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74-857: Canada Life Place is a sports-entertainment centre, in London, Ontario , Canada – the largest such centre in Southwestern Ontario . Its previous names include John Labatt Centre and Budweiser Gardens . Opened as the John Labatt Centre in 2002, it was named after John Labatt , founder of the Labatt brewery in London. The centre's name was changed to Budweiser Gardens (after Labatt's sister brand in AB InBev ) in Fall 2012. Naming rights of

148-485: A July average of 21.0 °C (69.8 °F), and temperatures above 30 °C (86 °F) occur on average 11 days per year. In 2016, however, temperatures rose above this temperature on more than 35 days, and in 2018, four heatwaves led to a peak humidex of 46 °C (115 °F). The city is affected by frequent thunderstorms due to hot, humid summer weather, as well as the convergence of breezes originating from Lake Huron and Lake Erie . The same convergence zone

222-539: A centre of strong Tory support during the Upper Canada Rebellion of 1837, notwithstanding a brief rebellion led by 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 13 April 1845,

296-495: A cost of approximately $ 42 million by the London, Ontario -based construction company EllisDon Corp., builders of Toronto 's Rogers Centre . The City of London contributed $ 32 million for arena construction and $ 10 million to purchase the land, while the London Civic Centre Corporation added $ 9.5 million to the arena's construction. The sports-entertainment centre was originally named

370-461: A distinct sense of place . In 1897, London West was annexed to London. London's eastern suburb, London East, was (and remains) an industrial centre, which also incorporated in 1874. It was founded as Lilley's Corners by Charles Lilley in 1854. Oil was discovered in the Petrolia area and Lilley's Corners was chosen as the refining site because it was close to the railroad. The Ontario Car Works,

444-421: A fire destroyed much of London, which was then largely constructed of wooden buildings. One of the first casualties was the town's only fire engine. The fire burned nearly 30 acres (12 ha) of land, destroying 150 buildings, before it burned itself out later that day. One fifth of London was destroyed in the province's first million-dollar fire. John Carling , Tory MP for London, gave three events to explain

518-717: A mixed use complex that blends retail, office, businesses, and education providers. Alongside Citi Cards Canada's offices, in November 2016, CBC announced plans to move its expanded operations into the building. There are many large Real Estate Development firms based in London which are active across Southwestern Ontario . These include Sifton Properties, Drewlo Holdings, Old Oak Properties, Tricar Developments, York Developments, Farhi Holdings and Westdell Developments. Combined, they own or operate over 300 million square feet of commercial and residential real estate . On 11 December 2009, Minister of State Gary Goodyear announced

592-645: A new $ 11-million cargo terminal at the London International Airport . London Lightning The Lightning name was announced on August 12, 2011. The team was a charter member of the National Basketball League of Canada (NBLC) that began play for the 2011–12 season and won the league's first championship. The Lightning have won the most NBLC championships with six. On August 17, former Albany Patroons and Lawton-Fort Sill Cavalry head coach Micheal Ray Richardson

666-464: A new hotel (Delta London Armouries, 1996) in its place, preserving the shell of the historic building. In the 1950s, two reserve battalions amalgamated and became London and Oxford Rifles (3rd Battalion), The Royal Canadian Regiment . This unit continues to serve today as 4th Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment . The Regimental Headquarters of The Royal Canadian Regiment remains in London at Wolseley Barracks on Oxford Street. The barracks are home to

740-406: A number of gardens and conservatories. In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada , London had a population of 422,324 living in 174,657 of its 186,409 total private dwellings, a change of 10% from its 2016 population of 383,822 . With a land area of 420.5 km (162.4 sq mi), it had a population density of 1,004.3/km (2,601.2/sq mi) in 2021. At

814-444: A platform to advertise and sell their services to those looking for voiceover work. Other tech companies located in London include AutoData, Carfax Canada , HRDownloads, Mobials, Northern Commerce and Paystone which recently raised $ 100M. The London Life Insurance Company was founded there, as was Canada Trust (in 1864), Imperial Oil , GoodLife Fitness , and both the Labatt and Carling breweries. The Libro Financial Group

