London is a city in
SouthwesternSouthwestern Ontario is a subregion of Southern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario, centred on the city of London. It extends north to south from the Bruce Peninsula on Lake Huron to the Lake Erie shoreline, and east to south-west roughly from Guelph to Windsor. The region had a population...
OntarioOntario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
,
CanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the
2006 Canadian censusThe Canada 2006 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. Census day was May 16, 2006. The next census following will be the 2011 Census. Canada's total population enumerated by the 2006 census was 31,612,897...
; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city is named after
LondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
,
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. London is the seat of
Middlesex CountyMiddlesex County is a primarily rural county in Southwestern Ontario. Landlocked, the county is bordered by Huron and Perth counties on the north, Oxford County on the east, Elgin County on the south, and Chatham-Kent and Lambton County on the west.The seat is the city of London, although the city...
, at the forks of the non-navigable Thames River, approximately halfway between
TorontoToronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario and Detroit,
MichiganMichigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. The City of London is a separated municipality,
politically separate from Middlesex County, though it remains the official county seat.
London was first settled by
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
ans between 1801 and 1804 by Peter Hagerman and became a village in 1826. Since then, London has grown into the largest Southwestern Ontario municipality, annexing many of the smaller communities that surrounded it. The city has developed a strong focus towards
educationEducation in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
,
health careHealth care is the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in humans. Health care is delivered by practitioners in medicine, chiropractic, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, allied health, and other care providers...
,
tourismTourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
, and
manufacturingManufacturing is the use of machines, tools and labor to produce goods for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed into finished goods on a large scale...
.
London is home to
Fanshawe CollegeFanshawe College is one of the largest colleges in Ontario, Canada. The main campus is in London, Ontario, with additional campuses in Simcoe, St. Thomas, Woodstock, and Tillsonburg. There are about 15,000 full-time students and 40,000 part-time students. Fanshawe College has more than 112,000 alumni...
and the
University of Western OntarioThe University of Western Ontario is a public research university located in London, Ontario, Canada. The university's main campus covers of land, with the Thames River cutting through the eastern portion of the main campus. Western administers its programs through 12 different faculties and...
, which contributes to the city's reputation as an international centre of higher education, scientific research and cultural activity. The city hosts a number of musical and artistic exhibits. London's festivals contribute to its tourism industry, but its economic activity is centred on education, medical research,
insuranceIn law and economics, insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the...
, and
information technologyInformation technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
. London's university and hospitals are among its top ten employers. London lies at the junction of Highway 401 and 402, connecting it to Toronto, Detroit, and
SarniaSarnia is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada.Sarnia may also refer to:* Sarnia, the Roman name for the island of Guernsey, Channel Islands** Sarnia Cherie, its national anthem**A piano suite by John Ireland, written about Guernsey....
, but lacks an internal freeway. It also has an international airport, train and bus station.
Founding
Prior to European contact in the 18th century, the present site of London was occupied by several
NeutralThe Neutrals, also known as the Attawandaron, were an Iroquoian nation of North American native people who lived near the shores of Lake Ontario and Lake Erie.-Territory:...
and
OdawaThe Odawa or Ottawa, said to mean "traders," are a Native American and First Nations people. They are one of the Anishinaabeg, related to but distinct from the Ojibwe nation. Their original homelands are located on Manitoulin Island, near the northern shores of Lake Huron, on the Bruce Peninsula in...
/
OjibwaThe Ojibwe or Chippewa are among the largest groups of Native Americans–First Nations north of Mexico. They are divided between Canada and the United States. In Canada, they are the third-largest population among First Nations, surpassed only by Cree and Inuit...
villages. One
AnishinaabeAnishinaabe or Anishinabe—or more properly Anishinaabeg or Anishinabek, which is the plural form of the word—is the autonym often used by the Odawa, Ojibwe, and Algonquin peoples. They all speak closely related Anishinaabemowin/Anishinaabe languages, of the Algonquian language family.The meaning...
community site was described as located near the forks of
Askunessippi (Anishinaabe language:
Eshkani-ziibi, "Antler River"; now called the
Thames RiverThe Thames River is located in southwestern Ontario, Canada.The Thames flows west through southwestern Ontario, through the cities of Woodstock, London and Chatham to Lighthouse Cove on Lake St. Clair...
) in circa 1690 and was referred to as
Pahkatequayang ("Baketigweyaang":"At the River Fork" (lit: at where the by-stream is)). Archaeological investigations in the region indicate that
aboriginalAboriginal peoples in Canada comprise the First Nations, Inuit and Métis. The descriptors "Indian" and "Eskimo" have fallen into disuse in Canada and are commonly considered pejorative....
people have resided in the area for at least the past 10,000 years.
The current location of London was selected as the site of the future capital of
Upper CanadaThe Province of Upper Canada was a political division in British Canada established in 1791 by the British Empire to govern the central third of the lands in British North America and to accommodate Loyalist refugees from the United States of America after the American Revolution...
in 1793 by
Lieutenant-GovernorA lieutenant governor or lieutenant-governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction, but is often the deputy or lieutenant to or ranking under a governor — a "second-in-command"...
John Graves SimcoeJohn Graves Simcoe was a British army officer and the first Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada from 1791–1796. Then frontier, this was modern-day southern Ontario and the watersheds of Georgian Bay and Lake Superior...
. Simcoe intended to name the settlement
Georgina, in honour of
King George IIIGeorge III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...
, and renamed the river. However, the choice of a capital site in the midst of extensive hardwood forests was rejected by
Guy Carleton (Governor Dorchester)Guy Carleton, 1st Baron Dorchester, KB , known between 1776 and 1786 as Sir Guy Carleton, was an Irish-British soldier and administrator...
. In 1814, there was a skirmish during the
War of 1812The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
in what is now southwest London at Reservoir Hill, formerly Hungerford Hill.
The village of London, named after the English capital of
LondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, was not founded until 1826, and not as the capital Simcoe envisioned. Rather, it was an administrative seat for the area west of the actual capital,
YorkYork was the name of Old Toronto between 1793 and 1834. It was the second capital of Upper Canada.- History :The town was established in 1793 by Governor John Graves Simcoe, with a new 'Fort York' on the site of the last French 'Fort Toronto'...
(now Toronto). Locally, it was part of the Talbot Settlement, named for Colonel
Thomas TalbotColonel Thomas Talbot was born at Malahide Castle in Ireland near Dublin He was the fourth son of Richard Talbot and his wife Margaret Talbot, 1st Baroness Talbot of Malahide...
, the chief coloniser of the area, who oversaw the land surveying and built the first
government buildingsGovernment Buildings is a large Edwardian building enclosing a quadrangle on Merrion Street in Dublin, Ireland, in which several key offices of the government of Ireland are located...
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. At the time, Crown and clergy reserves were receiving preference in the rest of Ontario.
In 1832, the new settlement suffered an outbreak of
choleraCholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
. London proved a centre of strong
ToryToryism is a traditionalist and conservative political philosophy which grew out of the Cavalier faction in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It is a prominent ideology in the politics of the United Kingdom, but also features in parts of The Commonwealth, particularly in Canada...
support during the
Upper Canada RebellionThe Upper Canada Rebellion was, along with the Lower Canada Rebellion in Lower Canada, a rebellion against the British colonial government in 1837 and 1838. Collectively they are also known as the Rebellions of 1837.-Issues:...
of 1837, notwithstanding a brief rebellion led by Dr. Charles 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. London was incorporated as a town in 1840.
On April 13, 1845, fire destroyed much of London, which was at the time largely constructed of wooden buildings. One of the first casualties was the town's only fire engine. This fire burned nearly 30 acres of land destroying 150 buildings before burning itself out later the same day. One-fifth of London was destroyed and this was the province's first million dollar fire.
On January 1, 1855, London was incorporated as a "city" (10,000 or more residents). London was a "city within a forest" and as such earned the nickname "The Forest City."
In the 1860s, a sulphur spring was discovered at the forks of the Thames River while industrialists were drilling for
oilPetroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
. The springs became a popular destination for wealthy Ontarians, until the turn of the 20th century when a textile
factoryA factory or manufacturing plant is an industrial building where laborers manufacture goods or supervise machines processing one product into another. Most modern factories have large warehouses or warehouse-like facilities that contain heavy equipment used for assembly line production...
was built at the site, replacing the spa.
Development
Sir
John CarlingSir John Carling, PC, KCMG of the Carling Brewery was a prominent politician and businessman from London, Ontario, Canada...
, Tory MP for London, gave three events to explain the development of London in a 1901 speech. They were: 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.
In 1875, London's first iron bridge, the
Blackfriars Street BridgeThe Blackfriars Street Bridge in London, Ontario, Canada is a wrought iron, through, bowstring truss or tied arch bridge, placed across the North Thames River in 1875 and still carrying frequent vehicular and pedestrian traffic...
, was constructed. 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 bowstring
truss bridgeA truss bridge is a bridge composed of connected elements which may be stressed from tension, compression, or sometimes both in response to dynamic loads. Truss bridges are one of the oldest types of modern bridges...
