The City of Kawartha Lakes (

2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October 2021 coup in Sudan; Crowd shortly after t ...

population 79,247) is a

unitary Unitary may refer to: Mathematics * Unitary divisor * Unitary element * Unitary group * Unitary matrix * Unitary morphism * Unitary operator * Unitary transformation * Unitary representation * Unitarity (physics) * ''E''-unitary inverse semigrou ...

municipality in

Central Ontario Central Ontario is a secondary region of Southern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario that lies between Georgian Bay and the eastern end of Lake Ontario. The population of the region was 1,123,307 in 2016; however, this number does not in ...

, Canada. It is a municipality legally structured as a single-tier city; however, Kawartha Lakes is the size of a typical Ontario county and is mostly rural. It is the second largest single-tier municipality in Ontario by land area (after Greater Sudbury). The main population centres are the communities of Lindsay (population: 22,367),

Bobcaygeon Bobcaygeon is a community on the Trent–Severn Waterway in the City of Kawartha Lakes, east-central Ontario, Canada. Bobcaygeon was incorporated as a village in 1876, and became known as the "Hub of the Kawarthas". Its recorded name ''bob- ...

(population: 3,576),

Fenelon Falls Fenelon Falls is a village in Ontario, Canada, part of the city of Kawartha Lakes. Nicknamed the "Jewel of the Kawarthas," it has a population of 2,500 permanent inhabitants, which swells in the summer due to tourism and holiday cottages. Fenelon ...

(population: 2,490), Omemee (population: 1,060) and Woodville (population: 718).

History

The Kawartha Lakes area is situated on the traditional territory of the

Anishinaabe The Anishinaabeg (adjectival: Anishinaabe) are a group of culturally related Indigenous peoples present in the Great Lakes region of Canada and the United States. They include the Ojibwe (including Saulteaux and Oji-Cree), Odawa, Potawat ...

g, Huron-Wendat and more recently, the

Haudenosaunee The Iroquois ( or ), officially the Haudenosaunee ( meaning "people of the longhouse"), are an Iroquoian-speaking confederacy of First Nations peoples in northeast North America/ Turtle Island. They were known during the colonial years to ...

peoples. The city's name is from the

Kawartha Lakes The City of Kawartha Lakes (2021 population 79,247) is a unitary municipality in Central Ontario, Canada. It is a municipality legally structured as a single-tier city; however, Kawartha Lakes is the size of a typical Ontario county and is most ...

. ''Kawartha'' is an anglicization of ''Ka-wa-tha'' (from ''Ka-wa-tae-gum-maug'' or ''Gaa-waategamaag''), which was coined in 1895 by Martha Whetung of the Curve Lake

First Nations First Nations or first peoples may refer to: * Indigenous peoples, for ethnic groups who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area. Indigenous groups *First Nations is commonly used to describe some Indigenous groups including: **First Natio ...

. It meant "land of reflections" in the

Anishinaabe language Ojibwe , also known as Ojibwa , Ojibway, Otchipwe,R. R. Bishop Baraga, 1878''A Theoretical and Practical Grammar of the Otchipwe Language''/ref> Ojibwemowin, or Anishinaabemowin, is an indigenous language of North America of the Algonquian lan ...

, according to Whetung. The word was later changed by tourism promoters to ''Kawartha'', meaning "bright waters and happy lands." Prior to its restructuring as a city, the area was known as Victoria County. The city was created in 2001, during the ruling provincial Progressive Conservative party's "

Common Sense Revolution The phrase Common Sense Revolution (CSR) has been used as a political slogan to describe conservative platforms with a main goal of reducing taxes while balancing the budget by reducing the size and role of government. It has been used in places ...

