About White Oaks

White Oaks Subdivision is a diverse, multi-cultural neighbourhood in south London that is primarily bordered by Wellington Road on the east, Southdale Road on the north, White Oak Road on the west and Exeter Road on the south.

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In 1971, the CBC broadcasted the Whiteoaks of Jalna, a dramatization of Mazo de la Roche’s saga of the Whiteoak family and their home, Jalna. At that time, the developers of the White Oaks Subdivison were searching for street names.

The proximity of White Oak Sideroad made a connection with the series irresistible and the characters from the Canadian classic became street names in South London. There weren’t enough names in the book for all the streets however, so references from recent popular culture such as Ponderosa were also used.
Source: London Street Names, An Illustrated Guide. Denis Hammond.

The White Oaks subdivison was built in several phases, the majority of which were constructed in the 1970′s and 80′s. Housing styles are diverse throughout the neighbourhood;  bungalows, split levels, ranch style, 2 storey, several condo developments and high rise apartments.

Every amenity imaginable is here or within a short drive. White Oaks Mall is the feature attraction.

White Oaks Mall’s humble beginnings were as a Sayvette store and a Loblaws grocery store.  In 1972, the plaza was completely rebuilt to make way for expansion. It became a fully enclosed shopping centre in early 1973, featuring a Woolco department store and about 40 other tenants. The main entrance to the mall included artistic steel sculptures and a massive arch-like gateway, all of which still exist today. The mall expanded again in 1976, with a Simpson’s department store replacing the Sayvette (now The Bay). By the late 1970s and into the 1980s, the area surrounding the mall began to develop. New highrise apartments and homes were constructed. Many new commercial establishments located near the mall as well.

White Oaks was enlarged once again in 1985 and 1988, with an additional 80 new stores and a food court added. This made the mall one of the largest shopping centres in Southwestern Ontario. In the mid 1990s, lack of parking became such a problem that a nearby office building was demolished to allow for more spaces. In 2006: White Oaks expanded by over 36,000 sq ft (3,300 m2).