, the Blackfriars remains open to vehicular traffic. The Blackfriars, amidst the river-distance between the
CarlingCarling brands are currently owned by the Molson Coors Brewing Company. In South Africa it is distributed by SABMiller.Carling Black Label is the name of a brand of Canadian lager in Australia, Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom and South Africa...
Brewery and the historic
Tecumseh ParkLabatt Memorial Park is a baseball stadium near the forks of the Thames River in central London, Ontario, Canada. It is in size, has 5,200 seats and a natural grass field...
(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, largely due to repeated flooding. The most serious flood was that of July 1883, which resulted in serious loss of life and property devaluation. This area retains much original and attractively maintained 19th-century tradespeople's and workers' housing, including
GeorgianGeorgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
cottages as well as larger houses, and a distinct
sense of placeThe term sense of place has been defined and used in many different ways by many different people. To some, it is a characteristic that some geographic places have and some do not, while to others it is a feeling or perception held by people...
.
London's eastern suburb, London East, was (and remains) an industrial centre, which also incorporated in 1874. Attaining the status of town in 1881, it continued as a separate municipality until concerns over expensive waterworks and other fiscal problems led to amalgamation in 1885. 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, although Wortley Village still retains a distinct
sense of placeThe term sense of place has been defined and used in many different ways by many different people. To some, it is a characteristic that some geographic places have and some do not, while to others it is a feeling or perception held by people...
. 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.
On May 24, 1881, the
ferryA ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
SS Victoria capsized in the Thames River,
drowningDrowning is death from asphyxia due to suffocation caused by water entering the lungs and preventing the absorption of oxygen leading to cerebral hypoxia....
approximately 200 passengers, the worst disaster in London's history. Two years later, on July 12, 1883, the first of the two most devastating floods in London's history killed 17 people. The second major flood, on April 26, 1937, destroyed more than a thousand houses and caused over $50 million dollars in damages, particularly in West London. After repeated floods the
Upper Thames River Conservation AuthorityThe Upper Thames River Conservation Authority is a body based in London, Ontario, Canada. It was created in 1947. It was responsible for the construction of the Fanshawe Dam, completed in the 1950s, to control flooding from the Thames River, which runs through London. During the last ice age, the...
in 1953 opened Fanshawe Dam on the North Thames to control the downstream rivers. Financing for this project came from the federal, provincial, and municipal governments. Other
natural disasterA natural disaster is the effect of a natural hazard . It leads to financial, environmental or human losses...
s include a 1984
tornadoA tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as a twister or a cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology in a wider...
that led to damage on several streets in the White Oaks area of South London.
London's role as a military centre continued into the 20th century during the two
World WarA world war is a war affecting the majority of the world's most powerful and populous nations. World wars span multiple countries on multiple continents, with battles fought in multiple theaters....
s, 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 (1996)in its place preserving the shell of the historic building. The
Delta London Armouries Hotel has a gallery on the 2nd floor, reflecting London in the early 1900s. In the 1950s, two reserve battalions amalgamated and became
London and Oxford Rifles (3rd Battalion), The Royal Canadian Regiment3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment is a regular force light infantry battalion of the Canadian Forces. As of 2011, 3 RCR was designated Canada's first airmobile battalion...
. This unit continues to serve today as 4th Battalion,
The Royal Canadian RegimentThe Royal Canadian Regiment is an infantry regiment of the Canadian Forces. The regiment consists of four battalions, three in the Regular Force and one in the Primary Reserve...
. The Regimental Headquarters of
The Royal Canadian RegimentThe Royal Canadian Regiment is an infantry regiment of the Canadian Forces. The regiment consists of four battalions, three in the Regular Force and one in the Primary Reserve...
remains in London at Wolseley Barracks on Oxford Street. The barracks are home to the First Hussars militia regiment as well.
Annexation to present
London
annexedAnnexation is the de jure incorporation of some territory into another geo-political entity . Usually, it is implied that the territory and population being annexed is the smaller, more peripheral, and weaker of the two merging entities, barring physical size...
many of the surrounding communities in 1961, including
ByronByron is a neighbourhood in the City of London, Ontario, Canada.Located downriver from London on the outer fringes of the city, Byron was originally called Westminster, then renamed Hall's Mill, and then finally Byron. The Byron area was settled in 1800 and first became a village in 1804...
and Masonville, adding 60,000 people and more than doubling its area. 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.
In 1992, London annexed nearly the entire Township of Westminster, a large, primarily
rural municipalityA rural municipality, often abbreviated RM, is a form of municipality in the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan, perhaps best comparable to counties or townships in the western United States...
directly south of the city, including the
police villageA police village was a form of municipal government used in the province of Ontario, Canada, beginning in the early 19th century. It was used in cases where the finances or population of the area did not permit the creation of a village....
of
LambethLambeth is a neighbourhood in the City of London, Ontario, Canada.Lambeth was formerly a population centre in Westminster Township, Middlesex County, Ontario, Canada...
. With this massive annexation, London almost doubled in area again, adding several thousand more residents. London now stretches south to the boundary with Elgin County.
The 1993 annexation made London one of the largest urban municipalities in Ontario. Intense commercial and residential development is presently occurring in the southwest and northwest areas of the city. Opponents of this development cite
urban sprawlUrban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a multifaceted concept, which includes the spreading outwards of a city and its suburbs to its outskirts to low-density and auto-dependent development on rural land, high segregation of uses Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a...
, destruction of rare Carolinian zone forest and farm lands, replacement of distinctive regions by generic malls, and standard transportation and pollution concerns as major issues facing London. The City of London is currently the
eleventh-largest urban area in Canada,
tenth-largest census metropolitan area in Canada, and the sixth-largest city in Ontario.
Geography
The area was formed during the retreat of the
glacierA glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...
s during the last
ice ageAn ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
, which produced areas of marshland, notably the
Sifton BogThe Sifton Bog is a wetland jointly administered by the city of London, Ontario and the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority. It is located west of Hyde Park Road and south of Oxford Street inside the city limits of London...
(which is actually a
fenA fen is a type of wetland fed by mineral-rich surface water or groundwater. Fens are characterised by their water chemistry, which is neutral or alkaline, with relatively high dissolved mineral levels but few other plant nutrients...
), as well as some of the most agriculturally productive areas of farmland in Ontario. The eastern half of the city is generally flat, except for around the five neighbouring ponds in the south, and the west and north are characterized by gently rolling hills.
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." The North Thames runs through the man-made Fanshawe Lake, located 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.
Climate
London has a
humid continental climateA humid continental climate is a climatic region typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot summers and cold winters....
(Koppen
Dfb), though due to its windward location relative to Lake Huron it is virtually on the Dfa-Dfb (hot summer) boundary. Because of its location in the continent and its proximity to the
Great LakesThe Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
, London experiences large seasonal contrast. The summers are usually warm to hot and humid, with a July average of 20.5 °C (68.9 °F), and highs may rise above 30 °C (86 °F) on an average 8 days per annum. The city is affected by
thunderstormA thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm, a lightning storm, thundershower or simply a storm is a form of weather characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere known as thunder. The meteorologically assigned cloud type associated with the...
s more than any other major city in Canada, due to the
convergence of breezesConvergence zone usually refers to a region in the atmosphere where two prevailing flows meet and interact, usually resulting in distinctive weather conditions....
originating from
Lake HuronLake Huron is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrologically, it comprises the larger portion of Lake Michigan-Huron. It is bounded on the east by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the west by the state of Michigan in the United States...
and
Lake ErieLake Erie is the fourth largest lake of the five Great Lakes in North America, and the tenth largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has the shortest average water residence time. It is bounded on the north by the...
. Spring and autumn in between are not long, and winters are cold but witness frequent thaws. Annual precipitation averages nearly 990 millimetres (39 in). Its winter snowfall totals are heavy, averaging slightly over 200 centimetres (79 in) per year. The majority of it comes from
lake effect snowLake-effect snow is produced during cooler atmospheric conditions when cold winds move across long expanses of warmer lake water, providing energy and picking up water vapor which freezes and is deposited on the leeward shores...
and snow squalls originating from Lake Huron, some 60 kilometres (37 mi) to the northwest, which occurs when strong, cold winds blow from that direction. From December 5, 2010, to December 9, 2010, London experienced record snowfall when up to 200 centimetres (79 in) of snow fell in parts of the city. Schools and business were closed for three days and bus service was cancelled after the second day of snow.
Parks
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,
Springbank ParkSpringbank Park is a 140-hectare park located along a stretch of the Thames River in London, Ontario, Canada. As the largest park in London, it contains of trails and is home to Storybook Gardens, a family attraction open year round.-History:...
, and Westminster Ponds. The city also maintains a number of gardens and conservatories.
Demographics
According to the 2006 census, the city proper of London had a population of 352,395 people, 48.2% male and 51.8% female. Children under five accounted for approximately 5.2% of the resident population of London. 13.7% of the resident population in London were of retirement age (65 and over), which is also the percentage for Canada as a whole. The average age is 38.2 years of age, compared to 39.5 years of age for all of Canada.
