As you drive north along Highway 21 you pass through the town of Grand Bend, Ontario. The town has a unique character that I have not experienced anywhere on my travels through the province. A relaxed lakeside cottage feel makes everyone stopping in Grand Bend feel comfortable and want to return again.
Highway 21 is flat and mostly straight as you drive past a mix of farms and cottages. Occasionally, you will see very large homes that are year-round residences. As the two lane road heads north it runs parallel to the lakeshore and allows for great views of the southwestern Ontario countryside.
The drive from Grand Bend to Goderich feels like you are driving farther than the actual distance. People travelling from the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) will notice the distance and the change from town to countryside. Seeing how large the province of Ontario is amazing.
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| Church Steeple in downtown Goderich |
The drive from Grand Bend to Goderich feels like you are driving farther than the actual distance. People travelling from the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) will notice the distance and the change from town to countryside. Seeing how large the province of Ontario is amazing.
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| The layout of the downtown of Goderich |
Once arriving in Goderich, I noticed the town was clean, with well manicured gardens and homes. The history of Goderich is interesting. Founded by William "Tiger" Dunlop in 1827 and laid out in 1828, the town was named after the British Prime Minister at the time. Officially incorporated as a town in 1850. As you venture into the downtown you will feel like you have gone back in time. 'The Square' is an octagonal traffic circle with the county courthouse standing in the middle. I personally felt like I was back in the 1950s. Parking was on an angle and the shops were well maintained. Just a wonderful place to walk around and explore.
Situated at the mouth of the Maitland River is Goderich Harbour. It is a key deep-water port on the Great Lakes and it is the only industrial seaway depth harbour on the east shore of Lake Huron. One of the towns biggest employers is the Sifto Canada Corp. It works the the largest salt mine in the World. It is an almost 2000 feet deep rock salt mine, which extends 5 square miles under the Lake Huron and produces over 7 million tons of highway deicing salt annually.
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| Sifto Salt Mine, Goderich |
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| Menesetung Bridge |
If you are looking for a place to explore, this town has many options and will not disappoint.
To find out more about Goderich and the Lake Huron area check out http://www.ontarioswestcoast.ca/.
For more on the Menesetung Bridge and local trails check out suburban tourist.
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| Location of the CPR Station |
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| Outdoor Adventurer checking out the trail map |
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| Fantastic wildflowers along the trail |
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| The CPR bridge in Goderich |
It's pretty impressive that the Sifto Mine is so unassuming, but actually the largest in the world. Love how you captured the blue colour of the mine buildings.
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