". Through provincial legislation, the former Victoria County and its constituent municipalities were

amalgamated Amalgamation is the process of combining or uniting multiple entities into one form. Amalgamation, amalgam, and other derivatives may refer to: Mathematics and science * Amalgam (chemistry), the combination of mercury with another metal **Pan am ...

into one entity named the ''City of Kawartha Lakes''. This act was implemented by the Victoria County Restructuring Commission, led by commissioner Harry Kitchen. Despite a general opposition from residents of the area, the provincial government pushed forward with the amalgamation, which officially came into effect on January 1, 2001. By a narrow margin (51% for, 49% against), the citizens of Kawartha Lakes voted to de-amalgamate in a November 2003 local plebiscite, but the provincial and municipal governments have not taken any steps since the vote to initiate de-amalgamation.

Demographics

In the

2021 Census of Population The 2021 Canadian census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population with a reference date of May 11, 2021. It follows the 2016 Canadian census, which recorded a population of 35,151,728. The overall response rate was 98%, which is sli ...

conducted by Statistics Canada, Kawartha Lakes 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 the 2016 census, the population of the Lindsay urban area was 20,713, up from 20,291 in 2011.

Ethnocultural and racial statistics

''Only ethnic groups that comprise greater than 1% of the population are included. Note that a person can report more than one group'' *English: 45.2% *Canadian: 35.0% *Irish: 27.6% *Scottish: 20.3% *French: 10.4% *German: 9.4% *Dutch: 6.3% *First Nations: 2.9% *Welsh: 2.6% *Polish: 2.2% *Italian: 2.2% *Ukrainian: 2.2% *British Isles (other): 2.0% *Hungarian: 1.0% *Native: 2.9% *Non-European Ethnicities: 1.6%

Government

Kawartha Lakes is governed by a City Council consisting of the Mayor and one councillor from each of the City's wards. From 2001 to the 2018 election, there were 16 wards and councillors, but this was changed to 8 wards for the 2018 election. The mayor and councillors are elected for four-year terms, as mandated by the Government of Ontario for all municipalities in the province. The mayor of Kawartha Lakes is Andy Letham. For purposes of electing representatives both provincially and federally, the city is within the riding of

Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock (formerly Haliburton—Victoria—Brock and Victoria—Haliburton) is a federal electoral district in central Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 1968. Geography ...

. Its Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) is Laurie Scott of the Progressive Conservative Party, elected in 2018. Its federal

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members o ...

(MP) is

Jamie Schmale Jamie P. Schmale is a Canadian politician, who was elected to represent the riding of Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock in the House of Commons of Canada in the 2015 federal election. He was re-elected in the 2019 election. Prior to ent ...

of the Conservative Party, who was elected in 2015.

Communities

The following is a list of all the former incorporated villages,

unincorporated Unincorporated may refer to: * Unincorporated area, land not governed by a local municipality * Unincorporated entity, a type of organization * Unincorporated territories of the United States, territories under U.S. jurisdiction, to which Congress ...

hamlets and communities, rural

post office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional ser ...

s, and rural post offices abandoned after the start of

rural In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry typically are descri ...

mail delivery. * Ancona Point *Argyle *''Aros''^** *Avery Point *Baddow *Baker Trail *Ballyduff *Barclay *Bellevue *

Bethany Bethany ( grc-gre, Βηθανία,Murphy-O'Connor, 2008, p152/ref> Syriac: ܒܝܬ ܥܢܝܐ ''Bēṯ ʿAnyā'') or what is locally known as Al-Eizariya or al-Azariya ( ar, العيزرية, " laceof Lazarus"), is a Palestinian town in the West B ...

*Bethel *Birch Point *

Bolsover Bolsover is a market town and the administrative centre of the Bolsover District, Derbyshire, England. It is from London, from Sheffield, from Nottingham and from Derby. It is the main town in the Bolsover district. The civil parish for th ...

*Brunswick * Burnt River *Burton *Bury's Green *Cambray * Cameron *Camp Kagawong *Campbells Beach *

Coboconk Coboconk, often shortened to Coby, is a community in the city of Kawartha Lakes, in the south-central portion of the Canadian province of Ontario. The village lies at the junction of Highway 35 and former Highway 48, on the northern tip of ...

