Relocating to another city, province, country or continent can feel like stepping off a ledge. Fear of the unknown mixes with hope for the future and you’re left with a feeling I call anxious optimism.
Since you’re reading this post, you’re probably considering moving to London, or maybe you’ve already decided and you’re just trying to learn more about this city.
That’s a great idea because there’s only one remedy to anxious optimism, and that’s education. The more information you have the more soundly you will sleep at night knowing you’ve made the right choice.
The Cultural Diversity of London
We may not be as diverse as Toronto or Vancouver, not many cities are. However, London is home to a multitude of cultures and ethnicities.
Immigrants make up 21.2% of London’s population and more than 100 different languages are spoken as a first language here.
Some of the largest ethnic communities in London are Latin American, Arabic and South Asian. If you’re considering moving from overseas it’s likely you will find a community of fellow expats already here.
At a Glance
London is often described as Canada’s biggest little city because it has all the amenities of a large center but with the feeling of a small city.
To be precise, London is Canada’s 11th, Ontario’s 6th, largest metropolitan area with a population of 383,822, according to the 2016 Canada census.
Located in the heart of Southwestern Ontario, at the junction of highways 401 and 402, Londoners can easily take day trips to Toronto, Windsor, and Niagara Falls.
We’re also only a couple hours from border crossings into Michigan and New York.
We enjoy four very distinct seasons but our proximity to the Great Lakes tempers any wild extremes that can be experienced in other parts of the country.
We enjoy summer thunderstorms and winter snow flurries, but despite what you might have heard, we don’t have snow chains on our tires!
Our summer is warm to hot, our winter is snowy, but not too cold and our spring and fall are magical times.