Goderich, Ont. 'top hat' ceremony marks largely ice-free Great Lakes
Capt. Mark Rice said it’s an honour to get to wear Goderich’s ‘top hat,’ which is awarded to the captain of the first ship to dock in Goderich’s port each spring.
“I like these old traditions. I’d heard about the hat before. It’s certainly a nice way for the Port of Goderich to start their shipping season every year. It’s kind of fun,” said Rice.
Rice’s barge Spartan is dropping off liquid salt in Goderich, carried over from Michigan.
The Spartan’s arrival comes a week earlier than last year’s ship, thanks primarily to one of the mildest, most ice-free winters in many years.
“There just isn’t as much ice accumulation this year. The Mackinac Strait, as an example, is wide open. There has been a warm up, for sure. But, I don’t think we should think next year couldn’t be just as hard a winter, from say, 10 years ago,” said Rice.
Normally there would be approximately 25 per cent ice coverage on Lake Huron at this time of year — today there’s less than 1 per cent.
'Spartan,' a ship that carries liquid salt, was the first ship into Goderich, Ont.'s port for the 2024 shipping season on March 25, 2024. (Scott Miller/CTV News London)
Rice said shipping in the area only goes as far as the Welland Canal will allow ships such as his to go.
“The shipping season never shuts down completely. On Lake Michigan, you will see a couple of different vessels moving around, but nobody will go further than the Welland Canal or Port Colborne because the canal locks. [The] St. Lawrence Seaway and Welland Canal typically close Dec. 24, and don’t open again until the spring,” he explained.
As the first ship into Goderich, Rice gets to sign his name in the ‘top hat,’ just like the previous 92 captains have since the tradition began in 1932.
“Shipping is important to the Town of Goderich. Imports and exports. It creates revenue for our town, so we want to make sure we’re doing everything we can to show it’s importance, and hopefully, in our future, is a port expansion,” explained Goderich Mayor Trevor Bazinet.
More ports means the race for Goderich’s ‘top hat’ may only intensify in years to come.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
Blind Sask. boy heading to international braille competition hopes to increase accessibility for visually impaired
A Saskatchewan boy who qualified for an international braille competition in Los Angeles next month hopes he can inspire change in his home province.
'A step forward': New screening criteria for sperm donors takes effect
Canadians looking to grow their families with the assistance of sperm or egg donations should soon have more options for donors as the federal health agency does away with longstanding restrictions criticized as discriminatory.