Between 2001 and 2006, the population of metropolitan London grew by 4.7%, compared with an increase of 6.6% for Ontario as a whole. Population density of London averaged 837.9 people per square kilometre, compared with an average of 13.4 for Ontario altogether.
According to the 2001 census, the majority of Londoners profess a
ChristianA Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
faith, which accounts for 74.1% of the population (Protestant 40.7%, Roman Catholic: 29.1%, other Christian: 4.3%). Other religions include
IslamIslam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
: 3.4%,
BuddhismBuddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
: 0.7%,
JudaismJudaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
: 0.5% and
HinduismHinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
: 0.4%, with 20.1% of the population reporting no religious affiliation. There are also centres for the
International Gnostic MovementSamael Aun Weor , born Víctor Manuel Gómez Rodríguez, Colombian citizen and later Mexican, was an author, lecturer and founder of the 'Universal Christian Gnostic Movement' with his teaching of 'The Doctrine of Synthesis' of all religions in both their esoteric and exoteric aspects...
,
TheosophyTheosophy, in its modern presentation, is a spiritual philosophy developed since the late 19th century. Its major themes were originally described mainly by Helena Blavatsky , co-founder of the Theosophical Society...
and
EckankarEckankar is a new religious movement founded in the United States in 1965, though practiced around the world long before with a solid following in China. It focuses on spiritual exercises enabling practitioners to experience what its followers call "the Light and Sound of God." The personal...
devotees, as well as a centre for
UnitariansUnitarianism is a Christian theological movement, named for its understanding of God as one person, in direct contrast to Trinitarianism which defines God as three persons coexisting consubstantially as one in being....
. There is also an active
Bahá'íThe Bahá'í Faith is a monotheistic religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in 19th-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind. There are an estimated five to six million Bahá'ís around the world in more than 200 countries and territories....
community in London.
| Ethnic Origin, 2001 |
| Ethnic Origin |
Percentage |
EnglishThe English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
|
31.9% |
| Canadian |
31.8% |
ScottishThe Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
|
21.6% |
IrishThe Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
|
19.1% |
| German |
10.6% |
FrenchThe French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
|
9.2% |
DutchThe Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United...
|
5.8% |
ItalianThe Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
|
4.6% |
| Polish |
4.4% |
PortugueseThe Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
|
2.5% |
| Ukrainian |
2.4% |
| multiple responses included |
According to the 2006 census, 84.8% of the population of London are
WhiteWhite people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin...
, 2.2% are Latin American, 2.2% are Arab, 2.2% are Black, 1.8% are
ChineseThe term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
, 1.8% are
South AsiaSouth Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
n, 1.4% are
AboriginalFirst Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
, 1.1% are
Southeast AsiaSoutheast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
n, 0.6% are West Asian, and 1.9% are other ethnicities.
Economy
London's economy is dominated by medical research,
locomotiveA locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
production,
insuranceIn law and economics, insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the...
, and
information technologyInformation technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
. The
London Life Insurance CompanyLondon Life Insurance Company is a Canadian life insurance company best known for its "Freedom 55" slogan, evocative of saving money to an extent that would allow one to retire at age 55...
was founded there, and Electro-Motive Diesels, Inc. (formerly General Motors' Electro-Motive Division) now builds most of its locomotives in London.
General Dynamics Land SystemsIn February 1982 Chrysler announced the sale of Chrysler Defense, its profitable defense subsidiary to General Dynamics for US$348.5 million. The sale was completed in March 1982 for the revised figure of US$336.1 million. General Dynamics renamed the division General Dynamics Land Systems. In 2003...
also builds
armoured personnel carrierAn armoured personnel carrier is an armoured fighting vehicle designed to transport infantry to the battlefield.APCs are usually armed with only a machine gun although variants carry recoilless rifles, anti-tank guided missiles , or mortars...
s in the city. London is a centre of
life sciencesThe life sciences comprise the fields of science that involve the scientific study of living organisms, like plants, animals, and human beings. While biology remains the centerpiece of the life sciences, technological advances in molecular biology and biotechnology have led to a burgeoning of...
and
biotechnologyBiotechnology is a field of applied biology that involves the use of living organisms and bioprocesses in engineering, technology, medicine and other fields requiring bioproducts. Biotechnology also utilizes these products for manufacturing purpose...
-related research; much of this is conducted or supported by the University of Western Ontario. The university adds about C$1.5 billion to the London economy annually. The headquarters of the Canadian division of
3M3M Company , formerly known as the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation based in Maplewood, Minnesota, United States....
are located in London, and both the Labatt and
CarlingCarling brands are currently owned by the Molson Coors Brewing Company. In South Africa it is distributed by SABMiller.Carling Black Label is the name of a brand of Canadian lager in Australia, Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom and South Africa...
breweries were founded there. A $223 million expansion project began in 1984, making Kellogg's Canada's 106000 m² (1,140,974.5 sq ft) London plant one of the most technologically advanced manufacturing facilities in the Kellogg Company. A portion of the city's population work in factories outside of the city limits, including Ford and the
General MotorsGeneral Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
automotive plant
CAMICAMI Automotive, originally known as Canadian Automotive Manufacturing Inc., was an independently incorporated joint venture of automobile manufacturing in Ingersoll, Ontario, Canada and formed the third step of GM's three-pronged initiative of the mid-1980s to capture and practice the Japanese...
, and a Toyota plant in
WoodstockWoodstock is a city and the county seat of Oxford County in Southern Ontario, Canada. Woodstock is located 128 km southwest of Toronto, north of Highway 401 along the historic Thames River...
.
In 1999 the
Western Fair AssociationThe Western Fair is a fair held annually in London, Ontario, Canada in early September.The first Western Fair was held in September 1868 in downtown London, northeast of the current location of Victoria Park. Organizers had hoped to use the Crystal Palace Barracks as the main exhibition area...
introduced slot machines. Currently, 750 slot machines operate at the fair grounds year-round.
McCormick CanadaMcCormick & Company manufactures spices, herbs, and flavorings for retail, commercial, and industrial markets. The company began in 1889 in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. One hundred years later, McCormick moved from downtown Baltimore to the suburb of Hunt Valley, Maryland. McCormick has...
, formerly Club House Foods, was founded in 1883 and currently employs more than 500 Londoners.
London's city centre mall, Galleria, named Citi Plaza in 2009, has suffered since the 2000 collapse of
Eaton'sThe T. Eaton Co. Limited was once Canada's largest department store retailer. It was founded in 1869 in Toronto by Timothy Eaton, an Irish immigrant. Eaton's grew to become a retail and social institution in Canada, with stores across the country, buying offices across the globe, and a catalogue...
and the loss of its
Hudson's Bay CompanyThe Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
store. The large space left empty by the departure of the Bay has since been filled by London's
central libraryThe London Public Library is the public library system of London, Ontario Canada. The London Public Library opened in November 1896.It now has 16 branches open to the public. The branches are:* Beacock 1280 Huron Street...
. Other sections of Galleria/Citi Plaza have also lost businesses, which have been replaced by campuses for London's major post-secondary education schools, Fanshawe College and the University of Western Ontario.
A new $11-million cargo terminal was announced to be built at the
London International AirportLondon International Airport or London Airport is located northeast of the city of London, Ontario, Canada.In 2009, the airport handled 501,835 passengers, and, in 2010, was the 9th busiest in Canada in terms of aircraft movements, with 141,001. Air Canada, Air Canada Express, United Express ,...
. Two interchanges will also be upgraded to Parclo A4 configuration.
Prior to its dissolution, regional airline
Air OntarioAir Ontario Inc. was a Canadian airline now part of Air Canada Jazz. It was headquartered in London, Ontario.- History :Air Ontario Inc. was established in June 1987, with the merger of Austin Airways, Canada’s oldest airline, which began service in 1934, and Air Ontario Ltd...
was headquartered in London.
Culture
The city is home to many festivals, including
SunfestSunfest is the name used for several music and art festivals:* Sunfest, West Palm Beach, Florida* Sunfest, London, Ontario* Sunfest, Bartlesville, Oklahoma* Sunfest, Bucharest, Romania...
, the
Home County Folk FestivalHome County Folk Festival is a folk music festival in London, Ontario. It is an admission by donation festival held each July in Victoria Park in downtown London...
, the
London Fringe Theatre FestivalLondon Fringe Theatre Festival is a Canadian annual fringe theatre and related arts festival in London, Ontario. Founded in 1999, it runs for ten days at the end of June. Prior to 2009 it began on the province's Civic holiday weekend, but was moved that year to take advantage of the east-to-west...
, the
Expressions in Chalk Street Painting FestivalEvery year in London, Canada, The Imadon Street painting Performance Group puts on Expressions in Chalk Street Painting Festival.The Imadon Street Painting Performance Group is a non-profit organization, incorporated to bring the art of street painting to the citizens and artists of London, through...
,
Rock the ParkRock the Park, formerly known as Hawk Rocks the Park, is an annual music concert held at Harris Park in London, Ontario, Canada. From 2004 to 2008 it was primarily a classic rock concert sponsored by radio station "103.9 The Hawk"...