*Corson's Siding *Cowan's Bay *Crawfords Beach *Cresswell *Crosshill *Cunningham's Corners * Dalrymple *Dartmoor^* *Daytonia Beach *''

Dongola Dongola ( ar, دنقلا, Dunqulā), also spelled ''Dunqulah'', is the capital of the state of Northern Sudan, on the banks of the Nile, and a former Latin Catholic bishopric (14th century). It should not be confused with Old Dongola, an ancien ...

''^** *''Downeyville'' *Dunsford * East Emily * Eldon *Fairburn Corner *Fee's Landing *Feir Mill *Fell Station *

*Fingerboard *Fleetwood^* *''Fleetwood Station''^** *Fowlers Corners *Fox's Corners *Frank Hill *Franklin *Gilsons Point *Glamorgan *Glandine *

Glenarm Glenarm () is a village in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It lies on the North Channel coast north of the town of Larne and the village of Ballygalley, and south of the village of Carnlough. It is situated in the civil parish of Tickmacreva ...

*Glenway Village *Grasshill *Greenhurst-Thurstonia *''Hartley''^** *'' Head Lake''^** *Hickory Beach *Hillhead Corners *Horncastle^* *Isaacs Glen *''Islay''^** *Janetville *Joyvista Estates *Kenedon Park *Kennedy Bay *Kenrei Park *Kenstone Beach *Keystone Beach *King's Wharf * Kinmount * Kirkfield *Lake Dalrymple *Lancaster Bay *Lifford *Linden Valley * Lindsay * Little Britain *Long Beach *Long Point * Lorneville *Lotus *MacKenzie Point *Mallards Bay *Manilla *

Manvers Manvers is a suburb of Wath upon Dearne in the Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham in South Yorkshire, England. It lies across the border with the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster, whilst Mexborough is part of Doncaster. It is situated between Mexb ...

*Mariposa Station^** * Mariposa *McCrackin's Beach *McGuire Beach *''Mount Horeb''^*, ^** *Newmans Beach * Norland *Oak Hill *Oakdene Point *Oakwood *O'Donnell Landing * Omemee *Orange Corners *''Palestine''^** *Pickerel Point *Pleasant Point * Pontypool *Port Hoover *Powles Corners *''Ragged Rapids''^*, ^** *Reaboro *Red Cap Beach *Rohallion * Rokeby * Rosedale *Sadowa *Salem Corners *Sandy Point *Sebright *Silver Lake *Snug Harbour *Southview Estates *'' St. Mary's''^** * Sturgeon Point *Sullivan's Bay *Sylvan Glen Beach *Taylor's Corners *Tracey's Hill *Union Creek *''Uphill''^** * Valentia *Verulam Park * Victoria Road * View Lake *Washburn Island *Watson's Siding * Woodville *Yelverton *''Zion''^** Note: ^*

ghost town Ghost Town(s) or Ghosttown may refer to: * Ghost town, a town that has been abandoned Film and television * ''Ghost Town'' (1936 film), an American Western film by Harry L. Fraser * ''Ghost Town'' (1956 film), an American Western film by All ...

^** ''abandoned includes: solely a rural post office (no other local "community") abandoned after the start of rural mail delivery; abandoned rural post office with some local community that became ghost town over time; and communities planned during surveying of the county in the 1830s, but were never built''

Climate

The Kawartha Lakes area has a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...

with warm, sometimes humid summers and cold snowy winters. The snowier areas are typically the ones closer to large lakes, and snow usually ranges from 150 cm to 200 cm in a year in most areas.

Victoria County

Prior to 2001, Victoria County consisted of 13 separate townships and 6 incorporated communities, each with their own local governments:

Townships

Population centres: *

Bexley Bexley is an area of south-eastern Greater London, England and part of the London Borough of Bexley. It is sometimes known as Bexley Village or Old Bexley to differentiate the area from the wider borough. It is located east-southeast of Ch ...

