On the beach in Goderich, by Lake Huron, I sat viewing the sun dipping into the red water. The sky and the water merged for a while as the sun called it off for the day. A few jet-skiers still performing some deft maneuvers appeared to be the characters in a shadow play. Before leaving the town to return to where I live – Toronto – I leaned back on the concrete bench and closed my eyes… just to recapture and cherish the experiences of this day out.
This morning, as we set out for Highway 401, known by Torontonians as the “four-oh-one,” the buzzing traffic both ways explained why this highway is deemed the busiest in North America. In fact, it symbolized the cacophonous rhythm of the life we are used to… the race to reach somewhere as fast as we could. I asked Arun, my friend who was seated behind the wheel, “Why and where are these people rushing?”
“Since it’s a long weekend, they might be going on vacation,” Arun said. I didn’t ask him why they were in such haste if they were on vacation. In fact, there is no choice but to hurry while you are on the 401. However, I asked my friend if we could take a route where we could enjoy the sights as we traveled; where we could stop and view places as we liked. My friend agreed, and we took a route which required a much lower speed limit – Highway 8.
On the way were never-ending stretches of farmlands, each attached to barns and granaries. Golden colored fields of wheat, green carpets of soybean, and maize farms passed by as our vehicle sped towards the destination. The shadow of our vehicle, which was running ahead of us, shortened gradually and almost vanished beneath the vehicle as we reached the town.
Goderich Beach and the Tiger Dunlop Trail
As all the visitors did, we chose the beach to relax after the drive of over three hours. The gentle breeze that welcomed us gave goosebumps. I stepped into the lake to have a dip but withdrew as it was freezing. The wind that gushed for the next 30 minutes chased ashore all those who were swimming. A few others who had tented on the sandy, pebble-strewn beach hid themselves from the wind under blankets. The temperature was 17°C. Kids playing on the sands with toy excavators rushed to their parents for cover.
We left the beach for a trail – Tiger Dunlop Trail, which is another attraction in Goderich for visitors and locals alike in summer. A small pathway led to the woods. At the starting point of the trail, on the left, stood two plaques side by side. One of them briefly mentioned the attractions throughout the trail: the Canada Pacific Railway (CPR) bridge across the Maitland River, which was one of the longest rail bridges in this part of Canada when it was built, and the CPR station. The second plaque briefly mentioned why the CPR bridge we come across the trail was named Menesetung, a word derived from the Indigenous Ojibwe people’s language, meaning “Laughing Waters,” which denotes the sound made by the river as it flows.
Within two hundred meters of the walkway starts the old rail bridge, which at present has been converted into a walkway with a wooden deck. It had the flags of Huron County, to which the town of Goderich belongs, Ontario, and this place now called Canada flying on the struts. As I looked 60 meters down from the bridge, turning my back to the sun getting ready to go behind one of the structures, the water appeared to be a dark jasper green shade given by the ‘lovely, dark and deep’ woods around. In the water, there were three men, each in their own small boats, out for fishing. I saw my friend sitting peacefully down on one of the protruding balconies, set up on sides of the bridge as viewing points, gazing at the sun through the wooden side rails. The trail suddenly turned darker. We had to cut short the trek. But there is much more to explore here in Goderich.
Sunset and Serenity
We rushed back to the lakeshore to watch the sunset. Arun found a better vantage point upon a small hill across the street, while I sat on the concrete seat and gazed as the sun set the stage for twilight.
This town never stops beckoning, and I hope it never stops… The serenity of the place offers a retreat from the race of life and fills you with a new lease of energy.
We chose this town for our weekend day out despite its location at a distance of 225 kilometers from the city where we live (Toronto), for two reasons. One, it had the least number of COVID cases. Two, the serene mood of the town, probably due to its vast geography and relatively small population. Goderich is one of the oldest port towns in Ontario, founded in 1827. Today, the town, which is known for the world’s largest underground salt-mine, lures travelers who seek a departure from raucous city life.
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