London and theThames were named after theEnglish city andriver in 1793 byJohn Graves Simcoe, who proposed the site for the capital city ofUpper Canada. The first European settlement was between 1801 and 1804 by Peter Hagerman.[8] The village was founded in 1826 andincorporated in 1855. Since then, London has grown to be the largest southwestern Ontario municipality and Canada's11th largest metropolitan area, having annexed many of the smaller communities that surround it.
A series of archaeological sites throughoutsouthwestern Ontario, named for the Parkhill Complex excavated nearParkhill, indicate the presence ofPaleo-Indians in the area dating back approximately 11,000 years.[9][10] Just prior to European settlement, the London area was the site of severalAttawandaron,Odawa, andOjibwe villages. TheLawson Site in northwest London is an archaeological excavation and partial reconstruction of an approximately 500-year-old Neutral Iroquoian village, estimated to have been home to 2,000 people.[11][12] These groups were driven out by theIroquois byc. 1654 in theBeaver Wars. The Iroquois abandoned the region some 50 years later, driven out by the Ojibwa.[13] AnAnishinaabeg community site was described as located near the forks of Thames River (Anishinaabe language: Eshkani-ziibi, "Antler River") inc. 1690[14] and was referred to as Pahkatequayang[15] ("Baketigweyaang":"At the River Fork" (lit: at where the by-stream is)).
The current location of London was selected as the site of the future capital ofUpper Canada in 1793 byLieutenant-GovernorJohn Graves Simcoe, who also named the village which was founded in 1826.[16] Originally, Simcoe had proposed to call itGeorgiana, in honour ofGeorge III, the reigning monarch at that time.[17] It did not become thecapital Simcoe envisioned. Rather, it was an administrative seat for the area west of the actual capital,York (now Toronto). The London Township Treaty of 1796 with the Chippewa ceded the original town site on the north bank of the Thames (then known as theEscunnisepe) to Upper Canada.[18][19]
London was part of theTalbot Settlement, named for ColonelThomas Talbot, the chief administrator of the area, who oversaw the land surveying and built the first government buildings for the administration of the western Ontario peninsular region. Together with the rest of southwestern Ontario, the village benefited from Talbot's provisions not only for building and maintaining roads but also for assignment of access priorities to main routes to productive land.[20] Crown andclergy reserves then received preference in the rest of Ontario.
In 1814, theBattle of Longwoods took place during theWar of 1812 in what is nowSouthwest Middlesex, near London.[21] The retreating British Army were staying at Hungerford Hill when they were attacked by the Kentucky Mounted Riflemen.[22] In 1827, a settlement was started inByron when Cyrenius Hall built a gristmill.[23]
In 1832, the new settlement suffered an outbreak ofcholera.[24] London proved a centre of strongTory support during theUpper Canada Rebellion of 1837, notwithstanding a brief rebellion led byCharles Duncombe. Consequently, the British government located its Ontario peninsular garrison there in 1838, increasing its population with soldiers and their dependents, and the business support populations they required.[20] London was incorporated as a town in 1840.[24]
On 13 April 1845, a fire destroyed much of London, which was then largely constructed of wooden buildings.[25] One of the first casualties was the town's only fire engine. The fire burned nearly 12 hectares (30 acres) of land, destroying 150 buildings, before it burned itself out later that day. One fifth of London was destroyed in the province's first million-dollar fire.[26]
John Carling, Tory MP for London, gave three events to explain the development of London in a 1901 speech: the location of the court and administration in London in 1826, the arrival of the military garrison in 1838, and the arrival of the railway in 1853.[27]
The population in 1846 was 3,500. Brick buildings included a jail and court house, and large barracks. London had a fire company, a theatre, a large Gothic church, nine other churches or chapels, and two market buildings. The buildings that were destroyed by fire in 1845 were mostly rebuilt by 1846. Connection with other communities was by road, using mainlystagecoaches that ran daily. A weekly newspaper was published and mail was received daily by the post office.[28] Two villages named Petersville and Kensington once stood where downtown London now is.[29] Petersville was founded by Samuel Peters in 1853.[29] Kensington was founded around about 1878.[30] Petersville and Kensington were amalgamated on 4 March 1881 to form London West.[31]
On 1 January 1855, London was incorporated as a city (10,000 or more residents).[20] In the 1860s, a sulphur spring was discovered at the forks of the Thames River while industrialists were drilling foroil.[32] The springs became a popular destination for wealthy Ontarians, until the turn of the 20th century when atextilefactory was built at the site, replacing the spa.
Records from 1869 indicate a population of about 18,000 served by three newspapers, churches of all major denominations and offices of all the major banks. Industries included several tanneries, oil refineries and foundries, four flour mills, theLabatt Brewing Company and theCarling brewery in addition to other manufacturing companies such asEMCO Wheaton.[33] Both the Great Western andGrand Trunk railways had stops here. Several insurance companies also had offices in the city.