(Victoria Road, Coboconk) * Carden (Dalrymple) *

Dalton Dalton may refer to: Science * Dalton (crater), a lunar crater * Dalton (program), chemistry software * Dalton (unit) (Da), the atomic mass unit * John Dalton, chemist, physicist and meteorologist Entertainment * Dalton (Buffyverse), minor ch ...

(Sebright, Uphill, Sadowa) * Eldon (Glenarm, Kirkfield, Woodville) * Emily (Omemee, Downeyville, Fowlers Corners) * Fenelon (Cameron, Cambray, Powles Corners) * Laxton, Digby and Longford (Uphill, Norland) * Longford (largely uninhabited) *

(Janetville, Bethany, Pontypool) * Mariposa (Oakwood, Little Britain, Manilla) * Ops (Reaboro) * Somerville (Coboconk, Kinmount) * Verulam (Dunsford, Bobcaygeon) The township of Laxton, Digby and Longford is an amalgamation of the once individual townships of Digby and Laxton, and half of the original Longford Township. The separate township of Longford is uninhabited, though dotted with abandoned logging towns. In 2000, just prior to amalgamation into the city of Kawartha Lakes, the township of Verulam and the village of Bobcaygeon were amalgamated into the Municipality of Bobcaygeon/Verulam, and the separate townships of Carden and Dalton amalgamated into the Township of Carden/Dalton.

Incorporated communities

*Town of Lindsay *Village of

*Village of

*Village of Omemee *Village of Sturgeon Point *Village of Woodville

Transportation

Air transportation

Kawartha Lakes Municipal Airport, a Transport Canada certified airport, has 24-hour radio operated lighting and provides access to key points throughout Ontario. Kawartha Lakes Municipal Airport is located one nautical mile west north west of Lindsay. It offers a card lock fuel system and can be used by both private and commercial airplanes.

Water transportation

Towns and villages in City of Kawartha Lakes are interconnected by rivers, lakes and streams that can be best navigated May to October. The Trent-Severn Waterway, which extends from

Bay of Quinte The Bay of Quinte () is a long, narrow bay shaped like the letter "Z" on the northern shore of Lake Ontario in the province of Ontario, Canada. It is just west of the head of the Saint Lawrence River that drains the Great Lakes into the Gulf of ...

Lake Ontario Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north, west, and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south and east by the U.S. state of New York. The Canada–United States border ...

Georgian Bay Georgian Bay (french: Baie Georgienne) is a large bay of Lake Huron, in the Laurentia bioregion. It is located entirely within the borders of Ontario, Canada. The main body of the bay lies east of the Bruce Peninsula and Manitoulin Island. To ...

in the north, is part of the waterways in City of Kawartha Lakes. Five locks, Bobcaygeon 32, Lindsay 33, Fenelon Falls 34, Rosedale 35, and Kirkfield 36 are part of the Trent-Severn National HistoricSsite and operated by Parks Canada.

is noted as being Canada's fresh water summit with waters flowing two different directions. It is the highest navigable point in Canada from which it is possible to reach the world. There are no

water taxi A water taxi or a water bus is a watercraft used to provide public or private transport, usually, but not always, in an urban environment. Service may be scheduled with multiple stops, operating in a similar manner to a bus, or o ...

s operating in City of Kawartha Lakes. Boat and houseboat rentals are available.

Land transportation

The following King's Highways pass through the city: * Highway 7, part of the

Trans-Canada Highway The Trans-Canada Highway (French: ; abbreviated as the TCH or T-Can) is a transcontinental federal–provincial highway system that travels through all ten provinces of Canada, from the Pacific Ocean on the west coast to the Atlantic Ocean on ...

