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Local Orangeville educator immortalizes town in new colouring book

August 20, 2026   ·   0 Comments

By Joshua Drakes, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A local educator and longtime Orangeville resident is celebrating the people, places and businesses that make the community unique through her new colouring book, “Our Orangeville.”

The project, created by local resident Kathryn Burrell, features dozens of colouring pages depicting recognizable Orangeville landmarks, local businesses, sports teams, community figures and scenes from around town.

What began as a personal creative project concerning colouring books for kids and a recipe book in tribute to her late father quickly grew after businesses and residents embraced the idea.

“Making books was originally just a fun little thing for me,” Burrell said. “If all I did was a recipe book in honour of my dad, and a colouring book for my kids, so be it. But then, the idea of ‘Our Orangeville’ just popped into my head. I thought that Orangeville would love this, so I decided, yes, I’m going to do this.”

Burrell, who was born and raised in Orangeville, has always maintained a creative side alongside her professional career.

Her first published book was a mindfulness-focused colouring book designed to encourage children and adults to colour together. That project was followed by several other books, including one honouring her late father through memories and family recipes that she had begun earlier.

The experience of creating those books eventually led Burrell to consider a project focused on her hometown.

After seeing colouring books celebrating larger areas, she began wondering whether the same concept could be brought down to the community level.

She began writing down ideas for places and people she felt represented Orangeville. Bryon Mackie, a local boxer, was the first person she wanted to feature. Businesses such as the Bluebird Cafe and Deja Vu, along with parks like Kaycee Gardens and other recognizable local landmarks, soon joined the list.

Before moving forward, Burrell met with Orangeville Mayor Lisa Post and researched the requirements for using photographs and featuring local people and businesses. She ultimately obtained permission from everyone included in the book, either through signed forms or other documented approval.

The process of photographing locations, securing permissions and turning the photographs into detailed colouring pages took approximately six months. Burrell worked on the project around her job and raising her three children, using several different creative programs to transform photographs into the finished illustrations.

The response from the community was stronger than she anticipated.

“I’ve been getting these little ‘aha’ moments where I realize that this is real and this is happening,” Burrell said. “I was in the Bluebird Cafe, discussing with the owners how many books they wanted, that sort of thing. I heard some people talking, asking, ‘is that the girl who made the colouring book?’ I think I realized then that people loved it and connected with it. Mayor Post called it being an Orangeville celeb.”

Businesses began asking about selling the book, while people featured in it were eager to see the finished pages.

Burrell has also been sharing individual pages and information about the book’s subjects through a social media series, giving residents an opportunity to learn more about the people and businesses represented.

For Burrell, the project is about more than colouring.

Her background working with children has influenced her desire to make the book inclusive, with the pages offering different people and experiences for readers to recognize themselves in.

Accessibility has also become an important part of the project. The book is available through multiple local retailers, giving residents different opportunities to find it.

Creating “Our Orangeville” has also changed the way Burrell experiences her hometown. While photographing locations for the book, she found herself slowing down and paying attention to places she normally passes by while rushing between work, family responsibilities and errands.

“This project gave me an opportunity to re-embrace Orangeville,” Burrell said. “I had one day where I was out taking photos, and my son asked me how my day was. And I said that it was amazing. I got to walk Island Lake with no other purpose than to take some really great photos, not having any other pressing reasons.”

“I’m usually rushing from one town to the other. This helped me slow down, and re-embrace the buildings, the sights and the people,” she added.

One of her favourite images is a view overlooking Orangeville from the area near Boston Pizza, a location she has long admired. She also considers the Bryon Mackie page a favourite because he was the first person she envisioned including. Another favourite is a tree at Island Lake where her children like to sit and have snacks.

The project is already continuing beyond the first book. Burrell has begun brainstorming a second volume after realizing there were far more people, places and ideas than could reasonably fit into her first book.

For now, she hopes “Our Orangeville” encourages residents to appreciate their community and gives people a reason to talk, remember, and connect while they colour. The project has also reinforced a philosophy Burrell applies to her creative work: if someone has an idea they want to pursue, there is value in simply trying it. Even if it does not work, she believes the experience is preferable to leaving an idea unexplored.

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