You may have noticed that mermaids are threaded throughout Sylvan Lake as art, in the Christmas decor, and in name. The most notable mermaid being the mermaid and baby fountain located on 50 Avenue by the local library.

Swimming regattas have been held in Sylvan Lake since 1907 with the event gaining national prominence in 1930 when the Provincial Wriggly Swim competition held the first one-mile swim. The event petered out by 1962, but event organizers in the 1950s were looking for a symbol and chose the mermaid.

The Sylvan Lake mermaid soon appeared everywhere, with Town Council adopting the Mermaid as the official symbol for Sylvan Lake.

Since then, the Miss Mermaid paddle cruise boat once sailed the lake offering vistas and dinners to visitors, while the Mermaid Ball held by the Chamber of Commerce each year celebrates the best and brightest of the business community.

The present-day life-size mermaid fountain, entitled “Birth” and unveiled at 1913 Days celebrations in 2000, holds the legacy of the mermaid in Sylvan Lake. Find the fountain across from the Legion at 50 Avenue between 50 Street and 49 Street.