Canada Trust was founded in London in 1864 as The Huron and Erie Trust. Its headquarters is visible in this 1960 photo. The successor bank isTD Canada Trust, with the firsttransit number assigned to TD: 0001.[34][35]
Long before theRoyal Military College of Canada was established in 1876, there were proposals for military colleges in Canada. Staffed by British Regulars, adult male students underwent three-month-long military courses from 1865 at the School of Military Instruction in London. Established by Militia General Order in 1865, the school enabled Officers of Militia or Candidates for Commission or promotion in the Militia to learn Military duties, drill and discipline, to command a Company at Battalion Drill, to Drill a Company at Company Drill, the internal economy of a Company and the duties of a Company's Officer.[38] The school was not retained at Confederation, in 1867.[39]
In 1875, London's first iron bridge, theBlackfriars Street Bridge, was constructed.[25] It replaced a succession of flood-failed wooden structures that had provided the city's only northern road crossing of the river. A rare example of a wrought iron bowstring arch throughtruss bridge, the Blackfriars remains open to pedestrian and bicycle traffic, though it was temporarily closed indefinitely to vehicular traffic due to various structural problems[40] and was once again reopened to vehicular traffic 1 December 2018. The Blackfriars, amidst the river-distance between theCarling Brewery and the historicTecumseh Park (including a major mill), linked London with its western suburb of Petersville, named for Squire Peters of Grosvenor Lodge. That community joined with the southern subdivision of Kensington in 1874, formally incorporating as the municipality of Petersville. Although it changed its name in 1880 to the more inclusive "London West", it remained a separate municipality until ratepayers voted for amalgamation with London in 1897,[20] largely due to repeated flooding. The most serious flood was in July 1883, which resulted in serious loss of life and property devaluation.[41] This area retains much original and attractively maintained 19th-century tradespeople's and workers' housing, includingGeorgian cottages as well as larger houses, and a distinctsense of place. In 1897, London West was annexed to London.[42]
London's eastern suburb, London East, was (and remains) an industrial centre, which also incorporated in 1874.[20] It was founded as Lilley's Corners by Charles Lilley in 1854.[43] Oil was discovered in the Petrolia area and Lilley's Corners was chosen as the refining site because it was close to the railroad.[44] The Ontario Car Works, the Great Western Gasworks and the London Street Railroad all had their headquarters in Lilley's Corners.[44] In 1872, Lilley's Corners became a village.[44] It was annexed to London in 1885.[43] Attaining the status of town in 1881,[45] it continued as a separate municipality until concerns over expensive waterworks and other fiscal problems led to amalgamation in 1885.[46] The southern suburb of London, including Wortley Village, was collectively known as "London South". Never incorporated, the South was annexed to the city in 1890,[20] although Wortley Village still retains a distinctsense of place. The area started to be settled in the 1860s.[47] In 1880, Polk'sDirectory called London South "a charming suburb of the City of London.".[47] By contrast, the settlement at Broughdale on the city's north end had a clear identity, adjoined the university, and was not annexed until 1961.[48] Broughdale was named after Reverend Charles C. Brough, the Anglican Archdeacon of London who settled there in 1854.[49] Broughdale started to grow when it was connected to the London Street Railroad in 1901, leading to a real estate bubble.[50] A post office was opened in Broughdale on 1 July 1904 with Charles Watlers as postmaster.[51] Broughdale was initially named Brough, but was renamed Broughdale in 1906 because it sounded better.[51] In 1924, the University of Western Ontario was founded in the former Broughdale.[51] After the founding of the university, Broughdale became more like a city and less like a village.[51] Broughdale was incorporated as a village in 1930.[51] In 1961, Broughdale was annexed to London.[52]
Ivor F. Goodson and Ian R. Dowbiggin have explored the battle over vocational education in London, Ontario, in the 1900–1930 era. The London Technical and Commercial High School came under heavy attack from the city's social and business elite, which saw the school as a threat to the budget of the city's only academic high school, London Collegiate Institute.[53]
TheBanting House, a National Historic Site of Canada, is whereFrederick Banting developed the ideas that led to the discovery ofinsulin. Banting lived and practiced in London for ten months, from July 1920 to May 1921. London is also the site of the Flame of Hope, which is intended to burn until a cure fordiabetes is discovered.[54]
London's role as a military centre continued into the 20th century during the two World Wars, serving as the administrative centre for the Western Ontario district. In 1905, the London Armoury was built and housed the First Hussars until 1975. A private investor purchased the historic site and built a new hotel (Delta London Armouries, 1988) in its place, preserving the shell of the historic building. In the 1950s, two reserve battalions amalgamated and becameLondon and Oxford Rifles (3rd Battalion), The Royal Canadian Regiment.[55] This unit continues to serve today as 4th Battalion,The Royal Canadian Regiment. The Regimental Headquarters ofThe Royal Canadian Regiment remains in London at Wolseley Barracks on Oxford Street. The barracks are home to the First Hussars militia regiment as well.[55]
Londonannexed many of the surrounding communities in 1961, includingByron and Masonville, adding 60,000 people and more than doubling its area.[20] After this amalgamation, suburban growth accelerated as London grew outward in all directions, creating expansive new subdivisions such as Westmount, Oakridge, Whitehills, Pond Mills, White Oaks and Stoneybrook.[20]
On 1 January 1993, London annexed nearly the entire township ofWestminster, a large, primarilyrural municipality directly south of the city, including thepolice village ofLambeth.[56] With this massive annexation, which also included part ofLondon township, London almost doubled in area again, adding several thousand more residents. In the present day, London stretches south to the boundary withElgin County, north and east toFanshawe Lake, north and west to the township ofMiddlesex Centre (the nearest developed areas of it beingArva to the north andKomoka to the west) and east toNilestown andDorchester.
