London, Ontario, Canada

Frontenac County Court House, Kingston, Ontario
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:LONDONMORNING.jpg
Author: Mathew Campbell


London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. It covers 420.57 sq km (162.38 sq mi) and has a population of 366,000 people (2012 estimate). The city is the seat of Middlesex County, though the City of London itself is a separate municipality. It is of course named after London, England.

Various indigenous tribes lived in the area in the 18th century prior to contact with Europeans. Among them include the Neutral Nation, the Odawa/Ojibwa and the Anishinaabe. The site of London was chosen in 1793 by Lieutenant-Governor John Graves Simcoe to be the future capital of Upper Canada. He had even decided to call it Georgina, in honor of King George III. However his idea was thwarted by Governor Dorchester. As a result, the settlement was not established until 1826, at which time, it was named not Georgina, but London. It did not get to be the capital either, as the position was taken by York, today known as Toronto.

London developed as a military center well into the 20th century. The Regimental Headquarters of The Royal Canadian Regiment is located here, on Oxford Street. Meanwhile the city itself expanded outwards, annexing neighboring communities such as Byron and Masonville. Today it is the sixth largest city in Ontario.

Visiting London

Highway 401 connects London with the major cities of Ontario as well as with Detroit, Michigan. You can also fly to London, arriving at London International Airport, from major cities in Canada as well as from Chicago.

Places of Interest in London

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