HURON ARTS & HERITAGE NETWORK — Historic audio walking tours highlighting Goderich area heritage, stories and folklore were recently launched in late September.
Residents and tourists can now download 5 new podcasts about Goderich history. These are the first of 12 historic walking tours of Goderich, Blyth and Bayfield. “The Huron Arts and Heritage Network supports local arts and history,” says Christopher Spaleta, Chair of HAHN, “It made sense that we’d tap our great historians and storytellers to bring this area’s history to life.”
The first five tours will guide you through the streets of Goderich and take you back in time through storytelling. The tours give you instructions on where to walk, and then tell you stories along the way. Familiar places in Goderich will take on a new dimension as their history is revealed.
“We’re very excited to share these tours. There are so many great characters and strange tales in our history – famous visitors, corrupt politicians, train crashes, smuggling, shipwrecks, and so much more. It’s a treat to have these stories told in such an immediate and interactive way.” said Spaleta. “Everyone involved has put a lot of care, dedication, and fun into these tours and it shows.”
HAHN has always focussed on local talent and this project was no different. Historian David Yates provided research, playwright Paul Cuifo wrote the scripts and local audio engineers and voiceover artists Matt and Cara Loft produced and voiced the tours.
HAHN will release seven more historic audio walking tours over the next few months. These will highlight Bayfield and Blyth, with a final tour along the Goderich waterfront.
Historic audio walking tours can be accessed at www.Goderich.ca and will be available on iTunes and Google Play. HAHN gratefully acknowledges funding from the Huron County Economic Development SLED Fund and from Regional Tourism Organization 4 making this project a reality.
For more information on the tours or HAHN, please contact HAHN Chair Christopher Spaleta at huronartsandheritagenetwork@gmail.com.
– Courtesy the Huron Arts & Heritage Network
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