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888-767: A row, and the World Figure Skating Championships in 2013. The arena also hosted on September 22, 2014, an NHL preseason game between the Philadelphia Flyers and the Toronto Maple Leafs . Toronto won, 3–2, in a shootout. The arena has also hosted many other well known artists and Broadway Shows. Budweiser Gardens was launched as a concert venue with Cher's " Living Proof: The Farewell Tour " in 2002. The tour returned for an encore performance in 2005. Sum 41 recorded their live album Go Chuck Yourself from their tour of

962-655: Is also the site of the Flame of Hope, which is intended to burn until a cure for diabetes is discovered. London's role as a military centre continued into the 20th century during the two World Wars, serving as the administrative centre for the Western Ontario district. In 1905, the London Armoury was built and housed the First Hussars until 1975. A private investor purchased the historic site and built

1036-468: Is centered on education , medical research , manufacturing , financial services , and information technology . London's university and hospitals are among its top ten employers. London lies at the junction of Highways 401 and 402 , connecting it to Toronto , Windsor , and Sarnia . These highways also make the Detroit-Windsor , Port Huron-Sarnia , and Niagara Falls border crossings with

1110-644: Is currently the eleventh-largest urban area in Canada , eleventh-largest census metropolitan area in Canada , and the sixth-largest city in Ontario. On Victoria Day , 24 May 1881, the stern-wheeler ferry SS Victoria capsized in the Thames River close to Cove Bridge in West London. Approximately 200 passengers drowned in the shallow river, making it one of the worst disasters in London's history, and

1184-637: Is dominated by medical research , financial services , manufacturing , and information technology . Much of the life sciences and biotechnology related research is conducted or supported by the University of Western Ontario (partly through the Robarts Research Institute ), which adds about C$ 1.5 billion to the London economy annually. Private companies in the industry like PolyAnalytik , Alimentiv , KGK Sciences and Sernova are also based in London. The largest employer in London

1258-634: Is in a hosiery factory, and Arcane Digital moved into a 1930s industrial building in 2015. The Historic London Roundhouse, a steam locomotive repair shop built in 1887, is now home to Royal LePage Triland Realty, rTraction and more. Its redesign, which opened in 2015, won the 2015 Paul Oberman Award for Adaptive Re-Use from the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario. London is also home to StarTech.com , Diply , video game companies like Digital Extremes , Big Blue Bubble and Big Viking Games, and Voices.com , which provides voiceover artists

1332-513: Is now dubbed " The Victoria Day Disaster ". At the time, London's population was relatively low; therefore it was hard to find a person in the city who did not have a family member affected by the tragedy. Two years later, on 12 July 1883, the first of the two most devastating floods in London's history killed 17 people. The second major flood, on 26 April 1937, destroyed more than a thousand houses across London, and caused over $ 50 million in damages, particularly in West London. On 3 January 1898,

1406-455: Is responsible for spawning funnel clouds and the occasional tornado. Spring and autumn in between are not long, and winters are cold but with frequent thaws. Annual precipitation averages 1,011.5 mm (39.82 in). Its winter snowfall totals are heavy, averaging about 194 cm (76 in) per year, although the localized nature of snow squalls means the total can vary widely from year to year as do accumulations over different areas of

1480-665: Is the London Health Sciences Centre , which employs 10,555 people. Since the economic crisis of 2009, the city has transitioned to become a technology hub with a focus on the Digital Creative sector. As of 2016, London is home to 300 technology companies that employ 3% of the city's labour force. Many of these companies have moved into former factories and industrial spaces in and around the downtown core, and have renovated them as modern offices. For example, Info-Tech Research Group 's London office