The 1993 annexation, made London one of the largest urban municipalities in Ontario.[57] Intense commercial and residential development is presently occurring in the southwest and northwest areas of the city. Opponents of this development citeurban sprawl,[58] destruction of rareCarolinian zone forest and farm lands,[59] replacement of distinctive regions by generic malls, and standard transportation and pollution concerns as major issues facing London. The City of London is currently theeleventh-largest urban area in Canada,eleventh-largest census metropolitan area in Canada, and the sixth-largest city in Ontario.[60][61]
OnVictoria Day, 24 May 1881, thestern-wheeler ferrySS Victoria capsized in theThames River close to Cove Bridge in West London. Approximately 200 passengers drowned in the shallow river, making it one of the worst disasters in London's history, and is now dubbed "The Victoria Day Disaster". At the time, London's population was relatively small; therefore it was hard to find a person in the city who did not have a family member affected by the tragedy.
Two years later, on 12 July 1883,[25] the first of the two most devastating floods in London's history killed 17 people. The second major flood, on 26 April 1937, destroyed more than a thousand houses across London, and caused over $50 million in damages, particularly in West London.[62][63]
On 3 January 1898, the floor of the assembly hall at London City Hall collapsed, killing 23 people and leaving more than 70 injured. Testimony at a coroner's inquest described the wooden beam under the floor as unsound, with knots and other defects reducing its strength by one fifth to one third.[64]
After repeated floods, theUpper Thames River Conservation Authority in 1953 built Fanshawe Dam on the North Thames to control the downstream rivers.[65] Financing for this project came from the federal, provincial, and municipal governments. Othernatural disasters include a 1984tornado that led to damage on several streets in the White Oaks area of South London.[66]
On 11 December 2020, a partially-constructed apartment building just off ofWonderland Road in southwest London collapsed, killing two people and injuring at least four others.[67][68] In January 2024, both Oxford County companies involved in the building's construction were fined $400,000, with The Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development declaring the companies had failed to "provide proper information, instruction and supervision, specifically on the use of proper concrete measuring techniques on the project."[69]
The area was formed during the retreat of theglaciers during thelast ice age, which produced areas ofmarshland, notably theSifton Bog, as well as some of the most agriculturally productive areas of farmland in Ontario.[70]
Sifton Bog boardwalk
The Thames River dominates London's geography. The North and South branches of the Thames River meet at the centre of the city, a location known as "The Forks" or "The Fork of the Thames".[71] The North Thames runs through the man-made Fanshawe Lake in northeast London. Fanshawe Lake was created by Fanshawe Dam, constructed to protect the downriver areas from the catastrophic flooding which affected the city in 1883 and 1937.[72]
London has ahumid continental climate (KöppenDfb), with modestly warm summers, and cold and cloudy winters with frequent snow.
Because of its location in the continent, London experiences largeseasonal contrast, tempered to a point by the surroundingGreat Lakes. The proximity of the lakes also ensure abundant cloud cover, particularly in late Fall and Winter. The summers are usually warm to hot and humid, with a July average of 21.0 °C (69.8 °F), and temperatures above 30 °C (86 °F) occur on average 11 days per year.[73] In 2016, however, temperatures rose above this temperature on more than 35 days, and in 2018, four heatwaves led to a peakhumidex of 46 °C (115 °F). The city is affected by frequent thunderstorms due to hot, humid summer weather, as well as theconvergence of breezes originating fromLake Huron andLake Erie. The same convergence zone is responsible for spawning funnel clouds and the occasional tornado. Spring and autumn in between are not long, and winters are cold but with frequent thaws.
