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Ontario, Canada with a population of about 337,318; its metropolitan area has a population of about 432,451 (2001). It was settled in 1826 and established as a city in 1855. London and the surrounding area (roughly, the territory between Kitchener, Ontario and Chatham, Ontario) are collectively known as Western Ontario. London is known as the "Forest City" due to its large areas of parkland and extensive tree cover.
Prior to European contact in the 17th century, the present site of London was occupied by numerous Algonquin and Iroquois villages; the Algonquin village at the forks of Askunessippi (the Thames River) was called Kotequogong. This site was selected as the site of the future capital of Upper Canada by Lieutenant-Governor John Graves Simcoe in 1793, who named it after London, England. In 1814 there was a skirmish during the War of 1812 in what is now south London. The city itself was not founded until 1826, and it never became the capital envisioned by Simcoe. It was part of the Talbot Settlement, overseen by Colonel Thomas Talbot, who surveyed the land and built the first government buildings for the administration of the Western Ontario region. With the rest of southwestern Ontario which was part of this settlement it benefited from Talbot's provisions for building and maintaining roads and for assignment of priority for access to main roads to productive land (rather than to Crown and clergy reserves, which received preference in the rest of Ontario). London remained a centre of strong Tory support during the Upper Canada Rebellion of 1837, with a large British garrison stationed there, although there was a brief rebellion led by Charles Duncombe.
In the 1860s, sulphur hot springs were discovered at the forks of the Thames River while industrialists were drilling for oil. The springs became a popular destination for wealthy Ontarians, until the turn of the century when a textile factory was built over them.
While other Protestant cities in Ontario (notably Toronto) remained under the sway of the Orange Order well into the twentieth century, London abandoned sectarianism in the nineteenth. In 1877, Catholic and Protestant Irish in London formed the Irish Benevolent Society, which was open to both Catholics and Protestants and forbade the discussion of Irish politics. The influence of the Orange Order (and of Catholic organizations) quickly waned. The Society survives to this day.
London continued its role as a military centre during the two world wars, serving as the administrative centre for the Western Ontario district. Today there is still an active Canadian Forces Base in the city.
London continues to grow, having amalgamated many of the surrounding communities in 1961 and again in the 1990s. It is currently the 11th largest city in Canada and the 5th largest city in Ontario.
The courthouse and jail for Middlesex County are in London. London's mayor is Anne Marie DeCicco. London has fourteen councillors, two representing each of its seven wards. There is also a Board of Control, consisting of 4 Controllers, and the mayor.
In the provincial government, London is represented by:
In the federal government, London is represented by:
See also List of mayors of London, Ontario.
London is in Middlesex County, at the forks of the non-navigable Thames River, almost exactly halfway between Toronto and Detroit. It is located at 43°2' N by 81°9' W.
The Thames River dominates London's geography, with the North Thames River and Thames River meeting at the centre of the city known as "The Forks." The North Thames runs through the man-made Lake Fanshawe, located in north-east London. Artificial Lake Fanshawe was created by the building of Fanshawe Dam, in order to protect the areas downriver from catastrophic flooding which has affected the city on two occasions in the past. The area was formed during the retreat of the glaciers during the last ice age, which produced areas of marshland, notably the Sifton Bog, as well as some of the most productive areas of farmland in Ontario. The eastern half of the city is generally flat, with gently rolling hills in the west and north. London has the most thunder and lightning storms of any area in Canada.
Its economy is dominated by locomotive and military vehicle production, insurance, life sciences/biotechnology, and information technology.
For many decades London has also been a "test market" for companies and products such as McDonald's, Krispy Kreme, Canadian Tire, and Viagra.
In 2001, London had a population of 326,539 (2001). Its population is fairly diverse, although there is no significant minority population, with Polish-speakers being the next-largest group after English-speakers at only 1.9%. Seventy-nine per cent of the population was born in Canada, and 81% spoke an official language as a first language.
From StatsCan 2001 Census data:
London elementary and secondary schools are part of two school boards, the Thames Valley District School Board and the London District Catholic School Board. See List of schools in London, Ontario.
London is the home of the University of Western Ontario (UWO). UWO was founded in 1878 and is Canada's 4th oldest university with approximate enrolment of 26,000 full-time students.
The Richard Ivey School of Business is part of UWO, was formed in 1922 and it often ranks among the best business schools in the world, and the best in Canada.
UWO has three affiliated colleges: Brescia University College, founded in 1919, Canada's only university-level women's college; Huron University College, founed in 1863, pre-dating UWO itself; and King's College, founded in 1957.
London is also the home of Fanshawe College, a community college with an enrolment of over 10,000 students.
The University of Western Ontario teams play under the name Mustangs. The university's football team plays at TD Waterhouse Stadium.
Labatt Park, which opened in 1877, is also North America's oldest operating baseball park, in its original location.
See also: Roman Catholic Bishops of London, Ontario
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South: Southwold,
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