1554-674: Is unknown. Within a few years of opening, the London Knights had a championship season in 2004–05 and the centre was well positioned to take maximum advantage of the team's popularity. Budweiser Gardens hosted the 2005 Memorial Cup , the Canadian Hockey League's national major junior championship series, which the Knights also won after winning the OHL championship. The arena also hosted the 2014 Memorial Cup , in which

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1628-561: The Blackfriars Street Bridge , 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 wrought iron bowstring arch through truss bridge , the Blackfriars remains open to pedestrian and bicycle traffic, though it was temporarily closed indefinitely to vehicular traffic due to various structural problems and

1702-634: The Edmonton Oil Kings were champions defeating the Guelph Storm by a score of 6–3. The University of Western Ontario Mustangs hockey team used Budweiser Gardens as their home arena from 2005 until 2007. They have since moved back to Thompson Arena. In addition to hockey, the arena is used as home play arena for the London Lightning professional basketball team. Budweiser Gardens is host to national-level events, such as

1776-482: The Quebec City–Windsor Corridor . The city had a population of 422,324 according to the 2021 Canadian census . London is at the confluence of the Thames River and North Thames River, approximately 200 km (120 mi) from both Toronto and Detroit ; and about 230 km (140 mi) from Buffalo, New York . The city of London is politically separate from Middlesex County , though it remains

1850-610: The Sifton Bog , as well as some of the most agriculturally productive areas of farmland in Ontario. 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 in northeast London. Fanshawe Lake was created by Fanshawe Dam, constructed to protect

1924-741: The census metropolitan area (CMA) level in the 2021 census, the London CMA had a population of 543,551 living in 222,239 of its 235,522 total private dwellings, a change of 10% from its 2016 population of 494,069 . With a land area of 2,661.48 km (1,027.60 sq mi), it had a population density of 204.2/km (529.0/sq mi) in 2021. As per the 2021 census, the most common ethnic or cultural origins in London are English (21.9%), Scottish (17.4%), Irish (16.8%), Canadian (12.1%), German (9.3%), French (6.6%), Dutch (5.0%), Italian (4.5%), British Isles (4.3%), Indian (3.7%), Polish (3.6%), and Chinese (3.0%). Indigenous people made up 2.6% of

1998-488: The 1900–1930 era. The London Technical and Commercial High School came under heavy attack from the city's social and business elite, which saw the school as a threat to the budget of the city's only academic high school, London Collegiate Institute. The Banting House , a National Historic Site of Canada, is where Frederick Banting developed the ideas that led to the discovery of insulin . Banting lived and practiced in London for ten months, from July 1920 to May 1921. London

2072-501: The 2005 Canadian Figure Skating Championships, the 2006 Scott Tournament of Hearts (curling), the 2007 World Synchronized Skating Championships , the 2011 and 2023 Tim Hortons Brier (curling), as well as a wide variety of family entertainment such as Disney on Ice , the Harlem Globetrotters , Monster Jam (extreme motorsports) and Stars on Ice . It also hosted an international jousting tournament two years in

2146-616: The Canadian Venue of the Year at the Canadian Music and Broadcast Industry Awards. The arena hosted the 2019 Juno Awards on March 17, 2019. On March 30, 2024, Budweiser Gardens hosted All Elite Wrestling & Ring of Honor for a live television taping of AEW Collision and taped episodes for AEW Rampage and Ring of Honor Wrestling London, Ontario London is a city in southwestern Ontario , Canada, along

2220-611: The City of London by the London Civic Centre Corporation, an example of a public-private partnership . The London Civic Centre Corporation is owned in turn by EllisDon and Global Spectrum, the Philadelphia -based subsidiary of Comcast the American cable company. Global Spectrum manages the arena, and operates more than 100 other arenas. Approximate capacities: In addition to the standard end stage configuration for large concerts,

2294-453: The First Hussars militia regiment as well. London annexed many of the surrounding communities in 1961, including Byron 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. On 1 January 1993, London annexed nearly

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2368-623: The Great Western Gasworks and the London Street Railroad all had their headquarters in Lilley's Corners. In 1872, Lilley's Corners became a village. It was annexed to London in 1885. 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,

