This article is the third in Global News’ Ontario Road Trips series, offering getaways to some fun locales across the province. Our first adventure took us to Paris, and our second stop was Elora.
When is a square not a square? The answer to the question can be found when one visits Courthouse Square in the lakeside community of Goderich as the street that makes up the “square” is actually an octagon.
The town, which lies on the shores of Lake Huron, was established in 1829 by William (Tiger) Dunlop and John Galt.
The latter is credited for the town’s design as it sees eight roads stretch out from the county courthouse, which acts as the centre point of the town.
If you look at a map, it is said that the town was also laid out to look like the Union Jack.
Galt is also credited with founding the city of Guelph at the same time and would later have the town of Galt, which is now part of Cambridge, named after him.
A salty history
Right next to Main Beach in Goderich is the port as well as a large blue and white complex.
From the outside it may not look like much, but the building is actually resting above the world’s deepest salt mine, which runs about 1,800 feet below Lake Huron.
The discovery of the mine was said to be a happy accident. Once oil was discovered down the coast in Oil Springs, they began to drill in the Goderich area in search of more black gold.
During many unsuccessful attempts, it was discovered that there was salt in the area, which soon began to be mined and distributed across the Great Lakes.
The current mine, which opened in 1959, produces nine million tons of salt per year, which is mainly used to keep streets clear during winter.
While tours are not available, more can be learned about the operation at the Huron County Museum.
What to do in Goderich
The town was devastated when it was struck by an F1 tornado in 2011 that took out much of the trees and a number of buildings in the downtown area but plenty of beauty and history remains.
The art deco-style courthouse, which serves as the focal point for the downtown area, was built in 1959 after the previous iteration was destroyed in a fire.
The courthouse is surrounded by grassy areas and trees that also serve as a home for a farmer’s market on Saturday mornings.
A number of quaint little shops and restaurants surround the courthouse offer visitors a chance to shop and eat to their hearts’ content.
In addition, the Park Theatre, which was built in the 1950, also lies along the ring road that surrounds the courthouse, as does the Hotel Bedford.
The turn-of-the-century hotel was built in 1895 by John Bedford on the site of the former Albion hotel, which Bedford also owned.
The three-storey hotel, which was a large establishment at the time, is home to a pub as well.
Tucked in behind the hotel is the Livery, which was purchased by a local group in 1983, just hours before it was due to be demolished.
After serving as a stables, it became the town’s first car dealership but the historic building was turned into a theatre in 1983.
Goderich offers a full set of self-guided audio walking tours of the area, which mostly begin at the courthouse before heading across the various streets from downtown.
Two other historical buildings lie within a couple of minutes’ drive from the courthouse, including the Huron County Museum and the Huron Historic Gaol (Jail).
The prison was initially opened in 1842 while also serving as county chambers, a jail, a poorhouse and an asylum.
A tour of the prison offers a window into the history of the structure that once housed James Donnelly of the Black Donnellys and Stephen Truscott, who was wrongfully convicted of the murder of a classmate in 1959 at the age of 14.
While the area has some fascinating history, it is best known for its natural spaces, beaches and spectacular sunsets.
One can head down towards the waterfront to visit the Goderich Lighthouse, a location that marries the old with the views.
It was built in 1852 and is the oldest lighthouse on the Canadian side of Lake Huron. It sits on a bluff above the St. Christopher Beach and offers views of the harbour, salt plant and lake itself.
The St. Christopher Beach is a 100-stair walk below the lighthouse and is a rocky beach. (If one cannot do the walk, you can drive down to the beach area as well.)
While a rocky beach is not the ideal place to bathe in the sun, one can travel on the wooden boardwalk down to Main Beach and the harbour.
Conversely, if one walks in the other direction they can head towards the family-friendly Rotary Beach as well.
If the beach is not for you, then perhaps a hike or bike ride on one of the many trails in the area would be more your style.
The G2G trail is a 132-kilometre trail that runs from Guelph to Goderich but if you are looking for a shorter excursion you could go on the Maitland Trail or the Waterfront Trail.
While those would be interesting journeys, one should not visit Goderich without a visit to the Minetesung Trail for a chance to cross the Minetesung Bridge over the Maitland River.
The bridge offers a spectacular view of the area in every direction before the trail heads into the woods and runs on a 6.5-kilometre loop.
A final spot one should consider visiting before they leave town is the Laithwaite Apple Park Statues, which are a group of masterpieces created between the 1920s and 1950s by George Laithwaite.
How to get to Goderich
Goderich is a three-hour drive from Toronto travelling north through Brampton and Orangeville. On that route, one could consider a stop at the Palmerston Railway Heritage Museum or in Wingham at the Book Barn on 86, a place with tens of thousands of books to peruse. Perhaps grab something to read at the beach.
You can also head up through Kitchener and New Hamburg from Toronto, while perhaps making a detour to Millbank for a visit to Anna Mae’s Bakery and Restaurant, which is a legendary spot for butter tarts.
If you are coming from London, it is almost a straight shot north but perhaps you can head towards the lake and follow along the coast to get there. No one ever complains after a visit to one of the ice cream shops in Bayfield on a hot day.