Springbank Park

Springbank Park
The Thames River in Springbank Park
Type	Public park
Location	London, Ontario
Area	300 acres (120 ha)
Operated by	City of London

Springbank Park is a 140-hectare (300 acre) park located along a stretch of the Thames River in London, Ontario, Canada. As the largest park in London, it contains 30 km (19 mi) of trails and is home to Storybook Gardens, a family attraction open year-round.

Springbank Park was originally developed around the site of a waterworks facility in the late 19th century. Alderman James Egan suggested the nearby Hungerford Hill, now commonly known as "Reservoir Hill". In the years following the creation of the waterworks the city began to purchase more land in the surrounding area and the spot became a resort serviced by steamboat to and from London via the Thames River.

During the year 1896 the London Street Railway constructed and began service of a streetcar system to take people to and from the Springbank Park in record amounts.

In the years to follow the additions to the park would include tennis and bowling lawns, zoo, campground, amusement park and a dance hall all before 1925.

As time passed on, London grew around the park; about 1920 a miniature train was added as an attraction, and as of 2015 it still existed, although relocated and replaced.

In the 1960s, the riverboat Storybook Queen was launched in the Thames and gave visitors to Storybook Gardens a taste of the long-over age of riverboat travel.

On May 24, 1881, the steamboat Victoria capsized and sank close to Cove Bridge after the boiler broke free and crashed through the supports holding up the second deck, causing the decks to collapse on one another. Hundreds of people drowned or suffered burns, and 238 bodies were recovered from the site. Many believe more bodies are still trapped under the shipwreck. This disaster is widely known among those living in London, and when it happened, it severely cut back the popularity of steamer travel along the Thames and scaled back the popularity of the waterworks grounds. The shipwreck of the Victoria was eventually removed, but there is still part of the wreck sitting under the mud on the bottom of the river, and it can be seen during low water levels. Afterwards the grounds could still be reached by carriage and eventually horse-drawn bus, but interest would not recover for years.