London is a diverse city of 381,000 people in Southwestern Ontario, located halfway between Toronto and Detroit, USA. It offers all the amenities of a big city—shopping, dining, nightlife, recreation, and sporting events—with a small-town feel.

London’s economy is centred on education, medical research, manufacturing and information technology, with Western University providing a significant contribution to the local economy. London is also a major industrial centre, with factories belonging to General Motors, Toyota and General Dynamics located in the region.

London is known as the “Forest City” for its many parks and green areas; Victoria Park in the city centre hosts a number of popular festivals, including:

• Home County Music and Art Festival
• Sunfest World Music Festival
• Expressions in Chalk Street Painting Festival
• London Ribfest, Canada’s largest barbecue festival
• Pride London Festival

Places to Visit in London:

• Boler Mountain, an urban ski area within city limits
• Budweiser Gardens, a major sports arena and concert venue
• Covent Garden Market, a local shopping landmark since 1845
• Fanshawe Pioneer Village
• The Grand Theatre
• Labatt Brewery, one of Canada’s most famous beer breweries
• London Regional Children’s Museum
• Museum London
• Royal Canadian Regiment Museum
• Storybook Gardens amusement park
• Fanshawe Conservation Area
• Fanshawe Pioneer Village

Destinations Outside London:

• Grand Bend Beach on Lake Huron, less than an hour north-west
• Kettle Creek, a wetland wildlife area with camping facilities
• Niagara Falls, two hours east of London
• Port Stanley, a beach town on Lake Erie, 45 minutes south
• Stratford Festival, 45 minutes east of London, North America’s largest classical repertory theatre, presenting the works of William Shakespeare and other great writers from April to November each year
• Toronto, Canada’s largest city, two hours northeast

Transportation

Western is well connected with London’s public transit system. Full-time students are provided with a London Transit bus pass as part of their student fees. During exams, the University Students’ Council offers a free late night shuttle service so students have a safe way to get to and from campus. The city is connected to Toronto and other major centres via air travel, train and bus, and airport shuttle services to Toronto and Detroit are available.

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