Annual precipitation averages 1,011.5 millimetres (39.82 in). Its winter snowfall totals are heavy, averaging 194.3 centimetres (76.5 in) per year,[74] although the localized nature of snow squalls means the total can vary widely from year to year as do accumulations over different areas of the city.[75] Some of the snow accumulation comes fromlake effect snow andsnow squalls originating from Lake Huron, some 60 km (37 mi) to the northwest, which occurs when strong, cold winds blow from that direction. From 5 December 2010, to 9 December 2010, London experienced record snowfall when up to 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) of snow fell in parts of the city. Schools and businesses were closed for three days and bus service was cancelled after the second day of snow.[76]
The highest temperature ever recorded in London was 41.1 °C (106.0 °F) on 6 August 1918.[77][78] The lowest temperature ever recorded was −32.8 °C (−27.0 °F) on 9 February 1934.[77]
London has a number of parks.Victoria Park in downtown London is a major centre of community events, attracting an estimated 1 million visitors per year. Other major parks include Harris Park, Gibbons Park, Fanshawe Conservation Area (Fanshawe Pioneer Village),Springbank Park, White Oaks Park and Westminster Ponds. The city also maintains a number of gardens and conservatories.[71] One of these, theRemembrance Gardens, commemorates those who died fighting in wars. In addition to an annualRemembrance Day gathering,[80] it contains a poppy garden as a memorial to 1,200 who died inWorld War I,[81] as well as a refurbished bell from the Netherlands.[82]
In the2021 Census of Population conducted byStatistics Canada, London had a population of422,324 living in174,657 of its186,409 total private dwellings, a change of10% from its 2016 population of383,822. With a land area of 420.5 square kilometres (162.4 sq mi), it had a population density of1,004.3/km2 (2,601.2/sq mi) in 2021.[90]
At thecensus metropolitan area (CMA) level in the 2021 census, the London CMA had a population of543,551 living in222,239 of its235,522 total private dwellings, a change of10% from its 2016 population of494,069. With a land area of 2,661.48 km2 (1,027.60 sq mi), it had a population density of204.2/km2 (529.0/sq mi) in 2021.[91]
The 2021 census found English to be themother tongue of 71.1% of the population. This was followed byArabic (3.7%),Spanish (2.7%),Mandarin (1.6%),Portuguese (1.3%),French (1.1%),Polish (1.1%),Korean (0.8%),Punjabi (0.8%),Malayalam (0.8%), andUrdu (0.7%). Of the official languages, 98% of the population reported knowing English and 7.2% French.[99]
In 2021, 48.8% of the population identified asChristian, withCatholics (21.5%) making up the largest denomination, followed byUnited Church (4.7%),Anglican (4.4%),Orthodox (2.0%),Presbyterian (1.5%),Baptist (1.4%), and other denominations. 37.2% of the population reported no religious affiliation. Others identified asMuslim (8.4%),Hindu (2.1%),Sikh (1.0%),Buddhist (0.9%),Jewish (0.5%), and with other religions.[100]
Much of thelife sciences andbiotechnology related research is conducted or supported by the University of Western Ontario (partly through theRobarts Research Institute), which adds about C$1.5 billion to the London economy annually.[102] Private companies in the industry likeAlimentiv, PolyAnalytik, KGK Sciences and Sernova are also based in London. The largest employer in London is theLondon Health Sciences Centre, which employs 10,555 people.[103]
Since the economic crisis of 2009, the city has transitioned to become a technology hub with a focus on the Digital Creative sector.[104] As of 2016, London is home to 300 technology companies that employ 3% of the city's labour force.[105] Many of these companies have moved into former factories and industrial spaces in and around the downtown core, and have renovated them as modern offices. For example,Info-Tech Research Group's London office is in a hosiery factory, and Arcane Digital moved into a 1930s industrial building in 2015.[106] The Historic London Roundhouse, a steam locomotive repair shop built in 1887, is now home to Royal LePage Triland Realty, rTraction and more. Its redesign, which opened in 2015, won the 2015 Paul Oberman Award for Adaptive Re-Use from the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario.[107] London is also home toStarTech.com,Diply, video game companies likeDigital Extremes,Big Blue Bubble and Big Viking Games, andVoices.com, which provides voiceover artists a platform to advertise and sell their services to those looking for voiceover work. Other tech companies located in London include AutoData,Carfax Canada, HRDownloads, Mobials, Northern Commerce and Paystone which recently raised $100M.[108]
One of Canada's largest domestic integrated oil companies,Imperial Oil, was founded in London in 1880. The company was headquartered in London only until 1883, when it moved its offices toPetrolia. It is now headquartered in Calgary.
Several financial houses have been founded in London. In May 1883, a groups of Londoners founded the Bank of London. It lasted only until August 1887, when it failed.[109] TheLibro Financial Group was founded in London 1951 and is the second largestcredit union in Ontario and employs over 600 people.[110]VersaBank is also headquartered in the city.
In the late 19th century, London became a major centre for the trust and loan industry. Companies founded in London included:[111]
Huron & Erie Mortgage Corporation (1864) – became Canada Trustco Mortgage Company, acquired by theToronto-Dominion Bank in 2000
Ontario Loan & Debenture Company (1870) – acquired byRoyal Trust in 1968
Dominion Savings and Investment Society (1872) – acquired by Ontario Loan in 1922
Agricultural Savings and Loan Company (1872) – acquired by Ontario Loan in 1911
Canadian Savings and Loan Company (1875) – acquired by Huron & Erie in 1906
London Loan Company of Canada (1877) – acquired by Huron & Erie in 1929
People's Building and Loan Association (1887) – acquired by Huron & Erie in 1931
In 1899, Huron & Erie purchasedCanada Trust, which was founded in Calgary in 1894, and moved it to London. Canada Trust would go on to become one of the country's largest trust companies.
One of London's most iconic companies wasLondon Life, which was founded in 1874. In 1997, thePower Corporation of Canada acquired control of London Life, and in 2020, London Life and Great-West Life merged intoCanada Life. Other London insurance companies include Northern Life (1894–1986) and the London-Canada Insurance Company (1859–1987).
