Colombians are the largest Spanish speaking community in London, Ontario. In the last three decades, hundreds of Colombian families came to Canada and settled in this area, making it their new home (1990s-to date). The term ‘Londombia’, as they jokingly refer to the city, speaks volumes about their sense of belonging.

 

“Londombia” is a photo exhibition that celebrates their presence and many contributions. Its production was supported by the City of London through the London Heritage Council – Community Heritage Investment Program, and will be presented in May 2023 in association with several partners: Western University, Satellite Project Space, CulturX, and Embassy Cultural House.

“Londombia” is a crowd-sourced, participatory project–its development has been a collective effort. It showcases the history of the Colombians in London through images sourced from their personal and family albums. Many people have generously contributed photos and videos that depict their arrival and settlement in the city. It’s an exhibition of their daily lives: i.e., the first Winter, the first day of school, the first house, citizenship ceremonies, graduations, etc. It says a lot about the Colombian community, but also of London as a thriving and prosperous place.

The exhibition will be open to the public from May 17 to 27

The official Opening Reception is scheduled Saturday, May 20, 2-5 pm.