The Goderich Marine Heritage Committee is committed to undertake a comprehensive, land-based research project to construct a meaningful database with respect to underwater archaeology in the Goderich waterfront area.

An initial examination of the 'Swayse' shipwreck records for an 50 km radius has identified the possibility of close to 30 heritage sites.

Local folklore has also identified additional debris field areas which have accumulated wreckage from the local shipbuilding industry in the late 1800s and the first half of the 20th Century.

It is clear that a formal and more scientific survey of the area is required to enable the specific location, identification, survey and protection of significant underwater heritage sites.

The Marine Heritage Committee proposes to initiate a land-based research effort to quantify speculative information, and to determine whether certain sites are worthy of underwater exploration.

The land-based research project will be supervised by a sub-committee as follows:

- An appointed member of the Marine Heritage Committee
- A member of SOS
- An area waterfront expert with informal knowledge of the local marine history
- A member of the Huron County Historical Society

Much of the 'legwork' will be completed by this sub-committee, with the assistance of a  student employed through a summer works program.

The specific tasks to be undertaken are as follows:

1. Media Review - The local newspaper microfilm collection will be scanned to isolate references to shipwrecks in the Goderich area. The dates will include the earliest to the most recent dates identified in the 'Swayze' database.

2. Museum Archives - The Huron County Museum archive records for marine history will be reviewed to isolate reference material and exhibits related to shipwrecks in the Goderich area.

3. Interviews - Area residents, who may provide insight into marine history, will be contacted. It is proposed to conduct and to videotape interviews to accumulate first hand, family, and third party information. Key components will be added to the data base as a permanent, well documented record. Many of the knowledgeable waterfront experts have already died – there is an urgency to complete this task before all such first hand knowledge is lost.

4. Review Existing Research Material - Whereas some published material and established data bases are in existence, it will be necessary to review this material and isolate relevant information for local consideration. Where possible, direct contact will be made with the respective researchers or authors.

5. Contacts with Commercial and Area Sport Fishermen - Specific efforts will be made to interview longtime commercial and sport fishermen, asking them to share information about lake bottom debris locations which have interfered with fishing efforts over the years. GPS or LORAN coordinates will be acquired as available.

6. Develop Internet Web Site – Working with either the County Library system and/or the local secondary school, a web site will be developed to host and to share heritage information as acquired. This electronic information source can be hyper-linked to the Town of Goderich web site.

7. Sky Harbour Airport Liaison - Connections will be established with the pilots' association at Sky Harbour Airport, Goderich, to conduct airborne reconnaissance of the waterfront areas said to contain 'dark spots' or outlines alleged to be shipwrecks.

8. Sonar Gridwork - Efforts will be made to organize team of area boaters and divers to conduct a systematic sonar search of the Lake Huron bottom near Goderich. A grid will be devised and sectors assigned to volunteers who have agreed to search a defined area. A process will be devised to record data accurately, and to share findings in a manner that will build a consistent information base.

9. Print Publication of Findings - The Huron County Historical Society has agreed to publish a volume of its Annual Historical Notes in the form of a marine history based on the information found in the course of this research project.