2442-476: The John Labatt Centre, after the Labatt Brewing Company which has a production plant in London, until 2012 when their 10-year naming rights expired. The Labatt Brewing Company had an exclusive first rights on a second deal and could change the name if they chose, which they did, to Budweiser Gardens to further promote the main brand of their sister corporation, Anheuser-Busch . The original deal

2516-864: The Ojibwa. An Anishinaabeg community site was described as located near the forks of Thames River (Anishinaabe language: Eshkani-ziibi, "Antler River") in c.  1690 and was referred to as Pahkatequayang ("Baketigweyaang":"At the River Fork" (lit: at where the by-stream is)). Later, in the early 19th century, the Munsee-Delaware Nation (the Munsee are a subtribe of the Lenape or Delaware people), expelled from their homeland in Modern New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania after

2590-590: The School of Military Instruction in London. Established by Militia General Order in 1865, the school enabled Officers of Militia or Candidates for Commission or promotion in the Militia to learn Military duties, drill and discipline, to command a Company at Battalion Drill, to Drill a Company at Company Drill, the internal economy of a Company and the duties of a Company's Officer. The school was not retained at Confederation, in 1867. In 1875, London's first iron bridge,

2664-543: The United States easily accessible. The city also has railway stations and bus stations and is home to the London International Airport . A series of archaeological sites throughout southwestern Ontario , named for the Parkhill Complex excavated near Parkhill , indicate the presence of Paleo-Indians in the area dating back approximately 11,000 years. Just prior to European settlement, the London area

2738-402: The arena can be set up to accommodate touring Broadway shows or smaller concerts in its theatre mode. The theatre mode features a small, intimate atmosphere and a 30-line fly grid to suspend scenery or lighting and sound. When the sports-entertainment centre was originally being planned, estimates for sports seating were as low as 6,500 and high as 12,000 before settling on the original 9,090. It

2812-431: The building's construction were fined $ 400,000, with The Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development declaring the companies had failed to "provide proper information, instruction and supervision, specifically on the use of proper concrete measuring techniques on the project." The area was formed during the retreat of the glaciers during the last ice age , which produced areas of marshland , notably

2886-523: The casualties of the economic crisis in 2011, the site will soon be home to a major Amazon distribution center employing 2,000 workers by 2023. London's city centre mall was first opened in 1960 as Wellington Square with 400,000 sq ft (37,000 m ) of leasable area, with Eaton's and Woolworths as anchors. From 1986 to 1989, Campeau expanded Wellington Square into Galleria London with 1,000,000 sq ft (93,000 m ) of leasable area and 200 stores including The Bay and Eaton's. However,

2960-449: The chief administrator of the area, who oversaw the land surveying and built the first government buildings for the administration of the western Ontario peninsular region. Together with the rest of southwestern Ontario, the village benefited from Talbot's provisions not only for building and maintaining roads but also for assignment of access priorities to main routes to productive land. Crown and clergy reserves then received preference in

3034-623: The city. GDLS has a 14-year $ 15-billion deal to supply light armored vehicles and employs over 2,400 people. McCormick Canada , formerly Club House Foods, was founded in 1883 and currently employs more than 600 Londoners. A portion of the city's population work in factories outside of the city limits, including the General Motors automotive plant CAMI , and a Toyota plant in Woodstock . A Ford plant in Talbotville became one of

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3108-439: The city. Some of the snow accumulation comes from lake effect snow and snow squalls originating from Lake Huron, some 60 km (37 mi) to the northwest, which occurs when strong, cold winds blow from that direction. From 5 December 2010, to 9 December 2010, London experienced record snowfall when up to 2 m (79 in) of snow fell in parts of the city. Schools and businesses were closed for three days and bus service

