Maple it up in SDG Counties
In March and April, sugar maple forests in SDG counties become hives of activity. Trees fitted with taps drip maple sap into buckets, or into tubes and pipes connected to central collectors. Makers boil the sap to concentrate it, resulting in maple syrup and maple sugar.
Visiting a sugar shack or sugarbush is a beloved spring tradition for many Ontario families. Depending on the location, visitors can watch sap being made, savour maple taffy or pancakes with maple syrup, or enjoy family fun like horse-drawn wagon rides. Come find out what it’s all about at one of these maple syrup operations. Check their websites before visiting, as some are only open to the public by appointment or during special events like Ontario Maple Weekend.
Sugar shacks
- Barkleyvale Farms: Located near Chesterville, Barkleyvale has been making syrup in a log building since the 1970s. It usually holds a one-day open house during Ontario Maple Weekend.
- Frank Sugar Shack: This syrup maker in Moose Creek, surrounded by 1,600 trees, is normally open to the public during Ontario Maple Weekend.
- Sand Road Sugar Camp: This sugarbush in Moose Creek is a classic Eastern Ontario maple operation, where you can see how maple syrup is made and enjoy a bountiful breakfast buffet during syrup season.
- Cabane à sucre St-Pierre et famille Maple Sugar Camp: See syrup being made, try taffy and shop for maple products at this Lancaster spot.
- Wightman Sugar Bush: Tour a syrup-making operation, try taffy made on snow, and shop for syrup, sugar and candies at this Lancaster operation.
Maple syrup season is one of Canada's most beloved traditions, and Eastern Ontario is one of the best places to experience it firsthand. The unique climate of Ontario and neighbouring Quebec creates ideal conditions for maple production. Cold nights and mild spring days cause sap to flow through the sugar maple trees, allowing producers to collect it and boil it down into the rich syrup found on breakfast tables around the world.
Producing maple syrup is both a science and a tradition. It takes approximately 40 litres of sap to make just one litre of pure maple syrup. During the short harvest season, visitors can tour sugar bushes, watch the syrup-making process, sample fresh maple products, and enjoy uniquely Canadian experiences such as maple taffy poured over snow. For many families, a visit to a sugar shack is a sure sign that spring has arrived.
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