Kawartha Lakes, Ontario - The city of Kawartha Lakes (2011 population 73,214) is a unitary municipality in Central Ontario, Canada. Although called a city, Kawartha Lakes is the size of a typical Ontarian county and is mostly rural.

The main population centres are Bobcaygeon, Fenelon Falls, Lindsay, Omemee and Woodville.

The city's name comes from the name of the Kawartha lakes. The term Kawartha is an anglicization of the word Ka-wa-tha (from Ka-wa-tae-gum-maug or Gaa-waategamaag, meaning), a word coined in 1895 by aboriginal Martha Whetung of the Curve Lake First Nations. The word meant "land of reflections" in the Anishinaabe language, according to Whetung. The word was subsequently 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 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.[4

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.

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 on Lake Ontario to Georgian Bay 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. 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 City of Kawartha Lakes. Boat and houseboat rentals are available.

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