In 1793, soon after Upper Canada had been established, Colonel John Graves Simcoe sketched a plan for a new London, assigning locations for several public buildings and designating a large reserve around the fork of the River Thames.

Development of the Fork was haphazard for most of the nineteenth century, but by 1900 a wide variety of activities began to flourish. For most Londoners at this time, the area was at the heart of numerous recreational activities as boaters, lawn bowlers and baseball fans flocked to its banks. After the discovery of a hot springs in the 1860s, London was a favoured vacation spa for wealthy tourists until the early twentieth century when a textile mill replaced the spa.

Through reproduction photographs, documentary panels, artifacts and original works of art, this exhibition examines the modern history of the River Thames, its role in the leisure and economic life of the region and the rivers sometimes devastating impact on the citizens of London.

The dates and times of all exhibitions are subject to change without notice.