Kawartha Lakes (2021 population: 79,247) is a single-tier municipality in Central Ontario, Canada. Though structured as a single-tier municipality, 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 (population: 3,576), Fenelon Falls (population: 2,490), Omemee (population: 1,060) and Woodville (population: 718).
History The Kawartha Lakes area is situated on the traditional territory of the Anishinaabeg, Huron-Wendat and more recently, the Haudenosaunee peoples. The city's name is from the Kawartha Lakes. 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. It meant "land of reflections" in the Anishinaabe language, 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". Through provincial legislation, the former Victoria County and its constituent municipalities were amalgamated 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 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 did not act upon it.
Victoria County
Prior to 2001, Victoria County consisted of 13 separate townships and 6 incorporated communities, each with their own local governments:Algonquin Park and Kawarthas map. MapArt Corporation. 1998.
The incorporated townships were (with main population centres): Bexley (Victoria Road, Coboconk) Carden (Dalrymple) Dalton (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) Manvers (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, Laxton, and Longford Township. 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 were: Town of Lindsay Village of Bobcaygeon Village of Fenelon Falls Village of Omemee Village of Sturgeon Point Village of Woodville
Geography Surrounding counties are: Muskoka District Municipality Haliburton County Northumberland County Peterborough County Regional Municipality of Durham Simcoe County
Communities
Ancona Point Bethany Bobcaygeon Bolsover Burnt River Cameron Coboconk Dalrymple Dongola East Emily Eldon Fenelon Falls Glenarm Head Lake Kinmount Kirkfield Lindsay Little Britain Lorneville Manvers Mariposa Norland Omemee Pontypool Rokeby Rosedale St. Mary's Sturgeon Point Valentia Victoria Road View Lake Woodville
Climate The Kawartha Lakes area has a humid continental climate 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.
Demographics In the 2021 Census of Population 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.
Ethnicity Ethnic Origins (2021):
Only ethnic groups that comprise greater than 1% of the population are included. Note that a person can report more than one group
English: 35.9% Irish: 27.2% Scottish: 25.5% Canadian: 20.6% German: 8.8% French n.o.s: 7.5% British Isles n.o.s: 5.8% Dutch: 5.3% Italian: 3.4% Welsh: 3.0% Polish: 2.5% Caucasian (White), n.o.s.: 2.1% Ukrainian: 2.1% European, n.o.s.: 1.5% First Nations n.o.s: 1.4% Métis: 1.1% French Canadian: 1.0%
In 2021, Kawartha Lakes was 93.7% white/European, 3.4% visible minorities, and 2.9% Indigenous. The largest visible minority groups were South Asian (0.9%), Black (0.8%) and Chinese (0.5%).
+ Panethnic groups in the Municipality of Kawartha Lakes (2001−2021)Panethnicgroup20212016201120062001 European 72,385 69,850 68,810 70,915 66,990 Indigenous 2,210 1,995 1,380 1,255 785 South Asian 675 340 330 360 120 African 605 280 265 250 160 East Asian 540 360 415 280 160 Southeast Asian 220 315 85 75 85 Latin American 190 40 35 65 25 Middle Eastern 55 115 25 40 85 Other 145 75 90 110 45 Total responses 77,230 73,375 71,450 73,360 68,460 Total population 79,247 75,423 73,219 74,561 69,179
Religion 53.8% of Kawartha Lakes residents were Christian in 2021, down from 68.8% in 2011. 28.3% were Protestant, including 12.7% United Church, 7.0% Anglican, 3.3% Presbyterian and 2.5% Baptist. 15.6% were Catholic, 5.8% were Christian n.o.s, and 4.1% belonged to other Christian denominations or Christian-related traditions. Non-religious and secular residents were 44.5% of the population, up from 30.3% in 2011. 1.7% of the population belonged to other religions and spiritual traditions, up from 0.9% in 2011. The largest non-Christian religion was Hinduism (0.4%).