The headquarters of the Canadian division of3M are in London.General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) buildsarmoured personnel carriers in the city.[112] GDLS has a 14-year $15-billion deal to supply light armored vehicles and employs over 2,400 people.[113]McCormick Canada, formerly Club House Foods, was founded in 1883 and currently employs more than 600 Londoners. A portion of the city's population work in factories outside of the city limits, including theGeneral Motors automotive plantCAMI, and aToyota plant inWoodstock. AFord plant inTalbotville became one of the casualties of theeconomic crisis in 2011,[114] the site will soon be home to a majorAmazon distribution center employing 2,000 workers by 2023.[115]London's city centre mall was first opened in 1960 as Wellington Square with 400,000 sq ft (37,000 m2) of leasable area, with Eaton's and Woolworths as anchors. From 1986 to 1989, Campeau expanded Wellington Square into Galleria London with 1,000,000 sq ft (93,000 m2) of leasable area and 200 stores including The Bay and Eaton's. However, the early 1990s recession, following by the bankruptcy of Eaton's in 1999 and then the departure of The Bay in 2000 resulted in only 20 stores left by 2001. Galleria London then began seeking non-retail tenants, becoming the home for London'scentral library branch, and satellite campuses for bothFanshawe College andWestern University. The complex was purchased and renamed to Citi Plaza byCitigroup in 2009.[116] Citi Plaza has been redeveloped as a mixed use complex that blends retail, office, businesses, and education providers. Alongside Citi Cards Canada's offices, in November 2016,CBC announced plans to move its expanded operations into the building.[117]
The confectionary companyO-Pee-Chee was founded in London in 1911.
There are many largeReal Estate Development firms based in London which are active acrossSouthwestern Ontario. These include Sifton Properties, Drewlo Holdings, Old Oak Properties, Tricar Developments, York Developments, Farhi Holdings and Westdell Developments. Combined, they own or operate over 300 million square feet ofcommercial andresidential real estate.
Avant-garde noise-pioneersThe Nihilist Spasm Band formed in downtown London in 1965. Between 1966 and 1972, the group held a Monday night residency at the York Hotel in the city's core, which established it as a popular venue for emerging musicians and artists; known asCall the Office, the venue served as a hotbed forpunk music in the late 1970s and 1980s and hosted college rock bands and weekly alternative-music nights until closing indefinitely in 2020.[127]
In 2003,CHRW-FM developed The London Music Archives, an online music database that chronicled every album recorded in London between 1966 and 2006,[128] and in 2019the CBC released a documentary entitled "London Calling" which outlined "The Secret Musical History of London Ontario" (including its importance for the massively popularelectronic-music duoRichie Hawtin andJohn Acquaviva). London also had (and still has, in an unofficial capacity) a professional symphony orchestra –Orchestra London – which was founded in 1937; although the organization filed for bankruptcy in 2015, members of the orchestra continue to play self-produced concerts under the moniker London Symphonia. In addition, the city is home to theLondon Community Orchestra, the London Youth Symphony, and theAmabile Choirs of London, Canada.
Museum London is at the Forks of the Thames River.
Eldon House is the former residence of the prominent Harris Family and oldest surviving such building in London. The entire property was donated to the city of London in 1959 and is now aheritage site. An Ontario Historical Plaque was erected by the province to commemorate The Eldon House's role in Ontario's heritage.[132]
In addition toMuseum London and The Forest City Gallery, London is also home to a number of other galleries and art spaces, including the McIntosh Gallery atWestern University, TAP Centre for Creativity, and various smaller galleries such as the Thielsen Gallery, the Westland Gallery, the Michael Gibson Gallery, the Jonathon Bancroft-Snell Gallery, The Art Exchange, Strand Fine Art and others. London also hosts an annualNuit Blanche every June.[133]
The Palace Theatre is in Old East Village, east of downtown.
London is home to theGrand Theatre, a professionalproscenium arch theatre in Central London. The building underwent renovations in 1975 to restore the stage proscenium arch and to add a secondary performance space. The architectural firm responsible for the redesign was awarded aGovernor General's award in 1978 for their work on the venue. In addition to professional productions, the Grand Theatre also hosts the High School Project, a program unique to North America that provides high school students an opportunity to work with professionaldirectors,choreographers,musical directors, andstage managers. The Palace Theatre, in Old East Village, originally opened as a silent movie theatre in 1929 and was converted to a live theatre venue in 1991.[134] It is currently the home of the London Community Players, and as of 2016 is undergoing extensive historical restoration. The Original Kids Theatre Company, a nonprofit charitable youth organisation, currently puts on productions at the Spriet Family Theatre in the Covent Garden Market.[135]
Springbank Park, located along the Thames River, is London's largest park.
