Gull Lake's story begins in 1906, when a development company, Conrad and Price, acquired the town site, surveyed it and divided it into blocks. Most towns along the Canadian Pacific Railway main line were planned and established by the railroad, but Gull Lake was not. It bucked the railway's plan, and there was some animosity from the railroad toward the new town.
For its first three years the company had full say over civic affairs, as there was no municipal government or other authority. In 1909 the citizens had the community incorporated as a village.
Before 1906, the land where the town stands was part of the famed Ranch 76, which stretched over most of southwestern Saskatchewan. A few buildings in town were once part of the ranch. The name comes from the Cree word for the area, Kiaskus (kiyaskos), meaning "little gull."
Today Gull Lake sits at the junction of the Trans-Canada Highway and Highway 37, west of Swift Current. Agriculture is the top employer, with many surrounding farms and ranches, and some people work in the oil fields.
Written from Wikipedia’s article “Gull Lake, Saskatchewan” (CC BY-SA 4.0), and shared under the same licence.