Shipping season starts with top hat ceremony in Goderich, Ont.
Captain John Lavery had the honour of wearing a ceremonial top hat after being the first ship to arrive in the Goderich, Ont. port this shipping season.
“My first time, being first. I’ve been here plenty of times over the years, but this is the first time I’ve been first,” said Lavery.
The ceremonial top hat has been awarded in Goderich every year since 1932.
Historically, it used to be a race to get to port after the Great Lakes ice breaks up, but ice cover wasn’t a problem this year. In fact, there’s been a 75 per cent decline in ice cover on the Great Lakes over the past 50 years.
“Usually, you get some ice near the Mackinaw Bridge. This year, there was some, but not much. Usually, we need the Coast Guard to cut us through there, but this year there might have been one or two days they needed assistance,” said Lavery.
Goderich Deputy Mayor Trevor Bazinet put the official top hat on Captain John Lavery’s head for being the first ship to arrive in the Goderich Port this shipping season on March 31, 2023. (Scott Miller/CTV News London)
Lake ice is a huge impediment to shipping, said Lavery, especially back in 2014 when the ice cover surpassed 80 per cent. It only reached 20 per cent this winter.
“That year we had all the ice, we left Port Colborne for Thunder Bay. That’s usually a three day trip. Took us three weeks, because of the ice,” said Lavery.
So this winter, with no lake ice, shipping only stopped for a couple weeks for ship maintenance and mine maintenance in Goderich, making the top hat ceremony more about tradition than actually kick-starting the shipping season.
“We’ve been doing this since 1932. Even during COVID, we were able to hand out the top hat. It’s an important part of our community,” said Goderich Deputy Mayor Trevor Bazinet.
To learn more about Goderich’s top hat ceremony you can visit the Goderich Port website.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.