Message from the Mayor by Mayor Josh Morgan mayor@london.ca 519-661-4920
If you haven’t had a chance, I strongly encourage you to dis- cover this wonderful one-of-a-kind experience this summer! Oakridge Optimist Pool and Park One of London’s few outdoor pools, the Oakridge Optimist Pool and Park is an excellent way to cool off this summer. There are daily free swims and many programs available. Check out Play Your Way for further information. Along with the toddler-friendly splashpad and playground, the park is a great summer family place. With the background noises of a crack of a baseball bat or smash of a tennis racquet, there is no better place to spend a summer afternoon. I am happy to be sponsoring a free swim on Canada Day from 1:30 pm to 4 pm. I look forward to seeing you there! – Our London Knights are Memorial Cup champions! Con- gratulations to the team, the staff, and the fans. The best part? Seeing Londoners united and celebrating together at Dundas Place. What a perfect way to kick off a summer of events. Contact me at: mayor@london.ca with your comments or questions, or follow along on your favourite social media platform. We’ll see you out there, London! – Our historic investment into policing, with a focus on modernization of technology and approach is already delivering positive results. Response times are trending down, service complaints are down, and London’s crime severity index is down 14 percent — more than any other Canadian city. As part of our comprehensive, evidence- based approach to drug prevention, accessible safe sites and care, Middlesex-London Health Unit announced that opioid deaths are down 40% in the past year. While the work is far from finished, London is leading the way in Ontario and becoming a model for other communities to address these concerns. – Our response to London’s housing crisis continues to build momentum. In June we’ve already announced diverse new downtown developments ranging from office-to-residential conversions at market rate to the preservation of century-old heritage sites, converted into affordable and wrap-around supportive housing.
As we head into another beautiful London summer, I hope all of you enjoy the bright mornings, warm evenings, and the incredible events and festivals happening everywhere you look in our city. The fields are full, trails are open, and neighbourhood gardens are bustling with activity. The same goes for Council Chambers, where we’re continuing to make strides for Londoners: – After months of engagement and negotiations with our partners at the provincial level, we received a letter from the Ontario Government confirming that London is not responsible for backfilling development charge exemptions—exemptions mandated by the province— freeing up millions in city budget savings. What does this mean for you? Property taxes will be lowered, with our target of bringing any increase under 5% well in sight. We won’t stop there. I have asked city staff, agencies, boards and commissions to continue examining where we can bring further savings while maintaining the programs and amazing progress we are making in all sectors.
Ward 8 Update from City Hall
Sifton Bog is a Hidden Gem Looking to discover London this summer? Why not start with our own Sifton Bog located off Oxford Street just west of Hyde Park Road? This provincially recog- nized ecological significant area by Steve Lehman, Ward 8 London City Councillor, slehman@london.ca
is one of Canada’s southerly bogs offering a distinctive hiking experience that just got better with a new north/south hiking path snaking through woodlands connecting the trail at the south end with the fabulous boardwalk at the north. The trail system offers three kilometres of hiking, multi-use paths and accessible boardwalks through marsh, swamp, treed and open bog leading to Redmond’s Pond. This contrast provides hikers with a glimpse into two distinct ecosystems within a short distance. Throughout the hike, visitors can observe a variety of plant species, including Sphagnum mosses, Leatherleaf, Small Cranberry, Black Huckleberry, Highbush Blueberry, Pitcher Plant, and Round-leaved Sundew. The area is also home to diverse wildlife and offers incredible birdwatching for such species as warblers, sparrows, and finches.
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Hyde Park – Oakridge Villager • July-August 2025 • Page 3
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