Top Hat Tradition

The Top Hat Tradition

Every year, the Captain of the first ship of the season to arrive into the Goderich Port is honoured during the Top Hat Ceremony at Town Hall. This tradition dates back to the 1930s, and has its roots in early Great Lakes shipping, when it was often a race to get into port first after the ice break up.

During the Top Hat Ceremony, the Captain is presented with the antique top hat at Town Hall. Each Captain signs the hat, often while sitting in the Mayor's chair, and is treated to dinner by the Town. This year the first ship in the Harbour was the Algoma Intrepid captained by Capt. Joe Costello. The video below, by Scott Miller of CTV London, recaps the 2026 top hat ceremony.

The Goderich Port isn't the only port with a ceremony celebrating the first ship of the season. The Port of Toronto also presents a top hat to the first 'saltie' into port.

First Ship of the Season at Goderich Harbour (1932-2025)

Year	Ship Name	Captain	Date of Arrival
2026	Algoma Intrepid	Capt. Joe Costello	March 23rd
2025	Federal Asahi	Capt. Abhijit Menon	March 31st
2024	Spartan	Capt. Mark William Rice	March 24st
2023	Algoma Innovator	Capt. John Lavery	March 31st
2022	Algoma Innovator	Capt. Kirk Lake	March 30th
2021	Algoma Intrepid	Capt. Kirk Lake	April 4th
2020	Algoma Sault	Capt. Raymond Schrempf	March 30th
2019	Algoma Niagara	Capt. Chesley Thorne	April 2nd
2018	CSL Laurention	Capt. Joseph Pero	March 25th
2017	Robert S. Pierson	Capt. Ted Brown	April 5th
2016	Amstelborg	Capt. Huib van der Mijle	April 4th
2015	Cpt. Henry Jackman	Capt. Neil Olsen	April 6th
2014	Canadian Navigator	Capt. Peter Carpenter	April 9th
2013	Algoma Navigator	Capt. Wayne Penney	April 2nd
2012	Peter R Cresswell	Capt. Peter Schultz	March 30th
2011	Canadian Progress	Capt. Peter Carpenter	March 17th
2010	Canadian Progress	Capt. Mark Young	March 19th
2009	Canadian Olympic	Capt. Richard Hesketh	March 15th
2008	CSL Niagara	Capt. Jim Leaney	March 15th
2007	Right Hounouralbe Paul J. Martin	Capt. Andrew Ferris	March 22nd
2006	CSL Niagara	Jim Leaney	March 16th
2005	Algosteel	Les Comrie	March 21st
2004	Nanticoke	Gordon Hacquoil	March 20th
2003	Frontenac	John Bentum	March 26th
2002	Algowood	Douglas A. Taylor	April 2nd
2001	Algobay	James Wilhelm	March 30th
2000	Markhannah	John Nations	March 24th
1999	Algoway	Neil Olsen	April 9th
1998	M.V. Canadian Olympic	Capt. Austin Peckford	March 23rd
1997	Algomarine	Capt. Bond Sevor	March 18th
1996	John B. Aird	Capt. Almer Strong	March 27th
1995	Algoway	Capt. Craig Williams	March 28th
1994	M.V. Agawa Canyon	Capt. Rick Whyte	March 27th
1993	M.V. Agawa Canyon	Capt. Doug Purvis	March 29th
1992	Algowood	Capt. Maurice Richardson	March 25th
1991	Algolake	Capt. Charles Philips	March 29th
1990	Algowood	Capt. Maurice Richardson	March 27th
1989	M.V. Agawa Canyon	Capt. Doug Purvis	March 27th
1988	M.V. Agawa Canyon	Capt. Doug Purvis	March 29th
1987	Algorail	Capt. S. Koutsogiannis	April 5th
1986	Algolake	Capt. Charles Philips	April 5th
1985	Algowood	Capt. Maurice Richardson	March 29th
1984	M.V. Agawa Canyon	Capt. Claude Jeannotte	March 30th
1983	Algoway	Capt. Tonu Soovere	March 20th
1982	Algobay	Capt. Alexander Nazar	April 16th
1981	Canadoc	Capt. John McKenzie	April 2nd
1980	M.V. Agawa Canyon	Capt. Claude Jeannotte	March 31st
1979	M.V. Agawa Canyon	Capt. Claude Jeannotte	April 12th
1978	M.V. Agawa Canyon	Capt. Claude Jeannotte	April 5th
1977	Quebecois	Capt. Donat Perron	April 6th
1976	E.B. Barber	Capt. Jim M. Scott	April 6th
1975	Algorail	Capt. C.E. Belcher	March 20th
1974	S.S. Goderich	Capt. Roy Munday	March 31st
1973	M.V. Agawa Canyon	Capt. F.G. Wagg	March 27th
1972	Sarniadoc	Capt. Wm. Brownlea	April 16th
1971	E.B. Barber	Capt. Albert B. Purvis	April 7th
1970	Lawrendoc	Capt. Ray L. Chamber	April 9th
1969	Kingdoc	Capt. Walter Collins	April 3rd
1968	Hamildoc	Capt. Boubonais	April 7th
1967	Joseph Medill Paterson	Capt. Fred Bingham	April 8th
1966	The Windsor (Imperial)	Capt. James Irwin	March 25th
1965	The Windsor (Imperial)	Capt. James Irwin	April 15th
1964	Kingdoc	Capt. Walter Collins	April 3rd
1963	Algocen	Capt. Ben Sylvie	April 29th
1962	Imperial Windsor	Capt. J. Burns	April 7th
1961	Imperial Cornwall	Capt. Osterdahl	March 22nd
1960	Imperial Cornwall	Capt. J.G. Knight	April 12th
1959	Imperial London	Capt. James Burns	April 9th
1958	Imperial Hamilton	Capt. H.C. McLellon	April 22nd
1957	Imperial London	Capt. James Burns	March 25th
1956	Imperial London	Capt. James Burns	April 6th
1955	Imperial Simcoe	Capt. Davies	March 29th
1954	Imperial London	Capt. James Burns	March 27th
1953	Saracen	Capt. Rooul Mailette	April 5th
1952	Imperial Cobourg	Capt. C.G. Slone	March 26th
1951	Imperial Cobourg	Capt. C.G. Slone	March 16th
1950	Imperial Windsor	Capt. Osterdahl	April 2nd
1949	Imperial Kingston	Capt. Percy Butters	March 24th
1948	Imperial Simcoe	Capt. H.A. McLennon	April 1st
1947	Imperial Windsor	Capt. C.R. Dyon	April 16th
1946	Imperoyal	Capt. McClelland	March 23rd
1945	Simcolite	Capt. Milne	March 28th
1944	Windsolite	Capt. C.R. Dyon	March 28th
1943	Iocolite	Capt. D. Williamson	April 10th
1942	Acadialite	Capt. E. Jenkins	March 21st
1941	Windsolite	Capt. C.R. Dyon	April 3rd
1940	Acadialite	Capt. E. Jenkins	April 20th
1939	Coalhaven	Capt. Belcher	April 20th
1938	Miseford		April 5th
1937	Iocolite	Capt. Knight	April 8th
1936	Superior	Capt. Hudson	April 29th
1935	Iocolite		April 11th
1934	Sarnian		April 27th
1933	Anna C. Minch (wrecked Lake Michigan-1940)		April. 23rd
1932	Acadialite	Capt. Earl Jenkins	April 5th