Lighthouse # 020, Goderich, Lake Huron, Ontario Canada, 2025

Height |  33 ft. (10.1 m)

Geographic position |  43°44'32.1"N 81°43'30.1"W

Elevation on earth |   656 ft. (200 m)

Built in 1846, the Goderich Lighthouse stands as the oldest Canadian light station on Lake Huron. Though its square stone tower rises just 20 feet tall to its lantern room, its strategic position on an elevated bluff provides a focal plane 150 feet above the lake.

The lighthouse was constructed by Scottish stonemason Adam MacVicar after Thomas Mercer Jones of the Canada Company sold the land to Queen Victoria. Shortly after construction, the lantern suffered damage during severe gales in November 1846, requiring immediate repairs.

Over the decades, the lighthouse underwent several improvements. In 1883, it received French plate glass and enhanced lighting. By 1908, its lighting system was upgraded to a fourth-order French lens. Following the devastating "Big Blow" storm of 1913, which claimed several ships including the Wexford near Goderich harbor, the lighthouse was raised by five feet and equipped with a new lantern room in 1914.

After serving mariners for generations, the lighthouse was sold by Queen Elizabeth II to the Town of Goderich for one dollar in 2003. In 2010, local marine enthusiasts completed a thorough restoration, returning the historic structure to its original condition while adding educational displays for visitors.

Head Keepers: Thomas Brady (1847 – 1856), Humphrey Fidler (1856 – 1871), George N. Macdonald (1871 – 1886), Robert Campbell (1886 – 1910), William Robinson (1911 – 1926), Bert McDonald (1926 – 1939), Reginald R. Needham (1939 - 1959), Norman Comier (1959 - 1962), Walter Sheardown (1962 - 1985), Allan K. MacDonald (1962 - 1985), Donald Bert MacAdam (1985 - 1992).

Ref.: lighthousefriends.com