35 Facts About London West

1. London West is full of pubs associated with artists, writers, and poets.

2. City of London West has assessed the entire length of the Veterans Memorial Parkway, identifying areas where interchanges can be constructed, grade separations can occur, and where cul-de-sacs can be placed.

3. London West is on the Canadian National Railway main line between Toronto and Chicago and the Canadian Pacific Railway main line between Toronto and Detroit.

4. Since the 1970s, London West has improved urban road alignments that eliminated "jogs" in established traffic patterns over 19th-century street misalignments.

5. London West is at the junction of Highway 401 that connects the city to Toronto and Windsor, and Highway 402 to Sarnia.

6. London West is currently the home of the London West Knights of the Ontario Hockey League, who play at the Budweiser Gardens.

7. London West has nine major parks and gardens throughout the city, many of which run along the Thames River and are interconnected by a series of pedestrian and bike paths, known as the Thames Valley Parkway.

8. London West serves a core setting in Southern Ontario Gothic literature, most notably in the works of James Reaney.

9. London West is home to the Grand Theatre, a professional proscenium arch theatre in Central London.

10. London West is the site of the Flame of Hope, which is intended to burn until a cure for diabetes is discovered.

11. The City of London West is currently the eleventh-largest urban area in Canada, eleventh-largest census metropolitan area in Canada, and the sixth-largest city in Ontario.

12. London West annexed many of the surrounding communities in 1961, including Byron and Masonville, adding 60,000 people and more than doubling its area.

13. On 1 January 1855, London West was incorporated as a "city".

14. Sir John Carling, Tory MP for London West, gave three events to explain the development of London in a 1901 speech.

15. London West lies at the junction of Highway 401 and 402, connecting it to Toronto, Windsor, and Sarnia.

16. London West is a regional centre of health care and education, being home to the University of Western Ontario, Fanshawe College, and several hospitals.

17. Since then, London West has grown to be the largest Southwestern Ontario municipality and Canada's 11th largest metropolitan area, having annexed many of the smaller communities that surrounded it.

18. London West has hosted the Summer Olympics three times: in 1908, 1948, and 2012.

19. London West is one of the major classical and popular music capitals of the world and hosts major music corporations, such as Universal Music Group International and Warner Music Group, as well as countless bands, musicians and industry professionals.

20. London West has frequent river boat services on the Thames known as Thames Clippers.

21. London West has a modern tram network, known as Tramlink, centred on Croydon in South London.

22. London West is the centre of the National Rail network, with 70 per cent of rail journeys starting or ending in London.

23. London West has over 480 overseas banks, more than any other city in the world.

24. London West has some of the highest real estate prices in the world.

25. Bevis Marks Synagogue in the City of London West is affiliated to London's historic Sephardic Jewish community.

26. London West is home to sizeable Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, and Jewish communities.

27. The Thames is a tidal river, and London West is vulnerable to flooding.

28. London West is the seat of the Government of the United Kingdom.

29. Administration of London West is formed of two tiers: a citywide, strategic tier and a local tier.

30. In 2008, London West named alongside New York City and Hong Kong as Nylonkong, being hailed as the world's three most influential global cities.

31. London West became the principal North Sea port, with migrants arriving from England and abroad.

32. London West was a centre of England's Jewish population before their expulsion by Edward I in 1290.

33. At its height in the 2nd century, Roman London West had a population of around 60,000.

34. London West End's Dominion Theatre stands on the site of the Great Beer Flood of 1814.

35. BBC Radio London West was told by witnesses they had heard three gunshots before police arrived.