In 2020 and 2021, house prices rose significantly across Canada. The average price of a home in Canada in March 2021 was $716,828, a 31.6% year-over-year increase.[137] Meanwhile, the average cost to purchase a home in London was $607,000 in January 2021; since then increasing to $641,072 in June 2021 according toLSTAR.[138] As the COVID-19 pandemic has begun to decrease in severity, the housing market in London is showing signs of a cool-down according to some realtors.[139] In April 2021, theBank of Canada reported that the primary reason house prices had increased to such an unprecedented extent was due to housing inventory reaching record lows.[140]
Panoramic photo of a walking trail in the Foxfield neighbourhoodThe Thames Valley Parkway is a bike path that runs along the Thames River
Nevertheless, the city's cost of living remains lower than many other southern Ontario cities. London is known for being a medium-sized city with big city amenities, having over 422,000 residents as of the 2021 census yet having all of the services one could find in a large city, including two large-scale shopping malls,Masonville Place andWhite Oaks Mall, regional health care centres, theLondon International Airport,Boler Mountain skiing center and post secondary education hubs such as theUniversity of Western Ontario andFanshawe College. In mid-2021, London had an 8.75% cheaper cost of living, and 27.5% cheaper cost of rent, compared to nearbyToronto.[141]
London has nine major parks and gardens throughout the city, many of which run along theThames River and are interconnected by a series of pedestrian and bike paths, known as the Thames Valley Parkway.[142] This path system is 40 km (25 mi) in length, and connects to an additional 150 km (93 mi) of bike and hiking trails throughout the city.[143] The city's largest park,Springbank Park, is 140 ha (350 acres) and contains 30 km (19 mi) of trails. It is also home to Storybook Gardens, a family attraction open year-round.
The city includes many pedestrian walkways throughout its neighbourhoods. Newer settled areas in the northwest end of the city include long pathways between housing developments and tall grass bordering Snake Creek, a thin waterway connected to theThames River. These walkways connect the neighbourhoods of Fox Hollow, White Hills, Sherwood Forest and the western portion of Masonville, also running through parts of Medway Valley Heritage Forest.
The Eager Beaver Baseball Association (EBBA) is a baseball league for youths in London. It was first organized in 1955 by formerMajor League Baseball playerFrank Colman, and London sportsman Gordon Berryhill.[144]
Football teams include the London Beefeaters (Ontario Football Conference).
Canada Life Place is home to the London Knights and the London Lightning. The north-east corner at Dundas & Talbot streets is shown. This corner of the building is a replica of the facade of the former Talbot Inn, which stood there for more than 125 years.
In March 2013, London hosted the2013 World Figure Skating Championships. The University of Western Ontario's teams play under the nameMustangs. The university's football team plays atTD Stadium.[145] Western's Rowing Team rows out of a boathouse at Fanshawe Lake. Fanshawe College teams play under the nameFalcons. The Women's Cross Country team has won 3 consecutiveCanadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) National Championships.[146] In 2010, the program cemented itself as the first CCAA program to win both Men's and Women's National team titles, as well as CCAA Coach of the Year.[147]
The Western Fair Raceway, about 85 acresharness racing track and simulcast centre, operates year-round.[148] The grounds include a coin slotcasino, a formerIMAX theatre, and Sports and Agri-complex.Labatt Memorial Park the world's oldest continuously used baseball grounds[149][150] was established as Tecumseh Park in 1877; it was renamed in 1937, because the London field has been flooded and rebuilt twice (1883 and 1937), including a re-orientation of the bases (after the 1883 flood). TheForest City Velodrome, at the formerLondon Ice House, is the only indoor cycling track in Ontario and the third to be built in North America, opened in 2005.[151] London is also home to World Seikido, the governing body of a martial art called Seikido which was developed in London in 1987.[152]
Labatt Memorial Park is the oldest operating baseball diamond in North America.
Although London has many ties toMiddlesex County, it has been a separate entity since 1855.[154] The exception is theMiddlesex County Courthouse and former jail, as the judiciary is administered directly by the province.[155]
London was the first city in Canada (in May 2017) to decide to move aranked choice ballot for municipal elections starting in 2018. Voters mark their ballots in order of preference, ranking their top three favourite candidates. An individual must reach 50 per cent of the total to be declared elected; in each round of counting where a candidate has not yet reached that target, the person with the fewest votes is dropped from the ballot and their second or third choice preferences reallocated to the remaining candidates, with this process repeating until a candidate has reached 50 per cent.[156]
In 2001, the City of London first published their Facilities Accessibility Design Standards (FADS) which was one of the first North American municipalaccessibility requirements to includeUniversal Design. It has since been adopted by over 50 municipalities inCanada and theUnited States.[157]
As of 1 June 2023[update] the London Police Service (LPS) is headed byChief of Police Thai Truong. He is supported by two deputy chiefs: Paul Bastien, in charge of operations, and Trish McIntyre, in charge of administration.[163] The service is governed by a seven-member civilianpolice board, of which the current board chair is Ali Chabar, General Legal Counsel and Executive Officer with the Thames Valley District School Board c.[164] As of December 2020, the LPS had the fewest police officers per capita inSouthwestern Ontario.[165] Its vehicles includelight armoured vehicles donated byGeneral Dynamics Land Systems, which the CBC observed in 2019 were rarely used.[166]
Statistics from police indicate that total overall crimes in London held steady between 2010 and 2016, at roughly 24,000 to 27,000 incidents per year.[167] The majority of incidents are property crimes, with violent crimes dropping markedly (up to about 20%) between 2012 and 2014 but rising again in 2015–2016. In July 2018, Police Deputy Chief Steve Williams was quoted as saying many crimes go unreported to police.[168] However, in 2021, the city surpassed its 2005 homicide record, with the city reporting 16 murders with a rate of 3.8 per 100,000 people.[169]
The city has been home to several high-profile incidents over the years such as theOntario Biker War and theLondon Conflict, it was also the location where most of the trial for theShedden Massacre took place.
