London: The Place and its People

Downtown London courtesy of Western University Archives and Special Collections.

London, Ontario sits on the traditional lands of the Anishinaabek, Haudenosaunee, Lūnaapéewak, and Attawandaron. This territory was purchased by the British government as part of Treaty 6 in 1796 and was declared London Township. In 1826, London was declared a settlement and became a center for the region with the London Courthouse as a driving force, establishing the town as the judicial center for the area. London was then declared a city in 1855, and as of the 2020s is one of Canada’s fastest growing cities encompassing over 435 square kilometers with a population of over 420,000.

As the community has grown with immigration and settlement from all over the world, the preservation of historic sites and culture has come to the forefront. Londoners have worked together to establish heritage sites and create opportunities for tourism.

Thank you to all the sites who have participated in creating this exhibit including Banting House National Historic Site, Canada Life Place, Covent Garden Market, Fanshawe Pioneer Village, Grand Theatre, London Children’s Museum, Museum London, Museum of Ontario Archaeology, and the Royal Canadian Regiment Museum, as well as Western Archives and Special Collections for their wonderful images.