,
Western FairThe Western Fair is a fair held annually in London, Ontario, Canada in early September.The first Western Fair was held in September 1868 in downtown London, northeast of the current location of Victoria Park. Organizers had hoped to use the Crystal Palace Barracks as the main exhibition area...
, the
London Ontario Live Arts FestivalThe London Ontario Live Arts Festival also known as LOLA fest, takes place every year in London, Ontario Canada, the third week of September, in its downtown core. The festival is not a music festival but a hugely imaginative live arts festival from well-known and emerging artists...
(LOLA) and
The International Food FestivalThe International Food FestivalThe London The International Food Festival is held annually in London, Ontario, Canada. This event features food choices from around the world, family activities and live entertainment including a beer garden.-History:...
. The London Rib-Fest, where
barbecueBarbecue or barbeque , used chiefly in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia is a method and apparatus for cooking meat, poultry and occasionally fish with the heat and hot smoke of a fire, smoking wood, or hot coals of...
ribsRibs of beef, lamb, venison, and pork are a cut of meat. The term ribs usually refers to the less meaty part of the chops, often cooked as a slab .They can be roasted, grilled, baked, braised, or smoked....
are cooked and served, is the second largest barbecue rib festival in North America. Pride London Festival is one of the biggest Pride festivals in Ontario.
SunfestSunfest is an annual Canadian world music music festival that happens in London, Ontario, Canada, primarily in Victoria Park that typically runs the weekend after Canada Day. It is the second-largest music festival in Canada after Caribana in Toronto. Alfredo Caxaj, who emigrated from Guatemala...
, a
World musicWorld music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
festival, is the second biggest in Canada after Caribana in Toronto, and is among the top 100 summer destinations in North America.
Musically, London is home to Orchestra London, the London Youth Symphony, noise music pioneers the
Nihilist Spasm BandThe Nihilist Spasm Band is a London, Ontario-based noise band. The band was formed in 1965 by Hugh McIntyre, John Clement, John Boyle, Bill Exley, Murray Favro, Archie Leitch, Art Pratten, and Greg Curnoe. Leitch has since retired, Curnoe was killed in a bicycle accident in 1992, and McIntyre...
, and the
Amabile Choirs of London, CanadaThe Amabile Choirs of London, Canada is a not-for-profit organization with the purpose of bringing together young singers from London and surrounding areas. This family of choirs began in 1985 with John Barron and Brenda Zadorsky founding the Amabile Youth Singers, and has since grown to eight...
.
There are several museums in London, including
Museum LondonMuseum London is an art and history museum located in London, Ontario, Canada. Its collection includes more than 5,000 regional and Canadian works and over 25,000 artifacts that reflect the history of the City of London as an important urban centre in Southwestern Ontario.The museum itself is...
, which is located at the Forks of the Thames. Museum London exhibits art by a wide variety of local, regional and national artists. London is also home to the
Museum of Ontario ArchaeologyThe Museum of Ontario Archaeology is a museum located in northwest London, Ontario...
, owned by the University of Western Ontario (UWO). Its main feature is Canada's only on-going excavation and partial reconstruction of a prehistoric village of the
Neutral NationThe Neutrals, also known as the Attawandaron, were an Iroquoian nation of North American native people who lived near the shores of Lake Ontario and Lake Erie.-Territory:...
(Lawson Site). Other museums include the
London Regional Children’s MuseumThe London Regional Children’s Museum is located in London, Ontario, Canada. It was founded as one of the first Children's museums in Canada in 1973 and currently receives more than 100,000 visitors each year.-See also:*Canadian Children's Museum...
, the
Royal Canadian Regiment MuseumThe Royal Canadian Regiment Museum is a military museum located at Wolseley Barracks in London, Ontario, Canada, the historic home of the The Royal Canadian Regiment .-History:...
, and the
Secrets of Radar MuseumThe Secrets of Radar Museum is a small military museum located near Parkwood Hospital in London, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 2003, the museum exists to tell the story of the more than 6,000 Canadian World War II veterans who were recruited into a top-secret project during World War II involving...
. The
Guy LombardoGaetano Alberto "Guy" Lombardo was a Canadian-American bandleader and violinist.Forming "The Royal Canadians" in 1924 with his brothers Carmen, Lebert, and Victor and other musicians from his hometown, Lombardo led the group to international success, billing themselves as creating "The Sweetest...
museum closed to the public in 2007 but its collection remains in London.
London is also home to the McIntosh Gallery, an
art galleryAn art gallery or art museum is a building or space for the exhibition of art, usually visual art.Museums can be public or private, but what distinguishes a museum is the ownership of a collection...
on the UWO campus, and the
Grand TheatreThe Grand Theatre is a professional theatre located at 471 Richmond Street just south of Dufferin Avenue in London, Ontario, Canada.Its main auditorium has a seating capacity of 839 with a regular season running from September to May...
, which is a professional theatre. The
Open House Arts CollectiveThe Open House Arts Collective is a group of artists, musicians, and art enthusiasts based in London, Ontario. The group is also referred to as the Oh! Arts Collective, an abbreviation of Open House...
is involved in promoting cultural activities in London. The
London Public LibraryThe London Public Library is the public library system of London, Ontario Canada. The London Public Library opened in November 1896.It now has 16 branches open to the public. The branches are:* Beacock 1280 Huron Street...
also hosts art exhibitions and author readings. The Writers Resource Center is the home of the
Canadian Poetry AssociationThe Canadian Poetry Association began as a grass-roots organization dedicated to promoting the reading, writing, publishing and preservation of poetry in Canada through the individual efforts of members; promoting communication among poets, publishers and the general public; encouraging leadership...
London Chapter. The Forest City Gallery is one of Canada's first artist run centres.
Eldon HouseEldon House is a museum featuring 19th century period mansion and gardens. The Eldon House Intrpretation centre is located on 481 Ridout Street, London, Ontario, Canada. The Eldon House and lands are known collectively as Harris Park. Celebrating its 175th anniversary in 2009/2010, Eldon House is...
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 a
heritage siteA Heritage Site is a location designated as important to the cultural heritage of a governing body such as a township, county, province, state, or country. It is a non-moveable object such as a historic site or national monument, but it may include several sites grouped together such as...
. An Ontario Historical Plaque was erected by the province to commemorate The Eldon House's role in Ontario's heritage. The Banting House National Historic Site of Canada is the house where Sir Frederick Banting thought of the idea that led to the discovery of
insulinInsulin is a hormone central to regulating carbohydrate and fat metabolism in the body. Insulin causes cells in the liver, muscle, and fat tissue to take up glucose from the blood, storing it as glycogen in the liver and muscle....
. 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 for diabetes is discovered.
Sports
London is currently the home of the
London KnightsThe London Knights are a junior ice hockey team from London, Ontario, Canada, playing in the Ontario Hockey League, one of the leagues of the Canadian Hockey League.-Early days–1968:...
of the
Ontario Hockey LeagueThe Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada....
, who play at the
John Labatt CentreThe John Labatt Centre is a sports-entertainment centre, in London, Ontario, Canada -- the largest such centre in southwestern Ontario.The John Labatt Centre, usually referred to as the "JLC", opened on October 11, 2002. It is named after John Labatt, founder of the Labatt brewery in London...
(JLC). The JLC was the host arena of the
2005 Memorial CupThe 2005 Memorial Cup was held May 21–29, 2005 at the John Labatt Centre in London, Ontario. The Cup tournament featured the champions from the Western Hockey League, the Kelowna Rockets, the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, the Rimouski Océanic, the Ottawa 67's representing the Ontario Hockey...
. The Knights were both 2004-2005 OHL and
Memorial CupThe Memorial Cup is a junior ice hockey club championship trophy awarded annually to the Canadian Hockey League champion. It is awarded following a four-team, round robin tournament between a host team and the champions of the CHL's three member leagues: the Ontario Hockey League , Quebec Major...
Champions. During the summer months, the
London MajorsThe London Majors are an independent, minor league baseball team of the, semi-pro, Intercounty Baseball League. The team was founded in 1925, and is based in London, Ontario...
of the
Intercounty Baseball LeagueThe Intercounty Baseball League is a semi-professional baseball organization located in the Canadian province of Ontario. The league was formed in 1919....
play at
Labatt ParkLabatt Memorial Park is a baseball stadium near the forks of the Thames River in central London, Ontario, Canada. It is in size, has 5,200 seats and a natural grass field...
.
London CityLondon City is a Canadian soccer team founded in 1973. The team is currently a member of the Canadian Soccer League. The team plays home games out of Cove Road Stadium in the city of London, Ontario...
of the
Canadian Soccer LeagueThe Canadian Soccer League is the top soccer league in Canada and is controlled by the Canadian Soccer Association. It was formerly known as the Canadian Professional Soccer League , and was officially re-branded on May 17, 2006...