Research byMichael Andrew Arntfield, a police officer turned criminology professor, has determined that on a per-capita basis, London had more activeserial killers than any locale in the world from 1959 to 1984.[170] Arntfield determined there were at least six serial killers active in London during this era. Some went unidentified, but known killers in London includedRussell Maurice Johnson,Gerald Thomas Archer, and Christian Magee.[171]
On 6 June 2021, theLondon, Ontario truck attack took place in the North West of the city. Four members of a Canadian Muslim family, two women aged 74 and 44, a 46-year-old man and a 15-year-old girl were all killed by a pickup truck, which jumped the curb and ran them over. The sole survivor was a 9-year-old boy. According to the London Police Service, they were deliberately targeted in anti-Islamic hate crime. Later on the same day, 20-year-old Nathaniel Veltman was arrested in the parking lot of a nearby mall. He was charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder.[172][173]
In September 2023, the trial for the accused began inWindsor, ON. This was the first time Canadian jurors heard legal arguments for terrorism related to white supremacy.[174] Shortly after the attack, the accused told police, "I admit it was terrorism...I was a ticking bomb, ready to go off." He also admitted that his hate towards minority groups began with looking for information online about Donald Trump's election for U.S. president.[175]
In February 2024 Veltman was sentenced to five life sentences with no possibility of parole for 25 years.[176]
TheDominion Public Building is an Art Deco office building located on Richmond Street in London.
The City of London initiatives in Old East London are helping to create a renewed sense of vigour in the East London Business District. Specific initiatives include the creation of the Old East Heritage Conservation District under Part V of theOntario Heritage Act, special Building Code policies and Facade Restoration Programs.[177]
Londoners have become protective of the trees in the city, protesting "unnecessary" removal of trees.[179] The City Council and tourist industry have created projects to replant trees throughout the city. As well, they have begun to erect metal trees of various colours in the downtown area, causing some controversy.[180]
London is at the junction ofHighway 401 that connects the city to Toronto and Windsor, andHighway 402 toSarnia.[181][182] Also,Highway 403, which diverges from the 401 at nearbyWoodstock, provides ready access toBrantford,Hamilton, and theNiagara Peninsula.[183] Many smaller two-lanehighways also pass through or near London, includingKings Highways2,3,4,7 and 22. Some of these are no longer highways, as provincial downloading in the 1980s and 1990s put responsibility for most provincial highways on municipal governments.[184] Nevertheless, these roads continue to provide access from London to nearby communities and locations in much ofWestern Ontario, includingGoderich,Port Stanley andOwen Sound. A 4.5 km (2.8 mi) long section of Highbury Ave., connecting the east end of London to Highway 401, consists of ancontrolled-access highway with 100 kilometres per hour (62 mph) speed limits.[185]
Wellington Road between Commissioners Road East and Southdale Road E is London's busiest section of roadway, with more than 46,000 vehicles using the span on an average day[186] London does not have anyfreeways passing directly through the city. City council rejected early plans for the construction of a freeway, and instead accepted theVeterans Memorial Parkway to serve the east end.[187] Some Londoners have expressed concern the absence of a local freeway may hinder London's economic and population growth, while others have voiced concern such a freeway would destroy environmentally sensitive areas and contribute to London's suburban sprawl.[188] Road capacity improvements have been made to Veterans Memorial Parkway (formerly named Airport Road andHighway 100) in the industrialized east end.[189] However, the Parkway has received criticism for not being built as a proper highway; a study conducted in 2007 suggested upgrading it by replacing the intersections with interchanges.[190]
In the late 19th century, and the early 20th century, an extensive network of streetcar routes served London.[191][192]
London'spublic transit system is run by theLondon Transit Commission, which has 44 bus routes throughout the city.[193] Although the city has lost ridership over the last few years, the commission is making concerted efforts to enhance services by implementing a five-year improvement plan. In 2015, an additional 17,000 hours of bus service was added throughout the city. In 2016, 11 new operators, 5 new buses, and another 17,000 hours of bus service were added to the network.[194] London has started construction of abus rapid transit network.[195] Construction of this network was initially anticipated to begin in 2019,[196] but after delays, changes to the design,[197] construction started on the first BRT project, the Downtown Loop, in spring 2021 and will continue in phases until 2030.[198] The project receivedC$170 million in funding from theOntario government on 15 January 2018.[199]
London has 330 km (210 mi) of cycling paths throughout the city, 91 km (57 mi) of which have been added since 2005.[200] In June 2016, London unveiled its first bike corrals, which replace parking for one vehicle with fourteenbicycle parking spaces, and fix-it stations, which provide cyclists with simple tools and a bicycle pump, throughout the city.[201] In September 2016, city council approved a new 15 year cycling master plan that will see the construction of an additional 470 km (290 mi) of cycling paths added to the existing network.[200][202]
London is also a destination for inter-citybus travellers. In 2009, London was the seventh-busiestGreyhound Canada terminal in terms of passengers.[208] Greyhound Canada no longer operates,[209] but other operators have entered the market, includingMegabus[210] andFlixBus[211] that provide service throughoutsouthwestern Ontario.
