City of London Council

Community centres, arenas, rinks and aquatics facilities are just some of the temporary closures to come as part of Ontario’s provincewide COVID-19 shutdown.


On Monday, the province announced that starting Dec. 26, Ontario will be going into a provincewide lockdown for four weeks.

Due to the lockdown, the City of London said effective Dec. 24 at noon, city facilities including City Hall will be closed to the public.

According to the release from the city, many services will remain available, but in-person services will be by appointment only, at designated times or online.

Unless otherwise stated, closures and changes will come into effect as of noon on Dec. 24.

READ MORE: Coronavirus: vaccinations begin Wednesday in London, underway in Windsor.
Starting Dec. 26, all community centres are closed for indoor drop-in and indoor registered programs, including day camps.

The city said participants will be contacted by phone or email if their program has been affected and will receive full refunds for any fee-based programs.

All programs in arenas will be cancelled and outdoor skating at Victoria Park will be closed. Storybook Gardens skating trail, however, will remain open with registration required in advance.

All programs will also be cancelled and swim passes will be placed on hold.

City Hall will be temporarily closed to the public for in-person attendance at Standing Committees and Council meetings, but livestreams of these meetings will continue to be available via the City of London’s website or YouTube.

Residents wishing to speak at a Public Participation Meeting (PPM) will need to register in advance by calling 519-661-2489 ext. 7100 or by emailing PPMClerks@london.ca.

In-person and drop-in services will not be provided at any location. People are encouraged to call 519-661-4520 (toll-free at 1-833-932-2297) or email socialservices@london.ca.

Those seeking information about the cancellations or other services that will be impacted can find a full list and information on london.ca website.

Canada helps protect the City of London from impacts of extreme weather and flooding events

The safety and well-being of Canadians remains the Government of Canada's top priority as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. The federal government is taking decisive action to support families, businesses and communities, and continues to look ahead to see what more can be done. Investing in infrastructure to create jobs and strengthen local economies is a key part of these initiatives.

London is not immune to frequent severe weather brought on by climate change. As recently as January 2020, record rainfall in the area led to extreme flooding along the Thames River causing a significant strain on London's wastewater and stormwater systems. By investing in the protection of our communities' critical infrastructure, the Government of Canada can help mitigate damage from flooding in the future as well as help avoid the potential of untreated or partially treated wastewater entering the river during a flood.

Today, along with Josh Morgan Deputy Mayor of London, Kate Young, Member of Parliament for London West and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages (FedDev Ontario), and Peter Fragiskatos, Member of Parliament for London North Centre, both on behalf of the Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities respectively announced funding to upgrade the Greenway wastewater treatment plant and the Adelaide wastewater treatment plant.

Councillor Josh Morgan elected as deputy mayor of London

Ward 7 Coun. Josh Morgan will be taking over as deputy mayor after a vote by councillors Tuesday night.

Morgan will replace Ward 4 Coun. Jesse Helmer after his two-year term ends in November.

“Deputy Mayor Helmer left some big shoes to fill, and I will do my best to work hard on behalf of the mayor and council,” Morgan said.

Mayor Ed Holder nominated Morgan at Tuesday night’s city council meeting.

London currently has only one deputy mayor, chosen by the mayor and voted by city council.
“Over the years, I have worked with pretty much every member of council, moving motions or initiative forward, so I truly see this as a position that works for all of council,” Morgan said.