Call it little Lisbon. And when we say little, we mean it! Lisbon, Ont. doesn’t have a Wikipedia page and it’s a dot on Google maps.
What it does have are people who love where they live. The hamlet, located west of Kitchener, has a tiny population of no more than 30. It’s where several rural roads intersect, and on a summer road trip, you could easily find yourself there.
CBC London is inviting you this summer to be inspired by some of the finest southwestern Ontario cities, towns and villages named after their bigger European counterparts. There are quite a few, including Vienna, Copenhagen, Brussels and Paris.
We’re calling it the Great Ontario Euro Road Trip. On this stop, we went as small as we could go. Our tour guide is longtime resident Derek Jantzi who lives on a farm with his family.
“Well, it was always been a farming community with just a few little houses in Lisbon,” Jantzi said. “Over the years, they’ve severed off some pieces, and sold them off to build houses on small lots. There’s now older people in Lisbon and some younger families. So it’s a nice little collection.”
Cash cropping and farm equipment repair keeps a lot of people busy in Lisbon, with Jantzi saying quite seriously that there’s not a lot of time for fun after the chores are done. Still, he does admit the streams that run off of the Nith River are a great spot to fish.
As for tourists, there are almost none, unless it’s strawberry season, when Jantzi ‘s stand is hopping, he said.
So if tourists are driving around the area this summer, is there a reason to stop in Lisbon?
“Well, there’s nothing fancy in Lisbon, except I guess the scenery,” Jantzi said. “We love the little road here that connects you from the east to the west.”
LISTEN: Hear local Lisbon, Ont. resident describe why he loves where he lives
London Morning4:19Next stop, Lisbon
Ontario is a great province for a road trip. While you’re at it, check out some of the European-named cities. Today, London Morning host Andrew Brown visited Lisbon.