3182-578: The county seat. London and the Thames were named after the English city and river in 1793 by John Graves Simcoe , who proposed the site for the capital city of Upper Canada . The first European settlement was between 1801 and 1804 by Peter Hagerman. The village was founded in 1826 and incorporated in 1855. Since then, London has grown to be the largest southwestern Ontario municipality and Canada's 11th largest metropolitan area , having annexed many of

3256-612: The creation of the United States . The Oneida Nation of the Thames , Chippewas of the Thames First Nation , and Munsee-Delaware Nation reserves are located south-west of the city. The current location of London was selected as the site of the future capital of Upper Canada in 1793 by Lieutenant-Governor John Graves Simcoe , who also named the village which was founded in 1826. Originally, Simcoe had proposed to call it Georgiana , in honour of George III ,

3330-533: The development of London in a 1901 speech: the location of the court and administration in London in 1826, the arrival of the military garrison in 1838, and the arrival of the railway in 1853. The population in 1846 was 3,500. Brick buildings included a jail and court house, and large barracks. London had a fire company, a theatre, a large Gothic church, nine other churches or chapels, and two market buildings. The buildings that were destroyed by fire in 1845 were mostly rebuilt by 1846. Connection with other communities

3404-526: The downriver areas from the catastrophic flooding which affected the city in 1883 and 1937. London has a humid continental climate ( Köppen Dfb ), with modestly warm summers, and cold and cloudy winters with frequent snow. Because of its location in the continent, London experiences large seasonal contrast, tempered to a point by the surrounding Great Lakes . The proximity of the lakes also ensure abundant cloud cover, particularly in late Fall and Winter. The summers are usually warm to hot and humid, with

3478-542: The downstream rivers. Financing for this project came from the federal, provincial, and municipal governments. Other natural disasters include a 1984 tornado that led to damage on several streets in the White Oaks area of South London. On 11 December 2020, a partially-constructed apartment building just off of Wonderland Road in southwest London collapsed, killing two people and injuring at least four others. In January 2024, both Oxford County companies involved in

3552-457: The early 1990s recession, following by the bankruptcy of Eaton's in 1999 and then the departure of The Bay in 2000 resulted in only 20 stores left by 2001. Galleria London then began seeking non-retail tenants, becoming the home for London's central library branch, and satellite campuses for both Fanshawe College and Western University . The complex was purchased and renamed to Citi Plaza by Citigroup in 2009. Citi Plaza has been redeveloped as

3626-491: The entire township of Westminster , a large, primarily rural municipality directly south of the city, including the police village of Lambeth . With this massive annexation, which also included part of London township , London almost doubled in area again, adding several thousand more residents. In the present day, London stretches south to the boundary with Elgin County , north and east to Fanshawe Lake , north and west to

3700-570: The floor of the assembly hall at London City Hall collapsed, killing 23 people and leaving more than 70 injured. Testimony at a coroner's inquest described the wooden beam under the floor as unsound, with knots and other defects reducing its strength by one fifth to one third. After repeated floods, the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority in 1953 built Fanshawe Dam on the North Thames to control

3774-475: The league. He was replaced by former Mississauga Power head coach Kyle Julius later in the month. Julius would lead the Lightning to back-to-back championship appearances in 2016 and 2017, winning the championship in the latter. He would be replaced by former Niagara College and interim Niagara River Lions head coach, Keith Vassell . Vassell led the Lightning to another championship in 2017–18 , but

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3848-586: The major banks. Industries included several tanneries, oil refineries and foundries, four flour mills, the Labatt Brewing Company and the Carling brewery in addition to other manufacturing companies such as EMCO Wheaton . Both the Great Western and Grand Trunk railways had stops here. Several insurance companies also had offices in the city. The Crystal Palace Barracks , an octagonal brick building with eight doors and forty-eight windows built in 1861,

3922-493: 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 in 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 Georgian cottages as well as larger houses, and

