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"[6] going west to east.

As such, prior to the railway being laid temporary shacks "sprung up around the Hipfner farm just north of the town site" of Shaunavon.

[8] On the morning of September 17, 1913, 51 kilometres north in Gull Lake, the sale of lots in the new CPR town site began.

[24] Wave Energy drilled the first successful horizontal well,[25] however, a $665 million purchase in 2009,[26] made Crescent Point the predominant company.

Importantly, the Shaunavon Plaza Theatre gave a benefit performance to help boost the sale of War Saving Certificates and Stamps in July 1940.

[20] Today, Shaunavon's local cenotaph still stands in Memorial Park, to commemorate the fallen soldiers of the World Wars.

It was built to commemorate those who fought in the First World War and a sealed list of men from the Shaunavon district is enclosed in the cenotaph.

The Royal Train, with King George VI and Queen Elizabeth on board, stopped in the town and asked to be supplied with spring water.

Rising insurance costs prompted the formation of Project 2002 — a plan to replace the rink with a more modern facility over the foundation of the old arena.

[49] 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.

[52] Grain, fertilizer, corn, crude oil and recycled rubber are the main resources transported, as well as running a prosperous storage car business.

In the late 1990s, the CPR announced its intentions to sell the track leading to the south-west to WestCan Rail, a railway salvage operation.

Meanwhile, producers purchased the remaining standing wooden grain elevators in Shaunavon, Admiral, Eastend, Ponteix and Neville.

Today the Great Western Railway is owned by the coalition and continues to operate the shortline to south-west Saskatchewan.

[55] 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.

One of Canada's earliest female politicians, Hollis was the president of the Saskatchewan Grain Growers' Association; the same organization John Archibald Maharg ran when he was elected.

The Liberals held the seat the entire time, except from 1945 to 1949, when Co-operative Commonwealth Federation candidate Duncan John McCuaig won.

The previous trend of voting for left-wing candidates changed in 1958, with the election of Jack McIntosh, who ran as a Progressive Conservative.

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.

In the new Shaunavon district, left-wing parties continued to rise, with the Liberals, CCF and, later, the New Democrats trading power over the area.

Lingenfelter would go on to have a long political career, later seeing him become the head of Saskatchewan's NDP and a key member of Premier Roy Romanow's provincial cabinet.

After a returning officer cast a deciding vote in favour of McPherson to break the tie, the result was thrown out and a by-election was called.

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.

Created by Rancher Vince Stevenson, the business operates as a meat processing and deli store that also offers custom cuttings to local residents.

Occasionally a citizen of the neighbouring towns of Eastend, Gull Lake, or Maple Creek will be chosen as the honorary patron.

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.

[5] Shaunavon is the main large centre next to Swift Current in south-western Saskatchewan meaning that the town has a lot of government services.

[102] 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.

[106] 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.

[112] A town council meeting in February 1932 was postponed so councillors could watch the Swift Current versus Shaunavon hockey game.