Goderich Harbour

Goderich Harbour. . In its early days, the harbour flats became a bustling centre of economy. There were shipyards, rail lines from the 1860s, three hotels, fish shanties, warehouses, freight sheds, ship chandlers, piles of coal and lumber, numerous homes and eventually, in 1907, a railway station. Over time, much of the original commercial activity and all of the residences, moved to the current town site at the top of the hill., In addition to the extensive grain elevator compex begun in 1866, a large flour mill operated from 1872 until around 1950. There was also a salt well and a waterworks and electric company, in a large red brick building with a chimney as tall as the bluffs. This remained until a new plant was commissioned in 1964. From the site of this sign and running east along the pier was the Bathing House mentioned in other signage., The harbour basin itself occupies the original Maitland River mouth which had a tendancy to silt up. In the 1830s, the Canada Company built two piers that crossed what is now Main Beach, to protect the entrance. Where you are standing would have then been on the north side of the harbour opening. In the 1870s, after countless attempts to keep the entrance deep enough for navigation, the current north and south pier configuration was created. At that time the mouth of the river was moved northward to its present location. The salt mine complex, built largely on reclaimed land was not created until the late 1950s.