If you haven’t heard of LondonFuse, then you’ve been missing out. On the surface, it’s a local lifestyle, arts, and music publication that covers all things London, Ontario, but really, it’s so much more than that. This not-for-profit organization not only highlights all of the best things that London has to offer, including showcasing every hidden gem, but it also serves as a hub for Londoners. It’s a community where people can gather, share their insides, contribute their art and creations, and connect with like-minded Forest City dwellers.
LondonFuse was founded back in 2009 and has been the voice of what is going on in London since then. It’s made possible by talented volunteers who are passionate about this city and want to shout from the rooftops what makes this such a wonderful place to live.
If you think that there is nothing going on in London Ontario then you’re not paying attention. Check out LondonFuse to learn about what’s happening, who is putting it on, and why you should be part of it all. Learn about London’s interesting and complex history. Follow LondonFuse and be part of its community of art-loving, event-attending, and hidden-gem-finding people.
Once you check out LondonFuse, you’ll realize why living in London is so awesome, and why you’ll never want to leave.
Mission
London Ontario is an exciting city to live in. There is always something fun to do, delicious things to eat, unique shopping to be had, and places to go to. LondonFuse’s mission is to be a treasure map for all of the wonderful things that this great city has to offer, as well as being a spotlight that shines on the thriving music, arts, and culture scene. LondonFuse is here to spread the word about everything London has to offer, as well as being a place for Londoners to contribute and be part of a warm and welcoming community.
Vision
LondonFuse wants to see the London community connected together, both people and businesses. They want to see Londoners and businesses collaborate. And lastly, their vision for the future includes unleashing the creative potential of Londoners everywhere.
Values
Their four core values are: collaboration, community, inclusive, and dynamic. LondonFuse encourages collaboration with local businesses and with their volunteer contributors. London is filled with so many voices and ideas and through collaboration and inclusiveness London’s diverse population can be represented. This encourages a tight-knit community. And, of course, LondonFuse always strives to make dynamic content for Londoners.
Content
The content of LondonFuse is created by a team of dedicated and incredibly talented volunteers. Local Londoners that have a passion for this great city and want to spread the word about how amazing this city is, what an incredible arts and culture scene we have, showcase the local businesses that help make this place so great, and announce amazing upcoming events all create the content that tens of thousands of locals come to month after month to consume.
Local News
Documenting everything that goes on in this incredible city is part of what LondonFuse does. If there is an event that happens, you can be sure that LondonFuse has it covered. Want to learn more about London’s history? Their Local News section has that too. LondonFuse is there to cover all of London, both big and small. Because they have a small army of contributors who provide the talented writing for LondonFuse, there are eyes and ears all over the city, bringing you the freshest and hottest stories about this great city.
Foodies will love the fact that LondonFuse often covers the small, local food joints. Find hidden gems and learn about some of the oldest restaurants that London has to offer. When new local eats open up, the Local News section can fill you in on the deets. Learn about the best places to get a donut or where the best hot drinks in the city live. London’s restaurants are more and more becoming a foodie’s dream, with many of them providing innovative and high-quality menus that belong on any food bucket-list.
If you’re new to London, the Local News section is a perfect place to get acquainted with the city. Get the inside scoop of London. You’ll learn where the best free activities in the city are, and where you can go if you’re feeling inspired to paint or draw.
Anything news-worthy also gets documented under the local news section. Learn about happenings around town like strikes or rallys. Read in-depth articles about deep topics, like homelessness, mental health, and London’s Shelters. LondonFuse always has an interesting and engaging way to present the information, like their article that took three Londoners and had them commute in three different ways (bike, bus, and car) to see who would get their faster and easier.
Londoners can have their voices heard in an opinion piece in the Local News section. Get fresh perspectives and understand another’s point of view from reading opinion pieces in the Local News section.
Arts & Culture
Something that not everyone knows about London is the fact that it has a thriving art scene. But those who read LondonFuse would absolutely know this. They cover the numerous art festivals, including little-known ones that are so easy to miss if you’re not tuned in, and give you an inside scoop of what to expect. Artists have a place where their art and their story is covered for Londoners to discover. Learn about London’s beautiful art graffiti, where to find it, and everything that goes on behind the scenes there.
Discover the amazing galleries in London, including small, collaborative ones where local artists’ creations can be appreciated or bought. Learn about museums and what kind of exhibits they have on and the events that they host that you could take part in. Feast your eyes on incredible political and humorous comics and beautiful sketches from locals. Get the inside scoop on the local film industry.
