Menesetung Bridge / Tiger Dunlop Trail

The Tiger Dunlop Heritage Trail starts at the old CPR station at the Goderich Harbour and this 3.2km trail is also the beginning (or end) of the G2G, The Goderich to Guelph rail trail which runs 127 kms along the former railway line, between downtown Guelph and the shore of Lake Huron. 

The CPR station in Goderich was built in 1907 and ceased passenger service in 1956, freight service in 1988.

Grain elevators have towered over the harbour of Goderich for over 150 years, taking in the local harvest. Today the facility can handle up to 150 trucks/day and the elevators’ capacity is about 125,000 metric tonnes, or 5 million bushels of corn, soybean and wheat.

Menesetung was the Chippewa name for the Maitland River and means ‘Laughing Water’ which refers to the sound of the water running over the rocks in the river.

The Menesetung Bridge was completed in 1906 and is the longest bridge span in the province at nearly 215 metres.  The last train crossed the bridge in 1989 and the bridge was converted from a rail bridge to a walking bridge and has received heritage designation.

And off on the trail...

Dr. William “Tiger” Dunlop, a physician, author, woodsman, soldier, politician and raconteur, was born in Scotland in 1792 and then served in Canada as an army surgeon during the War of 1812.  In 1826 he emigrated to Upper Canada and in 1827 he founded Goderich.

Finishing my walk and the freighter is in position and being loaded.