3996-561: The official languages, 98% of the population reported knowing English and 7.2% French. In 2021, 48.8% of the population identified as Christian , with Catholics (21.5%) making up the largest denomination, followed by United Church (4.7%), Anglican (4.4%), Orthodox (2.0%), Presbyterian (1.5%), Baptist (1.4%), and other denominations. 37.2% of the population reported no religious affiliation. Others identified as Muslim (8.4%), Hindu (2.1%), Sikh (1.0%), Buddhist (0.9%), Jewish (0.5%), and with other religions. London's economy

4070-599: The population, with most being First Nations (1.9%). Ethnocultural backgrounds in the city included European (68.7%), South Asian (6.5%), Arab (5.3%), Black (4.2%), Latin American (3.0%), Chinese (2.9%), Southeast Asian (1.4%), Filipino (1.4%), West Asian (1.3%), and Korean (1.0%). The 2021 census found English to be the mother tongue of 71.1% of the population. This was followed by Arabic (3.7%), Spanish (2.7%), Mandarin (1.6%), Portuguese (1.3%), French (1.1%), Polish (1.1%), Korean (0.8%), Punjabi (0.8%), Malayalam (0.8%), and Urdu (0.7%). Of

4144-617: The reigning monarch at that time. It did not become the capital Simcoe envisioned. Rather, it was an administrative seat for the area west of the actual capital, York (now Toronto). The London Township Treaty of 1796 with the Chippewa ceded the original town site on the north bank of the Thames (then known as the Escunnisepe ) to Upper Canada. London was part of the Talbot Settlement , named for Colonel Thomas Talbot ,

4218-602: The rest of Ontario. In 1814, the Battle of Longwoods took place during the War of 1812 in what is now Southwest Middlesex , near London. The retreating British Army were staying at Hungerford Hill when they were attacked by the Kentucky Mounted Riflemen. In 1827, a settlement was started Bryon when Cyrenius Hall built a gristmill. In 1832, the new settlement suffered an outbreak of cholera . London proved

4292-489: The same name here on April 11, 2005. In 2007, Meat Loaf's "3 Bats Live" DVD from the " Seize The Night " tour was recorded here. Cirque du Soleil chose Budweiser Gardens to stage its first-ever arena show, a rebuilt production of Saltimbanco . Sting performed during his Symphonicities Tour on July 21, 2010, along with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra . In 2010, Budweiser Gardens was awarded as

4366-509: The smaller communities that surround it. London is a regional centre of healthcare and education, being home to the University of Western Ontario (which brands itself "Western University"), Fanshawe College , and three major hospitals: Victoria Hospital , University Hospital and St. Joseph's Hospital. The city hosts a number of musical and artistic exhibits and festivals, which contribute to its tourism industry, but its economic activity

4440-522: The stadium were attained by Canada Life , and finalized in October 2024. The centre was built to be the new downtown home of London's Ontario Hockey League team, the London Knights , replacing the 40-year-old London Ice House in the south end of the city, near Highway 401 . Since 2011, it is home to London's Basketball Super League team, the London Lightning . The arena is leased from

4514-639: The township of Middlesex Centre (the nearest developed areas of it being Arva to the north and Komoka to the west) and east to Nilestown and Dorchester. 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 sprawl , 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

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4588-551: The university, and was not annexed until 1961. Broughdale was named after Reverend Charles C. Brough, the Anglican Archdeacon of London who settled there in 1854. Broughdale started to grow when it was connected to the London Street Railroad in 1901, leading to a real estate bubble. A post office was opened in Broughdale on 1 July 1904 with Charles Watlers as postmaster. Broughdale was initially named Brough, but

4662-418: Was $ 5-million for 10 years and the deal signed in 2012 was $ 6.4 million for 10 years. Global Spectrum, which manages the sports-entertainment centre, was selected by the City of London to choose the naming rights and they used a subsidiary called Front Row Marketing. Proceeds from naming rights are put into the net revenue, though the exact divide of the amount going to the City of London and Global Spectrum

