasis on exporting crops, with Shaunavon containing a total of eight grain elevators. Modern agriculture The tail end of the 20th century marked a continual increase in crops. In 1970 durum wheat was first introduced. Canola was also introduced in this year, but was not replanted until the 1990s. This trend continued. In 1993, several new crops were introduced, including mustard, sunflowers, and peas. 1993 was also noted for its large crop yields. This was especially true for oats, which peaked at 91.9 bushels per acre. This was a stark contrast to the zero bushels per acre in 1949. Despite a slight dip in 2000, the crop yields have remained stable ever since. As with many agricultural communities, several businesses have also sprung up in order to support the farms and ranches. ==Climate==

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Shaunavon had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021. In 2006, Shaunavon consisted of 930 females and 825 males, with 83.4 per cent of the population over 15 years of age, and 46.8 years of age being the average age of the town's residents. Ninety-four per cent of Shaunavon's residents identify English as their mother tongue, with the remaining six per cent identifying French, Cantonese, Dutch, Finnish, German, Ilocano, Korean, Mandarin, or Norwegian as their mother tongue. ;Population history The town of Shaunavon rapidly grew in population during its first year. In January 1913, the area that would become Shaunavon had a population of zero; by January of the following year, 750 people resided in the town. The pioneers of Shaunavon were much the same, emigrating from all parts of Europe and the United States. In 1916, Shaunavon experienced a minor drop in population, before experiencing a steady growth in residence over the following 12 years. ==Arts and culture==

The Grand Coteau Heritage Centre is a museum and chapter library with a local art gallery and heritage exhibits on display. It was first formed in August 1931 by members of the Shaunavon Canadian Club. Derivation of the name of Shaunavon's Museum "Grand Coteau" comes from the title le grand coteau or grand slope, of the Missouri as applied by the explorer La Verendrye. The Grand Coteau has received numerous donations over the years. The museum only displays a small fraction of the estimated 11,000 artifacts collected. The museum houses a heritage room in the basement, an art gallery, and a taxidermy wildlife exhibit. For a number of years after World War II, the museum was severely short staffed. Frank O. Bransted, a Shaunavon resident, was the sole volunteer at the Grand Coteau. In 1957, the Grand Coteau was bought by the Town of Shaunavon from the school board for the sum of $1.00. It was then moved to its current location on Shaunavon's Centre Street. The Plaza Theatre on main street runs both movies and theatrical shows. The Darkhorse Theatre performs two major productions a year, and is well known for producing quality shows. The Darkhorse Theatre uses top of the line production equipment to complement the set design, wardrobe, and makeup for the major productions. The spring production consists of three pub night performances and the fall production offers six nights of dinner theatre. ==Attractions==

Tourism Tourists will find several attractions in Shaunavon and some in the area. Shaunavon's tourist attractions include the Darkhorse Theatre, the Grand Coteau Heritage & Cultural Centre, the Plaza Theatre, Rock Creek Golf Course, and the Crescent Point Wickenheiser Centre. A skateboarding area complete with rails, ramps, and several quarter pipes can be found in Jubilee Park. Multiple baseball diamonds sit on the grounds of the Crescent Point Wickenheiser Centre. A swimming pool opens and cools off locals during the summer months. Two tennis courts are available to the public. Annual events such as the Boomtown Days Rodeo are held every July. The first rodeo was held in 1914, one year after the town was founded. The inaugural Boomtown Days Rodeo was held on July 1, 1914. The Shaunavon & District Music Festival is an annual event held in February or early March. The first Shaunavon & District Music Festival was held on April 15, 1928. Shaunavon and District Music Festival First started in 1928, the festival has been a staple in Shaunavon for 83 years. The inaugural festival took place on April 15, 1928. When it was first started, the Saskatchewan Music Festival Association was then known as the Southwestern Branch of the Saskatchewan Musical Association. The festival annually chooses an honorary patron of the festival. The chosen patron is routinely a well-known citizen of Shaunavon. Occasionally a citizen of the neighbouring towns of Eastend, Gull Lake, or Maple Creek will be chosen as the honorary patron. Other attractions Showarama occurs in the spring showcasing merchants in and around the community, I love Shaunavon Day, and the Parade of Lights take place each winter, and Boomtown Days and the Pro-Rodeo occur during the summer. The Shaunavon Rodeo Grounds serve as the backdrop for the annual Shaunavon Pro Rodeo. The Shaunavon Rodeo Association has hosted events, both amateur and professional, for over 40 years. The Shaunavon Pro Rodeo is a CPRA sanctioned event and features many professional competitors that follow the rodeo circuit east from the Calgary Stampede. The Rodeo Grounds are located about 6 km west of Shaunavon on Highway No. 13. ==Sports==

