Symbols of the City | City of Kawartha Lakes

The City uses various symbols to represent its values to the public. The following are the most recognizable or significant and are used in a variety of contexts.

City of Kawartha Lakes Logo

The City's logo has had a few iterations over the years, including one with the tagline, Catch the Kawartha Spirit. A full re-branding occurred in 2020 that refreshed the older logo, while maintaining the spirit of the image and brand. The logo is meant to reflect the City's connection to the natural environment, highlighting both the waters that we enjoy here and the beauty of the osprey. The font was also updated to align with accessibility requirements. A number of our platforms also include the Jump In tag, which is an invitation for everyone to explore the Kawartha Lakes lifestyle or to engage with the municipality.

Official Bird of Kawartha Lakes

The City adopted the osprey as the municipality's Official Bird in November of 2024. The osprey has been a part of the City's logo and branding since amalgamation, but in 2024 the Bird Friendly Kawartha Lakes group recommended that the osprey be named as the City's Official Bird. An online poll was conducted and the overwhelming majority of respondents chose the osprey as their choice for the bird most associated with Kawartha Lakes.

Council confirmed the decision, agreeing with Thom Luloff's position that “the osprey is a magnificent raptor that symbolizes the natural beauty and rich biodiversity of our region. Its presence near our lakes and rivers highlights the importance of healthy, clean waterways and thriving ecosystems.”

City of Kawartha Lakes Flag

The City's Flag was adopted in 2007. A community contest was held to create a new municipal flag for Kawartha Lakes. The winning design was submitted by Daryle Anne Wright of Oakwood. The blue stripe represents the many lakes and rivers in the area. The green stripe represents the agricultural areas, as well as parks and trails. The sun celebrates Kawartha Lakes as a destination, and the evergreen trees represent the sustainable growth of the municipality.

Fun fact: In 2022, the magazine Municipal World ran a flag contest for the best municipal flag in Canada. While Kawartha Lakes did not claim the title, our flag made it to the final four in the contest, and was the last flag standing from Ontario.

Criteria for choosing the best flag included:

Keeping It Simple. The flag should be so simple that a child can draw it from memory.
Use of Meaningful Symbolism. The flag’s images, colors, or patterns should relate to what it symbolizes.
Use of 2 or 3 Basic Colors. Limit the number of colors on the flag to three which contrast well and come from the standard color set.
No use of Lettering or Seals. Never use writing of any kind or an organization’s seal.
Being Distinctive or Being Related. Avoid duplicating other flags but use similarities to show connections.

Mayoral Chain of Office

The Chain of Office is a piece of regalia worn by the Mayor. Its use has a long history and can be traced back to the Middle Ages in Europe, but is commonly worn by Mayors and Reeves in countries with British ties, such as Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Each of the reeves in our former municipalities had their own Chain of Office and it has been the practice of the Mayors since amalgamation to choose one to wear as their Chain. Many of these Chains have been well-worn and are beginning to deteriorate - our Curatorial Services Officer has taken these ones over to preserve and protect them from further damage. In the meantime, the current Mayor has chosen the Bobcaygeon Chain to wear for meetings and significant events.

Stay tuned for some exciting news regarding the Mayor's Chain of Office - updates coming soon!