4736-613: Was announced as the Lightning's first head coach. The Lightning would go on to win the 2012 NBL championship, defeating the Halifax Rainmen 116-92 on March 25, 2012 at the John Labatt Centre to take the best-of-five championship series three games to two. Carlos Knox was unveiled as the new Lightning head coach on July 17, 2014. He led the team to an 18–14 record. Knox was dismissed in August 2015 after hiding player Jonathan Mills' positive drug test results from Vito Frijia and

4810-429: Was by road, using mainly stagecoaches that ran daily. A weekly newspaper was published and mail was received daily by the post office. Two villages named Petersville and Kensington once stood where downtown London now is. Petersville was founded by Samuel Peters in 1853. Kensington was founded around about 1878. Petersville and Kensigton were amalgamated on 4 March 1881 to form London West. On 1 January 1855, London

4884-586: Was cancelled after the second day of snow. The highest temperature ever recorded in London was 41.1 °C (106 °F) on 6 August 1918. The lowest temperature ever recorded was −32.8 °C (−27 °F) on 9 February 1934. London has a number of parks. Victoria Park in downtown London is a major centre of community events, attracting an estimated 1 million visitors per year. Other major parks include Harris Park, Gibbons Park, Fanshawe Conservation Area ( Fanshawe Pioneer Village ), Springbank Park , White Oaks Park and Westminster Ponds. The city also maintains

4958-462: 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 place . The area started to be settled in the 1860s. In 1880, Polk's Directory called London South "a charming suburb of the City of London.". By contrast, the settlement at Broughdale on the city's north end had a clear identity, adjoined

5032-461: Was decided due to several smaller arenas in the 4,000 to 7,000 range struggling financially and the cost on construction nearly doubling to have 12,000 or more seats. The sports-entertainment centre features 38 luxury suites and 1,100 club seats. The arena complies with the Ontarians with Disabilities Act and has 55% more public washrooms than required by the law. John Labatt Centre was built at

5106-598: Was founded in London 1951 and is the second largest credit union in Ontario and employs over 600 people. Downtown London is also home to major satellite offices for each of the Big Five banks of Canada , particularly TD Bank which employees 2,000 people, and the digital challenger bank VersaBank is also headquartered in the city. The headquarters of the Canadian division of 3M are in London. General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) builds armoured personnel carriers in

5180-490: Was incorporated as a city (10,000 or more residents). In the 1860s, a sulphur spring was 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 20th century when a textile factory was built at the site, replacing the spa. Records from 1869 indicate a population of about 18,000 served by three newspapers, churches of all major denominations and offices of all

5254-529: Was once again reopened to vehicular traffic 1 December 2018. The Blackfriars, amidst the river-distance between the Carling Brewery and the historic Tecumseh Park (including a major mill), linked London with its western suburb of Petersville, named for Squire Peters of Grosvenor Lodge. That community joined with the southern subdivision of Kensington in 1874, formally incorporating as the municipality of Petersville. Although it changed its name in 1880 to

5328-449: Was renamed Broughdale in 1906 because it sounded better. In 1924, the University of Western Ontario was founded in the former Broughdale. After the founding of the university, Broughdale became more like a city and less like a village. Broughdale was incorporated as a village in 1930. In 1961, Broughdale was annexed to London. Ivor F. Goodson and Ian R. Dowbiggin have explored the battle over vocational education in London, Ontario, in

5402-550: Was the site of several Attawandaron , Odawa , and Ojibwe villages. The Lawson Site in northwest London is an archaeological excavation and partial reconstruction of an approximately 500-year-old Neutral Iroquoian village, estimated to have been home to 2,000 people. These groups were driven out by the Iroquois by c.  1654 in the Beaver Wars . The Iroquois abandoned the region some 50 years later, driven out by

5476-653: Was used for events such the Provincial Agricultural Fair of Canada West held in London that year. It was visited by Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn , Governor-General John Young, 1st Baron Lisgar and Prime Minister John A. Macdonald . Long before the Royal Military College of Canada was established in 1876, there were proposals for military colleges in Canada. Staffed by British Regulars, adult male students underwent three-month-long military courses from 1865 at

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