Village Squire, 1979-07, Page 5Goderich's huge elevators and its salt mine make it a regular
stop for the big boats. Still on any particular day there may not
be a big boat visiting the harbour but there's still plenty to see. A
number of older lake freighters are berthed permanently in the
harbour used as storage for overflow grain from the elevators.
Higher than a house and twice as long as a football field, they're
bound to impress the children.
Now and then there may be an extra treat in store with a visit
of a Canadian Coast Guard patrol boat. Any day during the
summer there's a good display of pleasurq boats for the kids to
inspect. They range in size from small sailboats and runabouts to
large sailing and motorized yachts. The selection isn't as large as
that a few miles south at Bayfield but there's still quite a variety
on hand.
Adding to the variety of marine craft in the harbour are the
fishing boats, the rather battered, bleak vessels looking like
work -hardened working men besides the fancy, leisurely ladies
of the pleasure boat moorings. A little fancier but just as hard
working are the tug boats which nudge the huge freighters into
position in the crowded harbour.
To see all these sights close up you have to take the northern
harbour road that goes by the golf and country club off Highway
21 at the north end of town. If you want to take the children to the
beach and playground you can go back up the hill and drive to
the Square in the heart of town, take West Street and go down
the hill to the south side of the harbour. Here you'll drive right
by the elevator complex and the old C.P.R. railway station before
coming to a large parking lot near the beach. There is a good
variety of playground equipment for different ages of
youngsters. There's a good beach with life guards and picnic
tables and a few trees to provide shade. There's also a takeout
restaurant and public washrooms.
Up the hill on West Street again you can take the children to
see the lighthouse by turning right at the top of the hill. There's
a small park there too and an excellent view of the whole harbour
below.
If you want to wear off some of the kids' excess energy (and if
you've still got any left yourself) you can head north on Highway
21 north of Goderich and turn left at Saltford to "Tiger"
Dunlop's tomb. It's a long walk up the steep hill on three flights
of stairs but the reward at the top comes not only from a sense of
history from being on the spot where a great pioneer was buried
more than 130 years ago, but also by a magnificent view of the
whole Maitland river valley with the highway winding up to the
town of Goderich on the hill, the golf club at the river's edge, the
river itself in the wide plain before it empties into the lake, the
high railway bridge, the ships, elevators and salt mine of the
harbour itself and the lake reaching off to the horizon beyond.
There can be more adventures for the children a few hundred
feet away, but you'll have to go back to the car again to make the
trip back to Highway 21 and up the hill a bit farther to the airport
road. There turn left and drive up to the parking area at the
airport. Goderich airport is a small but busy one. There are many
small aircraft parked on the field and usually a stay of a few
minutes will be rewarded with at least one occasion to see a
plane take off or land. If you're really fortunate you may be there
when one of the small business jets of Business Air Services
(BAS), a rapidly growing Goderich airline that flies charter fights
all over the continent.
If you feel like spending some money and really giving the kids
something to remember, you can get a ride on a charter aircraft
at the airport.
If you can't keep the kids occupied for an afternoon with all
that, our condolences.
Visits by such ships as the Canadian Coast Guard patrol ship Rapid add interest to a visit to Goderich harbour.
July 1979, Village Squire 3