London, Ontario (pop. 422,324; met. area pop. 543,551), is a distributing, financial, manufacturing, medical, and transportation center in the southern part of the province. It lies on the Thames River. London is nicknamed the Forest City.
City Hall and a concert and convention building called Centennial Hall stand in Reg Cooper Square. Springbank Park, the city’s chief tourist attraction, lies along the Thames River. The park includes Storybook Gardens, a children’s amusement center. Eldon House, a home built in the 1830’s, also attracts visitors. A symphony orchestra called the London Symphonia and a drama group called the Grand Theatre perform in the city. London is the home of Western University (formerly the University of Western Ontario).
London has hundreds of manufacturing plants. The chief products include automotive parts, beverages, chemical and electrical products, clothing, foods, and telephone equipment. Printing is also a major industry. London International Airport lies just outside the city.
London was founded in 1793 by John Graves Simcoe, the first lieutenant governor of Upper Canada. Indians then lived in the area. British settlers came to the area in 1826. They chose the site because of its riverside location and rich farmland. The settlers named the town for London, England. Years before, the river had been named for the River Thames, which flows through the English city. London became a trading center for the surrounding agricultural region. A fire destroyed most of London in 1845, but the people soon rebuilt their town. Railroads built in the 1850’s linked London with other Canadian communities and helped bring industry to the area. London was incorporated as a city in 1855. It had a population of about 12,000 that year.
London served as an oil refining center during the 1860’s and 1870’s. But all the oil companies moved their headquarters to Petrolia, Ontario, during the 1880’s. In 1910, London became one of the first cities to receive power from hydroelectric plants at Niagara Falls. This power helped its industries grow.
The city’s population increased steadily as a result of the industrial development. It reached 60,959 in 1921 and grew to 169,569 by 1961. By 2021, London had a population of 422,324.
A rebuilding program began in downtown London in the 1960’s. Centennial Hall was completed in 1967, City Hall in 1971, and a courthouse in 1974. London City Centre, a hotel and office complex, was completed in 1975. In 1989, an entire city block was developed into an enclosed shopping mall. In 1993, London annexed the nearby town of Westminster and other land, increasing its size from 64 square miles (163 square kilometers) to 166 square miles (422 square kilometers). London is the seat of Middlesex County, and has a mayor-council form of government.