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 Doug Elmslie and Deputy Mayor is Charlie McDonald. The Deputy Mayor is a special appointment for one of the 8 councillors and is elected each year by members of Council at a Regular Council meeting in December.
+Kawartha Lakes federal election results Year Liberal Conservative New Democratic Green 2021 22% 9,817 53% 23,337 15% 6,463 2% 1,056 2019 25% 11,039 50% 21,544 15% 6,636 8% 3,329
+Kawartha Lakes provincial election results Year PC New Democratic Liberal Green 2022 52% 16,866 16% 5,163 13%4,342 7% 2,129 2018 57% 21,772 26% 9,804 10%3,948 4% 1,643
For purposes of electing representatives provincially, the city is within the riding of Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock (provincial electoral district). Beginning with the 2025 federal election the city is in the riding of Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes. Its Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) is Laurie Scott of the Progressive Conservative Party, elected in 2018. Its federal Member of Parliament (MP) is Jamie Schmale of the Conservative Party, who was elected in 2015.
Mayors of Kawartha Lakes include:
Art Truax (2001-2003) Barb Kelly (2003-2006) Ric McGee (2006-2014) Andy Letham (2014-2022) Doug Elmslie (2022-Present)
Attractions
Flato Academy Theatre Lindsay Little Theatre The Grove Theatre, Fenelon Falls Kawartha Art Gallery Maryboro Lodge: The Fenelon Museum Boyd Museum, Bobcaygeon Ganaraska Hiking Trail Trans-Canada Trail, and Doube's Trestle Bridge Victoria Rail Trail Corridor (Bethany to Haliburton via Lindsay and Fenelon Falls) Lindsay Airport, Lindsay Youngtown Rock and Roll Museum Kawartha Lakes Museum (formerly the Old Gaol Museum) Highland Cinema and Museum, Kinmount Trent-Severn Waterway Lock 32: Bobcaygeon Lock 33: Lindsay Lock 34: Fenelon Falls Lock 35: Rosedale Lock 36: Kirkfield lift lock
Protected areas Queen Elizabeth II Wildlands Provincial Park Carden Alvar Provincial Park Balsam Lake Provincial Park Indian Point Provincial Park Emily Provincial Park Pigeon River Headwaters Conservation Area Fleetwood Creek Conservation Area Windy Ridge Conservation Area Ken Reid Conservation Area Gamiing Nature Centre
Municipal parks Bobcaygeon Beach Park, Bobcaygeon Garnet Graham Beach and Park, Fenelon Falls (Splash Pad) Logie Park, Lindsay (Splash Pad) Centennial Park and Beach, Verulam, Ancona Point Tommy Anderson Park, Bobcaygeon (Splash Pad) Memorial Park, Lindsay (Train themed park with disc golf course) Victoria Park, Lindsay (Historic Band Shelter and Armoury) Elgin Park, Lindsay (Splash Pad) Coboconk Lions Park, Coboconk (Amphitheater) Wilson Fields, Lindsay (Soccer, Tennis and Baseball playing facilities) Omemee Beach Park, Omemee Emily Tract, Cowan’s Bay (Forest and Trails) Somerville Tract, Burnt River (Forest and Trails)
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 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 on Lake Ontario to Georgian Bay in the north, is part of the waterways in Kawartha Lakes. Five locks, Bobcaygeon 32, Lindsay 33, Fenelon Falls 34, Rosedale 35, and Kirkfield 36 are part of the Trent-Severn National Historic site and operated by Parks Canada. Coboconk 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 taxis operating in 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 Highway 7A Highway 35 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 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, public transportation is very limited. Kawartha Lakes has public bus transit in the town of Lindsay only (known as Lindsay Transit), running four lines of hourly service Monday to Saturday from 7am to 7pm, and Sunday from 9am to 4pm (except holidays).
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, but it has been thought of and is excepting to be done as early as 2028, and as late as 2041.
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, however this service will be discontinued on January 31, 2024.
Train routes