It all started in 1793. A guy named John Graves Simcoe picked this spot as the capital of Upper Canada. He named it after his London back in England. Spoiler: Toronto stole the capital title later, but the name stuck.
Simcoe was a massive Anglophile. He wanted to recreate the motherland in the wilderness. So he named the river the Thames, just like London’s. And the streets? Oxford Street, Piccadilly Street, and Regent Street are all here. It’s like a fever dream of British geography.
You can walk down Pall Mall Street and grab a coffee. Then stroll to Covent Garden Market for fresh produce. No, you’re not in the UK. You’re in Canada, surrounded by maple leaves and hockey fans.
But Wait—There’s More! (And It’s Weirder)
London, Ontario has its own Big Ben. Well, a smaller, much less famous one. It’s a clock tower on the city’s Old Courthouse. Tourists often snap photos, mistaking it for a postcard from England.
And get this: there’s a neighborhood called Hyde Park. Yes, like the massive London park. But here, it’s a shopping district with a Costco. Costco. The British royals have never seen a bulk pack of ketchup there.
Even the city’s football (soccer) team is named FC London. They wear green and white, a nod to the Irish influences. But they play in a league full of Canadian teams with names like “Caledon” and “Windsor.” It’s multicultural chaos.
