Historical sites that made Goderich: Hotel Bedford

By: Kathleen Smith

Hotel Bedford in Goderich has a rich history dating back to its establishment in 1896.

Built upon the foundations of the original Albion Hotel, destroyed by fire in 1895, the Hotel Bedford has played a significant role in the town’s identity for 130 years.

John Bedford and A.C. Pace constructed and opened the Hotel Bedford. Construction began in spring 1896, on the building that commands its corner location with Romanesque arches along the ground floor and restrained Italianate decorative elements above the entrance.

Construction throughout the spring and summer of 1896 was eagerly followed in the local papers. The result of the construction of the Bedford Hotel is what Heritage Goderich describes as a building which ‘commands its corner location with Romanesque arches along the ground floor and restrained Italianate decorative elements such as the large cupola and projecting balustrade above the entrance’.

Now, the Bedford’s cupola, or dome, is one of the Square’s signature features.

Officially opened on September 21, 1896, with its prime location on the Square and access to Polley’s Livery on South Street, the hotel was ideally situated to the commercial class of travelling salesmen.

According to Yates, in 1898, the Bedford Hotel claimed it was one of the largest hotels in Ontario.

Although he never owned the hotel, Jonathan Miller was its first proprietor. Miller with an imposing 465-pound girth was dubbed the ‘biggest man in Canada’. His giant stature matched the size of the new hotel.

Miller kept the Bedford until 1903, when he became the proprietor of Seaforth’s Grip House.

Over the years, the hotel has been owned and operated by several families including Ethel Litt, followed by her daughter Auleen and husband Art Curry.

The Curry’s daughter Mary, and husband Bruno Lapaine, were next in line to take control. This family ran the place for over 50 years.

During its 130-year history, notable visitors included Sir Sam Hughes (Canadian politician, soldier, journalist and Minister of Militia and Defence during the First World War), Walt Disney, and several Canadian prime ministers including Louis St. Laurent and Brian Mulroney.

This hotel has maintained the atmosphere of a bygone era with its 25-step staircase, with lovely wooden railings leading to the second-floor accommodations.

In the 31-room hotel located on Goderich’s historic courthouse square, the hotel is within walking distance to shopping, the museum and the beach.

With its iconic dome and architecture bringing its guests back to a bygone era, Hotel Bedford sits proudly standing high above the square as an iconic historic site, blending the town’s history with modernity.

Over the decades, and various owners, it was the multitude of local and dedicated staff made the hotel a successful place in Goderich. According to Yates, one employee, Frank Clark, started at the hotel in 1938 and was still working at the hotel in 1972.

According to Yates, in 1912, Sir Sam Hughes, the Minister of Militia, was feted by the Mayor and Board of Trade in the hopes that a permanent military base would be established in Goderich.

In the aftermath of the Great Storm of 1913, shipping officials headquartered their ground search and recovery operations from the hotel.

On October 9, 1916, the Bedford hosted a dinner for the 161st battalion’s Goderich company who were leaving for overseas the next day.

For some, Yates says it would be their last supper in Huron County ever.

It wasn’t until 1929 when Ethel Litt bought the Bedford and began a family dynasty for four generations.

Ethel Litt was a single businesswoman and mother at the height of the Great Depression.

The 1914 Canada Temperance Act prohibited the sale of alcohol and shut down ‘wet’ bars like the Bedford for decades.

In 1942, the hotel was briefly licensed to sell alcohol for the duration of the war. According to Yates, with so many British airmen stationed in the area, it was a sensible relaxation of the rules during wartime.

However, that license was revoked in 1946, and the Bedford went dry again, until 1964 when Goderich voters allowed alcohol sales in licensed taverns, which helped the hotel business.

Today, it stands as the last of the grand hotels that once catered to the travelling classes of a bygone era.

With many owners over the years, a promise was made so that the hotel would continue to carry the Bedford name.

Since 1896, the majestic Hotel Bedford has stood proud on the southeast side of the Square and is the last of the grand hotels of a bygone era.

This is an ongoing series of historical features to tell the story of Goderich, in each issue of the Goderich Sun, from June 2026 until June 2027, in anticipation of its bicentennial.