, the second tier of professional Canadian Association Football, is the highest level of soccer in London. The club was founded in 1973; it is the oldest active professional soccer franchise in North America. The squad plays at
Cove Road StadiumCove Road stadium is a football stadium in London, Ontario, Canada. It is home to London City of the Canadian Soccer League - National Division. The stadium has a capacity of 1,000 -External links:*...
at the German Canadian Club. This growth trend has led to discussions on more soccer fields and a larger indoor soccer complex within the city. Other sports teams include the London Silver Dolphins Swim Team, the Forest City Volleyball Club, the London St. George's Rugby Club, the London Aquatics Club, the London Rhythmic Gymnastics Club, London City Soccer Club and
Forest City LondonForest City London is a Canadian soccer team based in London, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 2008, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Great Lakes Division of the Central Conference....
.
Football teams include the London Silverbacks (North American Football League), the London Beefeaters (Ontario Football Conference), Forest City Thunderbirds (Ontario Football Conference) and London Falcons (Ontario Varsity Football League).
Starting in fall 2011, the
London LightningThe London Lightning is a charter member of the National Basketball League of Canada set to begin play for the 2011-12 season. Based in London, Ontario, the Lightning will play its home games at the John Labatt Centre....
will begin play at the John Labatt Centre as members of the
National Basketball League of CanadaThe National Basketball League of Canada is a Canadian professional men's basketball league founded in 2011. For the first season, three teams formerly of the Premier Basketball League have joined, with four expansion teams officially joining to form the NBL's "Original Seven".-Current:These are...
.
There are also a number of former sports teams that have now either moved or folded. London's four former baseball teams are the
London MonarchsThe London Monarchs played in the independent Canadian Baseball League that existed for half of the summer season of 2003 before folding. Located in the city of London, Ontario, the team featured a variety of international ballplayers from Canada, the Dominican Republic, Japan and the United...
(
Canadian Baseball LeagueThe Canadian Baseball League, was an independent minor league that operated in 2003. The league's only Commissioner was Major League Baseball Hall of Famer and Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame member Ferguson Jenkins...
), the
London WerewolvesThe London Werewolves were an independent Frontier League baseball team based in London, Ontario, Canada. The team had previously been known as the Kalamazoo Kodiaks, from Kalamazoo, Michigan. The team arrived in London for the 1999 season and left after the 2001 season to Canton, Ohio. The...
(
Frontier LeagueThe Frontier League, based in Sauget, Illinois, is a professional, independent baseball organization located in the Midwestern United States, Western Pennsylvania, and Southern Ontario. It operates mostly in cities not served by Major or Minor League Baseball teams and is not affiliated with either...
), the
London TecumsehsThe historic London Tecumsehs were a professional men's baseball team in London, Ontario, Canada, that were first formed in 1868 — a merger of the Forest City Base Ball Club and the London Base Ball Club — which, according to George Railton's 1856 London directory, consisted of officers J.K. Brown,...
(International Association) and the
London TigersThe London Tigers were a professional AA baseball team that played in the Eastern League from 1989 to 1993. They played at Labatt Memorial Park in London, Ontario, and were affiliated with the Detroit Tigers.-History:...
(AA
Eastern LeagueThe Eastern League is a minor league baseball league which operates primarily in the northeastern United States, although it has had a team in Ohio since 1989. The Eastern League has played at the AA level since 1963. The league was founded in 1923 as the New York-Pennsylvania League...
). Other former sports teams include the London Lasers (Canadian Soccer League) and the
London NationalsThe London Nationals were a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey Association, who played for three seasons before being renamed to the London Knights. The team played out of the London Gardens in London, Ontario, Canada.-History:...
(Western Ontario Hockey League).
The University of Western Ontario teams play under the name
Mustangs. The university's football team plays at
TD Waterhouse StadiumTD Waterhouse Stadium is an 8,000-seat Canadian football stadium located at 100 Philip Aziz Avenue on the campus of the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario, Canada. It was built in 2000 at a cost of approximately $10.5-million and replaced J.W...
. Western's Rowing Team rows out of one of two National Training Centres at Fanshawe Lake. Fanshawe College teams play under the name
Falcons. The Women's Cross Country team has won 3 consecutive CCAA National Championships. 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.
The Western Fair Raceway, a half-mile (802 m)
harness racingHarness racing is a form of horse racing in which the horses race at a specific gait . They usually pull a two-wheeled cart called a sulky, although racing under saddle is also conducted in Europe.-Breeds:...
track and simulcast centre, operates year-round. The grounds include a coin slot
casinoIn modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
, a former
IMAXIMAX is a motion picture film format and a set of proprietary cinema projection standards created by the Canadian company IMAX Corporation. IMAX has the capacity to record and display images of far greater size and resolution than conventional film systems...
theatre, and Sports and Agri-complex. Labatt Memorial Park is the world's oldest continuously used baseball grounds (established as Tecumseh Park in 1877; it was renamed in 1937); the claim is disputed by
Clinton, MassachusettsClinton is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 13,606 at the 2010 census.For geographic and demographic information on the census-designated place Clinton, please see the article Clinton , Massachusetts....
, because the London field has been flooded and rebuilt twice (1883 and 1937), including a re-orientation of the bases (after the 1883 flood), and there is doubt Tecumseh Field was in continuous use after the 1883 flood. The
Forest City VelodromeThe Forest City Velodrome is an indoor cycling facility in London, Ontario, Canada. The building was constructed in 1963 as the London Gardens, home to the London Knights ice hockey team. In 1994 it was renamed London Ice House...
, located at the former
London Ice HouseThe London Ice House is an arena in London, Ontario, Canada. It was originally built in 1963 and was home to the London Knights ice hockey team from 1965-2002. The arena had a capacity of 5,075 and was originally known as Treasure Island Gardens, but most notably known as the London Gardens, from...
, is the only indoor cycling track in Ontario and the third to be built in North America, opened in 2005.
Current franchises
Active sports teams in London
| Club |
League |
Sport |
Venue |
Established |
Championships |
London KnightsThe London Knights are a junior ice hockey team from London, Ontario, Canada, playing in the Ontario Hockey League, one of the leagues of the Canadian Hockey League.-Early days–1968:...
|
OHLThe Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada....
|
Ice hockeyIce hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
|
John Labatt Centre |
1965 |
1 |
| London Lightning The London Lightning is a charter member of the National Basketball League of Canada set to begin play for the 2011-12 season. Based in London, Ontario, the Lightning will play its home games at the John Labatt Centre....
|
NBL Canada The National Basketball League of Canada is a Canadian professional men's basketball league founded in 2011. For the first season, three teams formerly of the Premier Basketball League have joined, with four expansion teams officially joining to form the NBL's "Original Seven".-Current:These are...
|
BasketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
|
John Labatt Centre |
2011 |
0 |
London MajorsThe London Majors are an independent, minor league baseball team of the, semi-pro, Intercounty Baseball League. The team was founded in 1925, and is based in London, Ontario...
|
IBL The Intercounty Baseball League is a semi-professional baseball organization located in the Canadian province of Ontario. The league was formed in 1919....
|
BaseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
|
Labatt Memorial Park |
1925 |
9 |
| London St. George's RFC |
ORU The Ontario Rugby Union is the provincial governing body for the sport of rugby union in the Canadian province of Ontario.There are currently 8 competitions which are sanctioned by the ORU:*Marshall Premiership*Keenan Division*Bardon Division...
(Marshall Premiership) |
Rugby Union Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
|
London St. George's Club |
1959 |
0 |
| London City London City is a Canadian soccer team founded in 1973. The team is currently a member of the Canadian Soccer League. The team plays home games out of Cove Road Stadium in the city of London, Ontario...
|
CSL The Canadian Soccer League is the top soccer league in Canada and is controlled by the Canadian Soccer Association. It was formerly known as the Canadian Professional Soccer League , and was officially re-branded on May 17, 2006...
|
Soccer |
Cove Road Stadium Cove Road stadium is a football stadium in London, Ontario, Canada. It is home to London City of the Canadian Soccer League - National Division. The stadium has a capacity of 1,000 -External links:*...
|
1973 |
0 |
Forest City LondonForest City London is a Canadian soccer team based in London, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 2008, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Great Lakes Division of the Central Conference....
|
USL Premier Development League The USL Premier Development League is the amateur league of the United Soccer Leagues in the United States, Canada, and Bermuda, forming part of the American Soccer Pyramid...
|
Soccer |
TD Waterhouse Stadium |
2009 |
0 |
| London Beefeaters The London Beafeaters are a CJFL football team located in London, Ontario. They play in the Ontario division....
|
CJFL The Canadian Junior Football League is a national amateur Canadian football league consisting of 19 teams playing in six provinces across Canada. The teams compete annually for the Canadian Bowl...
|
Canadian FootballCanadian football is a form of gridiron football played exclusively in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed prolate spheroid ball into the opposing team's scoring area...
|
TD Waterhouse Stadium TD Waterhouse Stadium is an 8,000-seat Canadian football stadium located at 100 Philip Aziz Avenue on the campus of the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario, Canada. It was built in 2000 at a cost of approximately $10.5-million and replaced J.W...
