### You won't believe what's on this map of Ontario oddities
Good morning from the Forest City — yes, the other London. The one that actually matters to us. Let's get into it.
I'm always talking about how London feels like the biggest small town, right? Like you still run into everyone you know, even with 400,000 people. But when you get out on the highways, heading out of town, say down the 401 towards Toronto or out west on the 402, you start to see the bigger picture of this province. And you might think you know all the little quirks of the drive, the hidden turns, the old gas stations. Well, get ready, because a first-year civil engineering student from Waterloo has put together something truly wild: an "Ontario Oddities" map that points out all sorts of weird stuff you'd never expect.
### London's place on a truly odd map
Now, this isn't just about London, but it totally speaks to that sense of discovery you get when you're exploring the backroads and the lesser-known parts of Southwestern Ontario. Jonathan Silverman, a student up at Waterloo, has spent time highlighting things like submerged roads and abandoned bridges. Think about how many times you’ve driven past something and thought, "What's the story there?" This map is basically an answer to that. For us in London, it really highlights how our roads, like Colonel Talbot or even some stretches near the Forks of the Thames that have been rerouted over the years, might have their own secrets.
* **Submerged Roads:** You know how the Thames River can get after a big rain? Imagine a road designed to go under it when the water's high. * **Abandoned Bridges:** London has its share of old railway lines and forgotten paths. This map points out similar structures across the province that just… end. * **Hidden Tunnels:** The kind of stuff that makes you want to pull over and explore, probably with a flashlight and a healthy dose of caution.
Look, I've been covering this city for a decade, and I've seen a lot of things. But something like this map, it just makes you look at our infrastructure differently. It's a reminder that even the most mundane parts of our daily drive, those stretches of highway and forgotten byways, hold a fascinating history. For Londoners, it's a prompt to pay a little more attention on your next drive out of town — you might just spot an oddity that makes you appreciate our little corner of Ontario a whole lot more.
Brendan Fanshawe-Okafor, MiTL Sports Desk, London.
Keith and the crew dig into these kinds of stories every morning — check 'em out live at mornings.live.