Understand
London, pop. 378,000, is a major manufacturing centre for southwestern Ontario, founded in 1793. Nicknamed the "Forest City," London has an abundance of urban parks and woodlands. Early in its history it was considered as a potential site for the capital city of Upper Canada, but that title eventually went to York later Toronto. The city is roughly rectangular in shape, approximately 16 km 10 miles from east to west, and 13 km 8 miles from north to south.
Many cities, towns, counties, and rivers in this area of Southwestern Ontario take their names from their counterparts in England, and London is no exception. London features landmarks such as Picadilly Street, the Covent Garden Market and the Thames.
In the 1920s London-born Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians hit the U.S. music scene and went on to achieve legendary fame. London's Wonderland Gardens later became a big-band hotspot in 1935 - being situated on the Thames river where Guy Lombardo developed his love for speedboat racing by racing his father's small motorized boat on the Thames River behind the Labatt Brewing Company.
With 2 major hospitals, London is a regional medical center, treating patients from up to 200km away. London also has the region's only university The University of Western Ontario which has all the typical professional schools business, law, medicine, engineering as well as sciences and the arts. Since the city is also home to Fanshawe College, students comprise a significant percentage of London's population during the school year.
Visitor informations centers are located at:
Dundas Street Downtown Information Centre, 267 Dundas Street. Hours: M-F 8:30AM-4:30PM, Sa-Su 10AM-5PM.
London Tourist Information Centre, 696 Wellington Road South. Hours: M-Su 8:30AM-8PM.
