The History of the Westminster Ponds Pavilions | Westminster Ponds Centre

In 1946, following the second World War, realizing the healing powers of nature, the Western Counties Health and Occupational Centre was built as a recovery site by the Department of Veterans Affairs. There were 11 pavilions - each named after a county in western Ontario.
Originally housing veterans, the buildings eventually transitioned to become a space for occupational therapy and long-term care, and the site was renamed the Western Counties Veterans Lodge. Today, only the Bruce, Huron, Perth, and Wellington pavilions remain, alongside a small gatehouse at the site entrance.
In the 1970s, 200 hectares were protected as urban conservation space, expanding in 2001 to make Westminster Ponds the city’s largest Environmentally Significant Area. Named a Cultural Heritage Landscape in the 2010s, the buildings became home to various community-focused organizations, many of whom remain today.
In 2016, ReForest London began to envision a new usage for this 14-acre site - an Environment and Sustainability Centre. Restoration efforts are ongoing, breathing life into these storied buildings. They are a true unique community asset that will become the Westminster Ponds Centre.
www.reforestlondon.ca/