Get the highlights about local sports teams and events. Find where to catch local comedy shows that will have you laughing so hard you cry. Learn about the incredible theatre talent and where to catch all sorts of fabulous plays.
Travel back in time and learn about bits and pieces of London’s history. It’s a rich history and there is a lot to cover. Get the details about Forest City Comic Con year after year. Find where to go when the inspiration to paint hits. And get an inside look into local authors and the incredible writing that you can purchase.
Music
London has a ton of local bands that we can be proud to call our own. From folk and jazz to metal and rock, there is something for every kind of taste in music for local artists to support. Learn all about these local bands: who they are, what kind of music they play, and where to see them performing live.
Find out about all kinds of music events that come to London at Bud Gardens, London Music Hall, Rum Runners, Call the Office, Aeolian Hall, and more. Find out where and when the music festivals are happening so that you don’t miss out. And find out where you can join a choir or catch an instrumental concert in London when you’re feeling like an evening of class.
The music section also has podcasts where you can listen to conversations with musicians where you can learn the ins and outs of the industry and get real shop-talk about music. You’ll also be able to read band and musician interviews and get honest music reviews.
Short Fuse
LondonFuse got it start back in 2009. Even then, the Fuse staff wanted to create a local paper or magazine that would be full of information and stories that were not covered by mainstream media outlets. They wanted to shine a light on the things that were flying under the radar. But they wanted it to be short, quick and informative so that Londoners could get caught up in a flash on their way to or from work, or on a coffee break. Thus, Short Fuse was born.
Contributors wrote articles, created crossword puzzles, and sketched clever comics for the issues. While the Short Fuse has been discontinued, its archives live on and are chock full of interesting news, funny comics, puzzles, stories, and so much more.
Community Programs
One goal of LondonFuse is to create opportunities for Londoners to get proactive in their city about their love and passion of arts, music, and culture. While they’re always on the look out for different community program opportunities, they currently have two: their contributor program and school co-ops and volunteer placements.
School Co-ops and Volunteer Placements
High school students have mandatory volunteer hours that must be completed before being able to graduate. And both high school and post-secondary students take courses that encourage co-op placements where they can have real-world, hands-on experiences in their chosen field of study. LondonFuse offers opportunities for students to gather their volunteer hours or fill their co-op placement requirements for media, marketing, writing, photography, videography, and even not-for-profit!
Students will get the opportunity to work with some amazing people and really dive into the art, culture, and music scene in London. Plus, students will have some serious hands-on experience that will look amazing on a resume.
Contributors
Whether you’re a writer, photographer or videographer, if you’re passionate about creating and love this city, then LondonFuse offers an amazing program to help hone your craft and give you an outlet to create high-quality, engaging content and share it with people who want to consume it. London has an amazing art and music scene and contributors get the opportunity to not only dive into that scene, but then also spread awareness of it to others!
Services
LondonFuse is a way to spread awareness about everything awesome that this city has to offer. It’s a way of getting Londoners in touch with the incredible and palpable culture that this great city has and the thriving art and music scene that runs through its veins. It’s also a great way for London businesses to reach a direct audience. The people reading LondonFuse and visiting its site are direct customers. They are the people who love this city, support this city, and want to learn more about this city. LondonFuse has two big ways for local businesses to take advantage of this audience and reach them directly.
Advertisements
With over 27,000 pageviews each month on their side, 65,000 plus people reached each month through the LondonFuse social channels, and a dedicated fanbase that continues to grow steadily, there is a large, audience right here in London Ontario that is looking to learn about London’s best experiences. Can you get a more pinpointed audience than that? Advertise with LondonFuse and reach Londoners who love this city and want to attend events and support local businesses.
Sponsored Articles
Sponsored articles are a way to promote your business, event, or organization to Londoners in a tone that is seamless and organic to the website. Have the information delivered right into the hands of your potential clients/attendees in a way that doesn’t feel intrusive. There have been plenty of studies that showcase that branded content can be much more powerful than traditional advertising.
The talented writers of LondonFuse will create the content that they know their audience loves in an engaging and exciting manner. Your business or event will get in front of LondonFuse’s dedicated and well established audience. Their site gets, on average, over 27,000 pageviews per month.
The Team
LondonFuse is a not-for-profit organization that runs on an incredible roster of volunteers and a small board of directors. Both the volunteers and the board of directors are made up of Londoners (either born and raised of moved and stayed) that truly understand what makes it such a great city. These are people who love the forest city and want to share that passion and love with everyone who will listen.