* Highway 7A *

Highway 35 The following highways are numbered 35: International * European route E35 Canada * Alberta Highway 35 * British Columbia Highway 35 * Ontario Highway 35 * Quebec Autoroute 35 *Saskatchewan Highway 35 China * G35 Expressway Costa Rica * ...

* Highway 115 * Highway 7B also exists entirely within the city, following the length of Kent Street through Lindsay, and cosigning with Highway 35 for 800 m. The following multi-use trails pass through the city: * Lindsay-Peterborough (east-west) rail line, part of the

Trans Canada Trail The Trans Canada Trail, officially named The Great Trail between September 2016 and June 2021, is a cross- Canada system of greenways, waterways, and roadways that stretches from the Atlantic to the Pacific to the Arctic oceans. The trail exten ...

* Bethany-Haliburton (north-south) rail line, known as the Victoria Rail Trail

Public transportation

Because of the largely rural composition of the City of Kawartha Lakes, there is limited

public transportation Public transport (also known as public transportation, public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public unlike private transport, typical ...

. City of Kawartha Lakes has public bus transit in the town of Lindsay only (known as Lindsay Transit), running three lines of hourly service Monday-Saturday from 7am-7pm. On June 21, 2015 a pilot project rural bus route serving part of City of Kawartha Lakes ended service. The rural bus stopped in Lindsay, Dunsford, Bobcaygeon, Fenelon Falls, and Cameron. Most school children are bussed to elementary and high school.

Bus companies

TOK Coachlines (formerly called CanAr Bus Lines) offers service between Toronto and Haliburton with several stops in City of Kawartha Lakes.

Train routes

The last Canadian National Railway (CN) train to run through City of Kawartha Lakes was on the Lindsay - Uxbridge line which ceased operation in 1990. The last passenger train to run through the City of Kawartha Lakes was No. 189 with Budd Car VIA 6104 from Havelock to Toronto Union Station over Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) lines on January 14, 1990. CP freight trains continue to operate through the City of Kawartha Lakes on the

Havelock Subdivision Havelock may refer to: People As a surname * Havelock-Allan baronets, holders of the baronetcy * Sir Henry Havelock (1795–1857), British general, active in India * Lieutenant General Sir Henry Havelock-Allan, 1st Baronet (1830–1897), ...

(MP 133.23 - MP 143.22) which passes through Pontypool (MP 139.1) High-level discussions organized by the Shining Waters Railway continue about returning passenger rail-service to the Midtown Toronto to Havelock line with a stop in Pontypool. The

which is situated on the old rail line from Uxbridge, continues to be a possibility for commuter service to Toronto and Pearson Airport, from the Highway 7 bridge.

Taxi services

There are several private taxi services in City of Kawartha Lakes licensed by the local government.

Car/van pools

Several businesses and organizations offer car and van pooling through Car Pool World including

Sir Sandford Fleming College Fleming College, also known as Sir Sandford Fleming College, is an Ontario College of Applied Arts and Technology located in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. The college has an enrollment of more than 6,800 full-time and 10,000 part-time student ...

Attractions

*Academy Theatre *Lindsay Little Theatre *The Lindsay Gallery *Maryboro Lodge: The Fenelon Museum *Devil's Elbow Ski Area,

* Ganaraska Hiking Trail *

Trans-Canada Trail The Trans Canada Trail, officially named The Great Trail between September 2016 and June 2021, is a cross-Canada system of greenways, waterways, and roadways that stretches from the Atlantic to the Pacific to the Arctic oceans. The trail extend ...

, and Doube's Trestle Bridge * Lindsay Airport, Lindsay * Youngtown Rock and Roll Museum * Olde Gaol Museum *Victoria Recreation Corridor *Highland Cinema and Museum, Kinmount * Trent-Severn Waterway **Lock 32:

**Lock 33: Lindsay **Lock 34: Fenelon Falls **Lock 35: Rosedale **Lock 36: Kirkfield lift lock

Protected areas

Queen Elizabeth II Wildlands Provincial Park The Queen Elizabeth II Wildlands Provincial Park is a provincial park in south-central Ontario, Canada, between Gravenhurst, Ontario, Gravenhurst and Minden, Ontario, Minden. The park, named for Elizabeth II, who at the time was Monarchy of Canad ...

