The Peterborough community is mourning well-known local businessman and dedicated volunteer Carl Oake, who passed away Thursday (January 2) at the age of 79.
News of Oake’s passing comes a few days before the media launch for the 39th annual Carl Oake Rotary Swim, which he founded in 1987. The annual swimathon, which takes place on February 28, has raised more than $1.4 million to support Easter Seals Ontario and local Rotary projects, including Camp Kawartha, Habitat for Humanity, the Rotary Greenway Trail, and community food programs.
Oake originally did all the swimming himself — 120 laps — before the event was expanded in the early 1990s to include teams, many dressed in wacky outfits. He continued to participate in every swimathon until 2016, when he was unable to for the first time because of hernia surgery. He last swam in the event in 2017.
Along with his annual swim, Oake was well known in the community for his lifelong career in real estate, which he began in Peterborough as a sales representative in 1968. After five successful years in sales, he and fellow agent Bernie Wannamaker opened their first real estate brokerage, Oake Wannamaker Limited, on Water Street.
In 1978, Oake established Century 21 Carl Oake Realty Ltd. and, with partner Robert Howe, purchased Century 21 Cooper Crowley Realty Ltd. in 1981. In 1999, Century 21 Carl Oake Realty Ltd. and Century 21 Gray-Munro Realty Inc. merged to form Century 21 United Realty Inc. Brokerage.
In 2016, Oake announced his plans to gradually retire and transition the business to his oldest daughter, Vanessa Oake Hogan, who had been working at the company as a sales representative for over three years.
At that time, Oake also announced Vanessa and his other two daughters, Renee and Lesley, would be taking over the reins of the swimathon along with other volunteers. After his retirement, Oake focused on the family Christmas tree farm and on his golf game.
Oake has been president of the Peterborough Real Estate Board and the Men’s Sales and Advertising Club, director of the Peterborough Chamber of Commerce, the YMCA, and the Peterborough Golf and Country Club, and was on the strategic planning committee for the Peterborough Regional Health Centre.
Oake, who joined the Rotary Club of Peterborough in 1983, was named a Paul Harris Fellow, one of Rotary’s highest honours.
In 2002, the Peterborough Chamber of Commerce selected Oake as its Business Citizen of the Year. In 2014, he was inducted into the Peterborough Pathway of Fame and, in 2016, received the Lifetime Achievement Award for volunteerism at the Peterborough Civic Awards. In 2018, he was inducted into the Junior Achievement Business Hall of Fame. Oake has also been presented with the Easter Seals Helping Hand Award.
With the support of Oake’s family, the already planned media launch for the 39th annual Carl Oake Rotary Swim will proceed on Monday (January 6). Stay tuned to kawarthaNOW for our coverage of the event.
A celebration of life service will be held at noon on Sunday, January 12th at Highland Park Funeral Centre in Peterborough, with a reception to follow.
In Oake’s memory, his family requests that donations can be made to the Carl Oake Rotary Swim at www.canadahelps.org/en/pages/2025-carl-oake-rotary-swim/ or by dropping cheques off to Century 21 United Realty at 387 George St. South. Donations to Peterborough Regional Health Centre and Hospice Peterborough would also be appreciated. Online condolences can be made at www.highlandparkfuneralcentre.com/obituary/Carl-Oake.
This story has been updated with information about donations in Oake’s memory and a link to his official obituary.