Additional cycleways are planned for integration in road-widening projects, where there is need and sufficient space along routes. Anexpressway/freeway network is possible along the eastern and western ends of the city, fromHighway 401 (andHighway 402 for the western route) past Oxford Street, potentially with another highway, joining the two in the city's north end.[188]
The city of London has assessed the entire length of the Veterans Memorial Parkway, identifying areas where interchanges can be constructed, grade separations can occur, and wherecul-de-sacs can be placed. Upon completion, the Veterans Memorial Parkway would no longer be an expressway, but a freeway, for the majority of its length.[213]
Dundas Street in London, withFanshawe College's downtown campus in sight
Fanshawe College has an enrollment of approximately 15,000 students, including 3,500 apprentices and over 500 international students from more than 30 countries.[223] It also has almost 40,000 students in part-timecontinuing education courses.[223]
^London's long term climate record has been recorded at various climate stations in or near the city of London since 1871. From 1871 to 1891 at London, 1883 to 1932 at London South, 1930 to 1941 at Lambeth Airport, and 1940 to present atLondon International Airport.
^Statistic includes all persons that did not make up part of a visible minority or an indigenous identity.
^Statistic includes total responses of "West Asian" and "Arab" under visible minority section on census.
^Statistic includes total responses of "Chinese", "Korean", and "Japanese" under visible minority section on census.
^Statistic includes total responses of "Filipino" and "Southeast Asian" under visible minority section on census.
^Stott, Gregory (1999). "Four".The Maintenance of Suburban Autonomy: The Story of the Village of Petersville-London West, Ontario, 1874–1897 (MA thesis). University of Western Ontario.
^Grainger, Jennifer Vanished Villages of Middlesex, Toronto: Natural Heritage, 2002 p. 322
^abGrainger, Jennifer Vanished Villages of Middlesex, Toronto: Natural Heritage, 2002 p. 312
^abcGrainger, Jennifer Vanished Villages of Middlesex, Toronto: Natural Heritage, 2002 p. 315
^"Item 9b"(PDF). London Advisory Committee on heritage.Archived(PDF) from the original on July 6, 2011. RetrievedSeptember 25, 2009.
^Wilson, Robert."London East". London and Middlesex Historical Society.Archived from the original on January 31, 2009. RetrievedSeptember 25, 2009.
^abGrainger, Jennifer Vanished Villages of Middlesex, Toronto: Natural Heritage, 2002 p. 316
^Grainger, Jennifer Vanished Villages of Middlesex, Toronto: Natural Heritage, 2002 p. 283
^Grainger, Jennifer Vanished Villages of Middlesex, Toronto: Natural Heritage, 2002 p. 285
^abcdeGrainger, Jennifer Vanished Villages of Middlesex, Toronto: Natural Heritage, 2002 p. 286
^Grainger, Jennifer Vanished Villages of Middlesex, Toronto: Natural Heritage, 2002 p. 287
^Ivor F. Goodson and Ian R. Dowbiggin, "Vocational education and school reform: the case of the London (Canada) Technical School, 1900-1930"History of Education Review (1991) 20#1: 39–60.
^"105".IATSE Labor Union, representing the technicians, artisans and craftpersons in the entertainment industry. May 21, 2012. Archived fromthe original on August 26, 2022. RetrievedAugust 26, 2022.
^Patrick Maloney (December 6, 2015)."It's back to the transit future".The London Free Press.Archived from the original on March 16, 2017. RetrievedMarch 16, 2017.But O'Neil, a local-history buff, has unearthed a document that suggests the proposed rail lines for London's rapid-transit proposal are perfectly placed. He found a map outlining London's streetcar lines in 1914, and notes the two lines earmarked today for light rail are where the old trolleys ran a century ago.
^"Routes and Schedules". London Transit Commission.Archived from the original on September 18, 2009. RetrievedOctober 19, 2016.
^abc"Education". City of London. 2009. Archived fromthe original on August 6, 2013. RetrievedSeptember 28, 2009.
^"Bureau satellite de London / Middlesex."Conseil scolaire catholique Providence. Retrieved on 15 December 2014. "Adresse: 920, rue Huron London Ontario N5Y 4K4 Canada"
^"About Western". University of Western Ontario. Archived fromthe original on February 9, 2010. RetrievedSeptember 28, 2009.
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