* Carden Alvar Provincial Park *

Balsam Lake Provincial Park Balsam Lake Provincial Park is a provincial park located in south-central Ontario on Balsam Lake. The park is situated along the Trent-Severn Waterway, a few kilometres southwest of Coboconk. It is an all-seasons recreation area offering camping ...

* Indian Point Provincial Park *

Emily Provincial Park Emily may refer to: * Emily (given name), including a list of people with the name Music * Emily (1964 song), "Emily" (1964 song), title song by Johnny Mandel and Johnny Mercer to the film ''The Americanization of Emily'' * Emily (Dave Koz son ...

*Pigeon River Headwaters Conservation Area *Fleetwood Creek Conservation Area *Windy Ridge Conservation Area *Ken Reid Conservation Area * Gamiing Nature Centre

Media

* ''

Kawartha Lakes This Week ''Kawartha Lakes This Week'' is a weekly, community newspaper in Lindsay, Ontario, Canada, that was established in 1977 under the title ''Lindsay This Week''. It is one of three newspapers in the Kawartha Division of Metroland Publishing, a compa ...

'' (established as ''Lindsay This Week'' in 1977) * '' The Lindsay Advocate'' (online and print news magazine focused on social and economic issues.) * The Kawartha Promoter (online news magazine published out of Bobcaygeon) * 91.9 Bounce FM (

CKLY-FM CKLY-FM is a Canadian radio station, broadcasting at 91.9 FM in Lindsay, Ontario. The station broadcasts an adult hits format branded as ''Bounce 91.9''. History The station was launched on December 8, 1955 on 910 AM, owned by Greg-May Broadc ...

) transmits from Lindsay * CHEX-TV transmits on Channel 12 from Peterborough * 100.3 LIFE FM, transmitting at 89.3 from Peterborough * ''

The Lindsay Post ''The Lindsay Post'' was a newspaper in Lindsay, Ontario, Canada, that was established as ''The Canadian Post'' in 1857 in Beaverton before being moved to Lindsay in 1861. When it ceased publishing in 2013, it was a twice-weekly, broadsheet commu ...

'' (established in Beaverton as ''The Canadian Post'' in 1857, moved to Lindsay in 1861. Ceased publication in 2013.)

Surrounding counties

Muskoka District Municipality The District Municipality of Muskoka, more generally referred to as the District of Muskoka or Muskoka, is a regional municipality in Central Ontario, Canada. Muskoka extends from Georgian Bay in the west, to the northern tip of Lake Couchiching ...

Haliburton County Haliburton is a county of Ontario, Canada, known as a tourist and cottage area in Central Ontario for its scenery and for its resident artists. Minden Hills is the county seat. Haliburton County and the village of Haliburton are named after Tho ...

* Northumberland County *

Peterborough County Peterborough County is located in Southern Ontario, Canada. The county seat is Peterborough, which is independent of the county. The southern section of the county is mix of agriculture, urban and lakefront properties. The northern section of th ...

Regional Municipality of Durham The Regional Municipality of Durham (), informally referred to as Durham Region, is a regional municipality in Southern Ontario, Canada. Located east of Toronto and the Regional Municipality of York, Durham forms the east-end of the Greater To ...

Simcoe County Simcoe County is located in the central portion of Southern Ontario, Canada. The county is just north of the Greater Toronto Area, stretching from the shores of Lake Simcoe in the east to Georgian Bay in the west. Simcoe County forms part of the ...

References

External links

* {{authority control 2001 establishments in Ontario Cities in Ontario Populated places established in 2001 Single-tier municipalities in Ontario