|
1975 |
0 |
London Blue DevilsThe London Blue Devils are Junior "B" box lacrosse team from London, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Devils play in the OLA Junior B Lacrosse League.-History:...
|
Ontario Junior B Lacrosse League |
LacrosseLacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
|
Earl Nichols Recreation Centre |
2003 |
0 |
| Forest City Thunderbirds |
Ontario Football Conference |
Canadian FootballCanadian football is a form of gridiron football played exclusively in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed prolate spheroid ball into the opposing team's scoring area...
|
Westminster Secondary School Westminster Secondary School is a public high school in London, Ontario, Canada, at 230 Base Line Road West.Westminster is administered by the Thames Valley District School Board. Approximately 1,000 students attend the school in South London, in grades nine to 12, plus a co-op program.The school...
|
2000 |
3 |
| London Thunder |
North American Football League |
American FootballAmerican football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
|
City Wide Sports Park |
2010 |
0 |
| London Rippers The London Rippers are a professional baseball team based in London, Ontario, in Canada. The Rippers are a member of the Frontier League, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball...
|
Frontier League The Frontier League, based in Sauget, Illinois, is a professional, independent baseball organization located in the Midwestern United States, Western Pennsylvania, and Southern Ontario. It operates mostly in cities not served by Major or Minor League Baseball teams and is not affiliated with either...
|
BaseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
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Labatt ParkLabatt Memorial Park is a baseball stadium near the forks of the Thames River in central London, Ontario, Canada. It is in size, has 5,200 seats and a natural grass field...
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Law and government
London's
municipal governmentLocal government refers collectively to administrative authorities over areas that are smaller than a state.The term is used to contrast with offices at nation-state level, which are referred to as the central government, national government, or federal government...
is divided among fourteen
councillorA councillor or councilor is a member of a local government council, such as a city council.Often in the United States, the title is councilman or councilwoman.-United Kingdom:...
s (one representing each of London's fourteen wards) and the
mayorIn many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
. London's
current mayor is
Joe FontanaJoseph Frank "Joe" Fontana, PC is the current mayor of London, Ontario. He was previously a Liberal member of the Parliament of Canada for the riding of London North Centre....
. Until the elections in 2010, there was a Board of Control, consisting of four controllers and the
mayorIn many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
, all elected city-wide.
The composition of the
City CouncilA city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
was challenged by two ballot questions during the civic election of 2003. A proposal to restructure the municipal government would have seen the council reduced to ten wards and the Board of Control eliminated. The council could not come to a determination and as a result decided to put two questions on the ballot for the fall 2003 election: whether city council should be reduced in size and whether the Board of Control should be eliminated. While the "yes" votes prevailed in both instances, the
voter turnoutVoter turnout is the percentage of eligible voters who cast a ballot in an election . After increasing for many decades, there has been a trend of decreasing voter turnout in most established democracies since the 1960s...
failed to exceed 50 per cent and was therefore insufficient to make the decisions binding under the
Municipal Act. When the council voted to retain the
status quoStatu quo, a commonly used form of the original Latin "statu quo" – literally "the state in which" – is a Latin term meaning the current or existing state of affairs. To maintain the status quo is to keep the things the way they presently are...
, Imagine London, a citizens group, petitioned the
Ontario Municipal BoardThe Ontario Municipal Board is an independent administrative board, operated as an adjudicative tribunal, in the province of Ontario, Canada...
(OMB) to change the ward composition of the city from seven wards in a roughly radial pattern from the downtown core, to 14 wards defined by
communities of interestA community of interest is a community of people who share a common interest or passion. These people exchange ideas and thoughts about the given passion, but may know little about each other outside of this area...
.
The OMB ruled for the petitioners in December 2005 and, while the city sought leave to appeal the OMB decision via the courts, leave was denied on February 28, 2006, in a decision of Superior Court's Justice McDermid. In response, the city conceded change, but asked for special legislation from the province to ensure that there will only be one councillor in each of the 14 new wards, not two. On June 1, 2006, the Ontario bill received
royal assentThe granting of royal assent refers to the method by which any constitutional monarch formally approves and promulgates an act of his or her nation's parliament, thus making it a law...
, which guarantees that London will have one councillor per ward.
Although London has many ties to Middlesex County, it is now "separated" and the two have no jurisdictional overlap. The exception is the Middlesex County courthouse and former jail, as the judiciary is administered directly by the province.
In the
provincial governmentThe Legislative Assembly of Ontario , is the legislature of the Canadian province of Ontario, and is the second largest provincial legislature of Canada...
, London is represented by two
LiberalsThe Ontario Liberal Party is a provincial political party in the province of Ontario, Canada. It has formed the Government of Ontario since the provincial election of 2003. The party is ideologically aligned with the Liberal Party of Canada but the two parties are organizationally independent and...
:
Chris BentleyFor the Canadian politician, see Christopher Bentley.Chris Bentley is a Rugby Union Player for Exeter Chiefs in the Aviva Premiership. He made his debut in 2004 against London Welsh. His position of choice is Lock-External links:*...
(
London WestLondon West is a provincial electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since 1999...
) and
Deb MatthewsDeborah Drake Matthews, Ph.D. is a politician in Ontario, Canada. She is a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, representing the riding of London North Centre for the Ontario Liberal Party, and is currently the province's Minister of Health and Long-Term Care in the government of...
(
London North CentreLondon North Centre is an electoral district in the province of Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since 1951...
),
PCThe Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario , is a right-of-centre political party in Ontario, Canada. The party was known for many years as "Ontario's natural governing party." It has ruled the province for 80 of the years since Confederation, including an uninterrupted run from 1943 to 1985...
:
Jeff YurekJeff Yurek is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in the 2011 election. He represents the electoral district of Elgin—Middlesex—London as a member of the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party caucus.-External links:*...
(
Elgin—Middlesex—LondonElgin—Middlesex—London is a provincial electoral district in southwestern, Ontario, Canada. It elects one member to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.It was created in 1999 from all of Elgin, and parts of Middlesex and London South....
), and
NDPThe Ontario New Democratic Party or , formally known as New Democratic Party of Ontario, is a social democratic political party in Ontario, Canada. It is a provincial section of the federal New Democratic Party. It was formed in October 1961, a few months after the federal party. The ONDP had its...
:
Teresa ArmstrongTeresa Armstrong, 45, is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in the 2011 election. She represents the electoral district of London—Fanshawe as a member of the Ontario New Democratic Party caucus....
(
London—FanshaweLondon—Fanshawe is a provincial electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since 1999.-Geography:The district consists of the southeast part of the City of London....
). In the
federal governmentThe House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
, London is represented by Conservatives
Ed HolderEdwin A. Holder is a Canadian politician, who was elected to represent the electoral district of London West in the 2008 Canadian federal election. He is a member of the Conservative Party.-Electoral record:...
(
London WestLondon West is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1968. Its population in 2006 was 118,335.-Geography:The district includes the northwest part of the City of London....
),
Joe PrestonJoseph "Joe" Preston is a Canadian politician and Conservative Member of Parliament representing Elgin—Middlesex—London riding.He defeated Liberal incumbent Gar Knutson in the 2004 federal election...
(
Elgin—Middlesex—LondonElgin—Middlesex—London is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons.It was created in 1996 from Elgin—Norfolk, Lambton—Middlesex, and London—Middlesex ridings.-Members of Parliament:...
) and
Susan TruppeSusan Truppe is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the Canadian House of Commons in the 2011 election. She represents the electoral district of London North Centre as a member of the Conservative Party.-External links:...
(
London North CentreLondon North Centre is an electoral district in the province of Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1997....
), and NDP
Irene MathyssenIrene R. Mathyssen is a Canadian politician and a Member of Parliament in the Canadian House of Commons...
(
London—FanshaweLondon—Fanshawe is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1997.-Geography:The district consists of the southeast part of the City of London....
).
Civic initiatives
Special 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 the
Ontario Heritage Act, special Building Code policies and Facade Restoration Programs.
London is home to heritage properties representing a variety of
architectural styleArchitectural styles classify architecture in terms of the use of form, techniques, materials, time period, region and other stylistic influences. It overlaps with, and emerges from the study of the evolution and history of architecture...
s, including
Queen AnneThe Queen Anne Style in Britain means either the English Baroque architectural style roughly of the reign of Queen Anne , or a revived form that was popular in the last quarter of the 19th century and the early decades of the 20th century...
,
Art DecoArt deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
, Modern, and
BrutalistBrutalist architecture is a style of architecture which flourished from the 1950s to the mid 1970s, spawned from the modernist architectural movement.-The term "brutalism":...
Londoners have become protective of the trees in the city, protesting "unnecessary" removal of trees. 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.
Road transportation
London is at the junction of Highway 401 that connects the city to Toronto and Detroit, and Highway 402 to
SarniaSarnia is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada . It is the largest city on Lake Huron and is located where the upper Great Lakes empty into the St. Clair River....
. Also, Highway 403, which diverges from the 401 at nearby
Woodstock, OntarioWoodstock is a city and the county seat of Oxford County in Southern Ontario, Canada. Woodstock is located 128 km southwest of Toronto, north of Highway 401 along the historic Thames River...