Shaunavon has many seasonal and year-round venues that help to boost tourism and entertain residents. It also has numerous organizations offering sport, culture, recreational, and social opportunities including hockey, soccer, curling, figure skating, karate, fastball and baseball, volleyball, basketball, performing arts, and a variety of dance disciplines. The service groups include: Shaunavon Kinsmen & Kinettes, Shaunavon Legion & Legion Auxiliary, Shaunavon Elks & Royal Purple, Shawnees, Knights of Columbus, Hometown Club, Senior Citizens, and a number of church organizations. Recreational facilities include: walking trails, Recreation Complex, tennis courts, horseshoe pits, swimming pool, regional library, playgrounds, fitness gym, golf club, rinks, movie theatre, ball park, skating, and curling. During the summer months, the skating rink serves as a community centre for various events and in the fall and winter is covered with ice again for both skating and curling. In the summer months an outdoor recreation swimming pool is available and a 9-hole golf course, Rock Creek, is also open. Camping is available at the Shawnee Campground adjacent to Memorial Park in the heart of the town. Shaunavon is home to the Shaunavon Badgers of the Whitemud Hockey League. Shaunavon hosted CBC's Fifth Annual Hockey Day in Canada on February 21, 2004. ==Transportation==

Saskatchewan Highways 13 and 37 connect to Shaunavon. Shaunavon is served by the Shaunavon Airport. Shaunavon's airport has a regulation asphalt, lighted runway, in length. The airport has LWIS weather system as well as a global positioning system to assist pilots to their destinations. == Services ==

Government services Shaunavon is the main large centre next to Swift Current in south-western Saskatchewan meaning that the town has a lot of government services. The town houses a local Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) detachment. Also in Shaunavon is a Service Canada facility, the Shaunavon Scheduled Outreach Site. It helps residents with services such as pension information, labour standards, disability benefits, veterans affairs, job search assistance, amongst other services. Shaunavon Hospital and Care Centre is part of the Cypress Health Region. The hospital offers primary health care services with physicians and nurse practitioners. The Shaunavon Branch of Regional Library is located at the Grand Coteau Heritage and Cultural Centre. Shaunavon is home to three different schools, two elementary schools and one high school. Under the Chinook School Division is Shaunavon Public School, which is the town's public elementary school, and Shaunavon High School, which is the town's only high school. Shaunavon also has one of the few rural Catholic schools in Saskatchewan, Christ the King School, an elementary school. Businesses Shaunavon is home to a variety of stores, ranging from grocery to clothing stores. The Shaunavon Co-op has been part of the town since 1935 and it offers such services such as a food store, home and agro centre, gas bar and cardlock. pharmacies, a liquor store, banks, hotels, car dealerships, a florist, and a discount store. ==Education==

The schools in Shaunavon are part of the Chinook School Division. • Shaunavon High School (grades 8 – 12) • Shaunavon Public School (grades K – 7) • Christ the King School (grades K – 7) • Cypress Hills College ==Media==

Shaunavon has one radio station Country 1490, formerly CJSN 1490 and the local newspaper The Shaunavon Standard. == Notable residents ==

• Jim Hunter (skier) • Hayley Wickenheiser • Frances Hyland • Dwain Lingenfelter • Ann Eriksson • Hunter Brothers • Braydon Coburn ==Mayors and reeves==

Mayors The Shaunavon Standard documented many accomplishments by town council, highlighted by the purchasing of fire equipment in the early years, the construction and maintenance of roads and sidewalks, and the focus on emergencies services and recreational initiatives throughout their history. In 1913, the first reeve was L.T. Bergh. In 1956, they introduced two-year terms and in 2012, four-year terms. Michael Sutter currently sits as reeve. == See also ==