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Goderich

Goderich (pronounced either God-rich or God-er-ich) is a town in the Canadian province of Ontario and is the county seat of Huron County. The town was founded by William "Tiger" Dunlop in 1827. First laid out in 1828, the town is named after Frederick John Robinson, 1st Viscount Goderich, who was British prime minister at the time. The town was officially incorporated in 1850.

As of 2008, the population is 8,000. The area of the town is 7.91 square kilometres.

Located on the eastern shore of Lake Huron, Goderich is renowned for the beauty of its sunsets. Queen Elizabeth II once commented that Goderich was "The Prettiest Town in Canada". The town indicates that tourism is among its important industries.

The town participates in the Communities in Bloom competition; in 2004, Goderich won the provincial competition in the 5000-10000 category.

"The Square"

Goderich's downtown has an octagonal traffic circle known as 'The Square'. The county courthouse stands in the middle of The Square. This is where, in 1959, Steven Truscott was convicted of murdering Lynn Harper.

Contrary to a popularly held belief, plans for The Square were not intended for Guelph. It is thought this rumour started when Guelph was founded, as town planners the Canada Company originally wanted their community to be called Goderich, eventually resigning to Company Superintendent John Galt's wish to name it Guelph.

Industry

Sifto Canada, Inc operates a salt mine underneath Goderich's harbour. The mine extends 5 kilometers under Lake Huron and is one of the largest salt mines in the world. Volvo operates a road grader manufacturing plant in Goderich.

Ports

Goderich Airport (known unofficially as Sky Harbour Airport) is a community airport with three runways: two are paved, with runway lighting, and one is grass. It is located directly north of the town, and is accessible via the Bluewater Highway north of the community. During WWII, The airport was the site of an Elementary Flying Training School as part of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan.

Goderich Harbour is owned by the town, but is operated under contract by Goderich Port Management Corporation. It is an industrial harbour, used primarily to load salt from the Sifto salt mines onto lake and ocean freighters.

Snug Harbour is a marina located within the industrial harbour basin; Maitland Valley Marina is also located near Goderich.

Railroads

The Goderich-Exeter Railway presently operates freight service to Goderich. The line was built by the Buffalo and Lake Huron Railway in 1859. The railroad was soon taken over by the Grand Trunk Railway, later CN. In 1992, the line was sold to the GEXR.

CPR build a second railroad into Goderich in 1907. Passenger service ran until the 1960s. The entire line was abandoned in 1989.

The Ontario West Shore Railway started to build a railroad from Goderich to Kincardine in 1909, but the road was never completely open.

Attractions

The Huron Historic Gaol is a National Historic Site. It served as the region's gaol (old English form of jail) from its opening in 1842 until 1972. It is open to the public between April and October. This is the site of the last public hanging in Canada. James Donnelly Sr. of the Black Donnellys also spent time here before his trial. As well, Steven Truscott was held here for some time.

The Huron County Museum is a community museum which offers modern exhibition galleries. Permanent exhibits depict the early settlement and development of Huron County. The museum also collects and maintains the Huron County Archives.

The Marine Museum, which is open in July and August, is dedicated to the lifestyle and culture of those who made a living on Lake Huron, highlighting The Great Storm of 1913. Admission to this museum is included in the entry fee for the Huron County Museum.

Sports teams

Besides school teams, during the winter season, hockey is prevalent in most Canadian small towns, Goderich being no exception. The town supports both the Sr. A Pirates and the Jr. C Sailors, much of the talent on both teams being of local origin.

Schools

Goderich is home to four elementary schools and one high school. Robertson Memorial, Victoria Public, Colborne and St. Mary's Catholic separate school are the in town elementary schools, with more elementary schools serving the rural areas outside of town. Goderich District Collegiate Institute (G.D.C.I.), the local high school, was founded in 1841. The Huron County Museum now uses the original schoolhouse as part of the museum.

Demographics

Demographics
	0-9	10-19	20-29	30-39	40-49	50-59	60-69	70-79	80+	Total	% of population
Male	400	445	365	385	500	595	360	305	195	3,555	47
Female	335	485	405	375	585	630	435	400	360	4,010	53
Total	735	930	770	765	1,085	1,220	795	710	550	7,565	100
Source: Stats Canada

Notable people

David Bauer (1924-1988) Influential Canadian amateur hockey organizer and coach
Albert Dewsbury (1926-2006) former NHL defenceman
Gary Doak (born 1946) former NHL defenceman
Katie Durst Canadian Idol top 10.
Cori Mackinnon Canada's Next Top Model top 10.
Larry Jeffrey (born 1940) former NHL forward, won the Stanley Cup in 1967 with the Toronto Maple Leafs
Mistie Murray (born 1978) Subject of infamous unsolved missing persons case.
Ted Nasmith fantasy illustrator, best known for his illustrations of the works of J. R. R. Tolkien
Garth Picot guitarist, former member of The Revols
Jack Price (born 1932) former NHL defenceman
Jennifer Robinson (born 1976) former six time Canadian national figure skating champion
Tim Sale (born 1942), retired cabinet Minister in the province of Manitoba Canada
Dick Treleaven (born 1934) Ontario politician
Ron Van Horne (born 1932) Ontario politician
Joseph Griffin (1849 - 1925) First Catholic reeve (sheriff) of Huron County

Media

As of October 15, 2007, Goderich is now serviced by radio station CHWC-FM 104.9 The Beach which is broadcast at 104.9 FM with studios in town. 104.9 The Beach is owned and operated by Bayshore Broadcasting Corporation.

The local newspaper paper is the Goderich Signal Star, owned by Quebecor/Sun Media Corporation through Bowes Publishers.