, provides ready access to Brantford,
HamiltonHamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
, the
Golden HorseshoeThe Golden Horseshoe is a densely populated and industrialized region centred around the Greater Toronto Area at the western end of Lake Ontario in Southern Ontario, Canada, with outer boundaries stretching south to Lake Erie and north to Georgian Bay. Most of it is also part of the Quebec City...
area, and the
Niagara PeninsulaThe Niagara Peninsula is the portion of Southern Ontario, Canada lying between the south shore of Lake Ontario and the north shore of Lake Erie. It stretches from the Niagara River in the east to Hamilton, Ontario in the west. The population of the peninsula is roughly 1,000,000 people...
. Many smaller two-lane
highwayA highway is any public road. In American English, the term is common and almost always designates major roads. In British English, the term designates any road open to the public. Any interconnected set of highways can be variously referred to as a "highway system", a "highway network", or a...
s also pass through or near London, including Kings Highways
2King's Highway 2, usually referred to simply as Highway 2 is a provincially maintained highway in Ontario. Once the primary east–west route across the southern end of the province, Highway 2 became mostly redundant in the 1960s following the completion of Highway 401, which more or less...
,
3King's Highway 3, commonly referred to as Highway 3 and historically as the Talbot Trail, is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario which travels parallel to the shore of Lake Erie. It has three segments, the first of which runs from the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor...
,
4King's Highway 4, also known as Highway 4, is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario. Originally much longer than its present length, more than half of Highway 4 was transferred to the responsibility of local governments in 1998. In its present form, it travels...
,
7King's Highway 7, commonly referred to as Highway 7 and historically as the Northern Highway, is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario...
and 22. Many of these are "historical" names, as provincial downloading in the 1980s and 1990s put responsibility for most provincial highways on municipal governments. Nevertheless, these roads continue to provide access from London to nearby communities and locations in much of Western Ontario, including
GoderichGoderich is a town in the Canadian province of Ontario and is the county seat of Huron County. The town was founded by William "Tiger" Dunlop in 1827. First laid out in 1828, the town is named after Frederick John Robinson, 1st Viscount Goderich, who was British prime minister at the time. The town...
,
Port StanleyPort Stanley is a community in the Municipality of Central Elgin, Ontario, Elgin County, located on the north shore of Lake Erie at the mouth of Kettle Creek.-History:...
and Owen Sound.
Within London, the lack of a municipal freeway (either through or around the city) as well as the presence of two significant railways (each with attendant switching yards and few over/under-passes) contributes heavily to
rush hourA rush hour or peak hour is a part of the day during which traffic congestion on roads and crowding on public transport is at its highest. Normally, this happens twice a day—once in the morning and once in the evening, the times during when the most people commute...
congestion. These conditions cause travel times to be highly variable. The
Guy LombardoGaetano Alberto "Guy" Lombardo was a Canadian-American bandleader and violinist.Forming "The Royal Canadians" in 1924 with his brothers Carmen, Lebert, and Victor and other musicians from his hometown, Lombardo led the group to international success, billing themselves as creating "The Sweetest...
Bridge section of Wonderland Road (between Springbank Drive and Riverside Drive) is London's busiest section of roadway, with more than 45,000 vehicles using the span on an average day Since the 1970s, London has improved urban road alignments that eliminated "jogs" in established traffic patterns over 19th-century street mis-alignments.
London's
public transitPublic transport is a shared passenger transportation service which is available for use by the general public, as distinct from modes such as taxicab, car pooling or hired buses which are not shared by strangers without private arrangement.Public transport modes include buses, trolleybuses, trams...
system is run by the
London Transit CommissionThe London Transit Commission , is responsible for the operation of the public transit system on behalf of the City of London, Ontario, Canada. In 2010, annual ridership totalled 21.45 million...
, which has 38 bus routes throughout the city. The Transit Commission has been improving bus service over the years, but not enough to cope with the city's growing number of riders during peak periods. Bus service is currently the only mode of public transit available to the public in London, with no ground
light railLight rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
or
rapid transitA rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
networks like those used in other Canadian cities. London does have several
taxiA taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
and for-hire
limousineA limousine is a luxury sedan or saloon car, especially one with a lengthened wheelbase or driven by a chauffeur. The chassis of a limousine may have been extended by the manufacturer or by an independent coachbuilder. These are called "stretch" limousines and are traditionally black or white....
services. Recently, London has constructed cycleways along some of its major arteries in order to encourage a reduction in automobile use.
"London Ring Road" controversy
City council rejected early plans for the construction of a freeway, and instead accepted the
Veterans Memorial ParkwayThe Veterans Memorial Parkway is a expressway located in London, Ontario. The expressway was previously known as Highway 100 from 1977 until 1994 and as Airport Road prior to September 2006. It is currently an at-grade, four-lane expressway...
to serve the east end. Another freeway near the city's western edge was also under consideration, as future traffic volumes for the city may outpace capacity for the north/south western arteries, even with massive widening projects. Some Londoners have expressed concern that the absence of a local freeway may hinder London's economic and population growth, which have been far behind growth rates of other Canadian cities for some time. Many other Londoners have voiced concern that such a freeway would destroy environmentally sensitive areas and further contribute to London's already uncontrolled suburban sprawl.
Road capacity improvements have been made to Veterans Memorial Parkway (formerly named Airport Road and Highway 100) in the industrialized east end. However, the Parkway has received criticism for not being built as a proper highway; a recent city-run study suggested upgrading it by replacing the intersections with interchanges.
Intercity transport
London is on the
Canadian National RailwayThe Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
main line between Toronto and
ChicagoChicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
(with a secondary main line to
WindsorWindsor is the southernmost city in Canada and is located in Southwestern Ontario at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. It is within Essex County, Ontario, although administratively separated from the county government. Separated by the Detroit River, Windsor...
) and the
Canadian Pacific RailwayThe Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
main line between Toronto and Detroit.
Via RailVia Rail Canada is an independent crown corporation offering intercity passenger rail services in Canada. It is headquartered near Montreal Central Station at 3 Place Ville-Marie in Montreal, Quebec....
operates regional passenger service through
London stationThe London railway station in London, Ontario, Canada is a major interchange for Via Rail trains running from Toronto west to Sarnia and Windsor. The station is a large, modern, wheelchair-accessible building on the south end of the city centre, and connects to local public transit bus...
as part of the
Quebec City-Windsor CorridorQuebec City – Windsor Corridor is the most densely-populated and heavily-industrialized region of Canada. As its name suggests, it extends from Quebec City in the east to Windsor, Ontario in the west, spanning . With more than 18 million people, it contained 51% of the country's population and...
, with connections to the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Via Rail's London terminal is the fourth-busiest passenger terminal in Canada.
London is also a destination for inter-city
busA bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
travellers. London is the seventh-busiest
Greyhound CanadaGreyhound Lines, Inc., based in Dallas, Texas, is an intercity common carrier of passengers by bus serving over 3,700 destinations in the United States, Canada and Mexico, operating under the well-known logo of a leaping greyhound. It was founded in Hibbing, Minnesota, USA, in 1914 and...
terminal in terms of passengers, and connecting services radiate from London throughout
southwestern OntarioSouthwestern Ontario is a subregion of Southern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario, centred on the city of London. It extends north to south from the Bruce Peninsula on Lake Huron to the Lake Erie shoreline, and east to south-west roughly from Guelph to Windsor. The region had a population...
and through to the American cities of Detroit,
MichiganMichigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
and Chicago,
IllinoisIllinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
.
Aboutown Transportation is a diversified transportation company based in the city that operates the
North Link, intercity bus service from Owen Sound, and six transit bus routes between
KingsThis article refers to the King's College in London, Ontario. For the King's College in London, England, see King's College LondonKing's University College is a Catholic, co-educational liberal arts college affiliated with the University of Western Ontario.-History:It was founded as the "College of...
and
BresciaBrescia University College is a Catholic liberal arts college for women located in London, Ontario, Canada. Affiliated with the University of Western Ontario, Brescia is the only university-level women's college in Canada...
Colleges, and the main campus at the University of Western Ontario.
London International AirportLondon International Airport or London Airport is located northeast of the city of London, Ontario, Canada.In 2009, the airport handled 501,835 passengers, and, in 2010, was the 9th busiest in Canada in terms of aircraft movements, with 141,001. Air Canada, Air Canada Express, United Express ,...
(
YXUAn IATA airport code, also known an IATA location identifier, IATA station code or simply a location identifier, is a three-letter code designating many airports around the world, defined by the International Air Transport Association...
) is the 12th busiest passenger airport in Canada and the 11th busiest airport in Canada by take-offs and landings. It is served by airlines including
Air Canada JazzJazz Aviation LP is a Canadian regional airline based at Halifax Stanfield International Airport in Enfield and Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Chorus Aviation....
,
United AirlinesUnited Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees (which includes the entire holding company United Continental...
and
WestJetWestJet Airlines Ltd. is a Canadian low-cost carrier that provides scheduled and charter air service to 71 destinations in Canada, the United States, Mexico and the Caribbean. Founded in 1996, WestJet is currently the second largest Canadian air carrier, behind Air Canada, operating an average of...
, and provides direct flights to both domestic and international destinations, including Toronto, Chicago,
Las VegasLas Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
,
OrlandoOrlando is a major city in the U.S. state of Florida.Orlando may also refer to-Places:* in Florida** Orlando, a major city** Greater Orlando, the 27th-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
,
OttawaOttawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
,
WinnipegWinnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
,
CalgaryCalgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
and
CancunCancún is a city of international tourism development certified by the UNWTO . Located on the northeast coast of Quintana Roo in southern Mexico, more than 1,700 km from Mexico City, the Project began operations in 1974 as Integrally Planned Center, a pioneer of FONATUR Cancún is a city of...
Mexico.
Plans
The city of London is considering
bus rapid transitBus rapid transit is a term applied to a variety of public transportation systems using buses to provide faster, more efficient service than an ordinary bus line. Often this is achieved by making improvements to existing infrastructure, vehicles and scheduling...
(BRT), ground
light railLight rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
(GLR), and/or
high-occupancy vehicle laneIn transportation engineering and transportation planning, a high-occupancy vehicle lane is a lane reserved for vehicles with a driver and one or more passengers...
s (HOV) to help it achieve its long-term transportation plan. Additional cycleways are planned for integration in road-widening projects, where there is need and sufficient space along routes. An
expresswayA limited-access road known by various terms worldwide, including limited-access highway, dual-carriageway and expressway, is a highway or arterial road for high-speed traffic which has many or most characteristics of a controlled-access highway , including limited or no access to adjacent...
/freeway network is possible along the eastern and western ends of the city, from Highway 401 (and Highway 402 for the western route) past Oxford Street, potentially with another highway, joining the two in the city's north end.
A
parclo interchangeA partial cloverleaf interchange or parclo is a modification of a cloverleaf interchange. The parclo interchange was developed by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation as a replacement for the cloverleaf on 400-Series Highways, removing the dangerous weaving patterns and allowing for more...
between Highway 401 and Wonderland Road has been planned to move traffic more efficiently through the city's southwest end. It will probably be built when the Ontario Ministry of Transportation widens Highway 401 from four to six lanes between Highway 4 and Highway 402 and reconstructs the outdated
cloverleaf interchangeA cloverleaf interchange is a two-level interchange in which left turns, reverse direction in left-driving regions, are handled by ramp roads...
with nearby Colonel Talbot Road. Construction will begin in 2013.
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 where
cul-de-sacA cul-de-sac is a word of French origin referring to a dead end, close, no through road or court meaning dead-end street with only one inlet/outlet...
s can be placed. Upon completion, the Veterans Memorial Parkway would no longer be an expressway, but a freeway, for the majority of its length.
A high speed rail station has been proposed for London, connecting it to a future high speed rail line along the Quebec City-Windsor corridor. It would run along the Canadian National rail right of way through the city.
Education
London public
elementaryA primary school is an institution in which children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as primary or elementary education. Primary school is the preferred term in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth Nations, and in most publications of the United Nations Educational,...
and
secondary schoolsSecondary education is the stage of education following primary education. Secondary education includes the final stage of compulsory education and in many countries it is entirely compulsory. The next stage of education is usually college or university...
are governed by four
school boardsA board of education or a school board or school committee is the title of the board of directors or board of trustees of a school, local school district or higher administrative level....
– the
Thames Valley District School BoardThe Thames Valley District School Board is a public school board in southwestern Ontario. It was created on January 1, 1998 by the amalgamation of the Elgin County Board of Education, The Board of Education for the City of London, Middlesex County Board of Education, and Oxford County Board of...
, the
London District Catholic School BoardThe London District Catholic School Board is a separate school board in south-western Ontario, Canada. It serves students from Elgin, Middlesex and Oxford counties, and also those from the cities of London, St. Thomas and Woodstock....
and the French first language school boards (le
Conseil scolaire de district du Centre-Sud-OuestThe Conseil scolaire Viamonde manages the French-language Public Schools in the central south-western region of Ontario. The area in which this school board operates covers 68,180 km2 of Ontario...
and le Conseil scolaire de district des écoles catholiques du Sud-Ouest). There are also over twenty private schools in the city.
The city is home to two
post-secondaryHigher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...
institutions: the University of Western Ontario (UWO) and Fanshawe College, a college of applied arts and technology. The UWO, founded in 1878, has about 3500 full time faculty and staff members and almost 30,000 undergraduate and
graduateA graduate school is a school that awards advanced academic degrees with the general requirement that students must have earned a previous undergraduate degree...
students. It placed tenth in the 2008
Maclean'sMaclean's is a Canadian weekly news magazine, reporting on Canadian issues such as politics, pop culture, and current events.-History:Founded in 1905 by Toronto journalist/entrepreneur Lt.-Col. John Bayne Maclean, a 43-year-old trade magazine publisher who purchased an advertising agency's in-house...
magazine rankings of Canadian universities. The
Richard Ivey School of BusinessThe Richard Ivey School of Business is located on the University of Western Ontario campus in London, Ontario, Canada, and is consistently rated as the top business school in Canada. It is offered, along with a range of other programs, by the University of Western Ontario, but is managed separately...
, part of UWO, was formed in 1922 and ranked among the best
business schoolA business school is a university-level institution that confers degrees in Business Administration. It teaches topics such as accounting, administration, economics, entrepreneurship, finance, information systems, marketing, organizational behavior, public relations, strategy, human resource...
s in the country by the
Financial TimesThe Financial Times is an international business newspaper. It is a morning daily newspaper published in London and printed in 24 cities around the world. Its primary rival is the Wall Street Journal, published in New York City....
in 2009. UWO has three affiliated colleges:
Brescia University CollegeBrescia University College is a Catholic liberal arts college for women located in London, Ontario, Canada. Affiliated with the University of Western Ontario, Brescia is the only university-level women's college in Canada...
, founded in 1919 (Canada's only university-level women's college);
Huron University CollegeHuron University College, referred to locally as Huron College is one of the affiliated colleges of the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario....
, founded in 1863 (also the founding college of UWO) and
King's University CollegeThis article refers to the King's College in London, Ontario. For the King's College in London, England, see King's College LondonKing's University College is a Catholic, co-educational liberal arts college affiliated with the University of Western Ontario.-History:It was founded as the "College of...
, founded in 1954. All three are
liberal arts collegeA liberal arts college is one with a primary emphasis on undergraduate study in the liberal arts and sciences.Students in the liberal arts generally major in a particular discipline while receiving exposure to a wide range of academic subjects, including sciences as well as the traditional...
s with religious affiliations: Huron with the
Anglican Church of CanadaThe Anglican Church of Canada is the Province of the Anglican Communion in Canada. The official French name is l'Église Anglicane du Canada. The ACC is the third largest church in Canada after the Roman Catholic Church and the United Church of Canada, consisting of 800,000 registered members...
, King's and Brescia with the Roman Catholic Church. London is also home to
Lester B. Pearson School for the ArtsLester B. Pearson School for the Arts is a public, elementary - Grades 4 to 8, school in London, Ontario, Canada, part of the Thames Valley District School Board. An application process must be completed by mid December, and then potential students attend a 2-day "Selection" workshop. Most students...
one of few of its kind.
Fanshawe College has an enrollment of approximately 15,000 students, including 3,500 apprentices and over 500 international students from over 30 countries. It also has almost 40,000 students in part-time
continuing educationContinuing education is an all-encompassing term within a broad spectrum of post-secondary learning activities and programs. The term is used mainly in the United States and Canada...
courses. Fanshawe's
Key Performance IndicatorsA performance indicator or key performance indicator is an industry jargon for a type of performance measurement.. KPIs are commonly used by an organization to evaluate its success or the success of a particular activity in which it is engaged...
(KPI) have been over the provincial average for many years now, with increasing percentages year by year.
The Ontario Institute of Audio Recording Technology (OIART) is also in London. Founded in 1983, it offers recording studio experience for audio engineering students.
Sister cities
London currently has one sister city:
Nanjing' is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions...
,
ChinaChina , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
See also
Further reading
- Frederick H. Armstrong and John H. Lutman, The Forest City: An Illustrated History of London, Canada. Burlington, Ontario: Windsor Publications; 1986.
- Orlo Miller, London 200: An Illustrated History. London: London Chamber of Commerce
A chamber of commerce is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community...
; 1993.
- L. D. DiStefano and N. Z. Tausky, Victorian Architecture in London and Southwestern Ontario, Symbols of Aspiration. University of Toronto Press
University of Toronto Press is Canada's leading scholarly publisher and one of the largest university presses in North America. Founded in 1901, UTP has published over 6,500 books, with well over 3,500 of these still in print....
; 1986
- Greg Stott, “Safeguarding ‘The Frog Pond’: London West and the Resistance to Municipal Amalgamation, 1883-1897.” Urban History Review 2000 29(1): 53-63.
External links