Place for readers | Sugar shack stories

I retired in 2008. I then traded Montreal for fresh country air and 100 acres of land largely forested with maple trees. I had some beautiful hemlocks cut down, built a little cabin with a friend, installed an Aston 24 I make 150 to 200 bottles of maple syrup every year, because putting such nectar in cans is out of the question. I don’t sell it, I give it to family, friends, the local Meals on Wheels and anyone I meet who might appreciate it. This year marks my tenth season of activity. At 78 years old, I wonder for how many more years I will have this indisputable privilege of being a grand cru distiller!

Almost 30 years ago, my parents dreamed of building a small sugar factory on their land in the Laurentians. As good city dwellers, they had neither knowledge in the field nor resources: a somewhat crazy dream which they nevertheless went to the end of, once retired. For two decades, they worked hard to tap 800 maple trees and produce “their” syrup. Without knowing it, they passed on their passion for maple trees and the forest to two of their grandchildren who are taking over the reins of their small operation. My parents are now 79 years old and 77 years old and the pride can be seen in their eyes. It is often said that when they see their parents reading, the children read in turn… I think it’s the same thing for the forest and maple syrup. It’s contagious !

I have this memory of the “woodland” of my father, the son of a farmer. As children, we left the city as a family to explore our jungle, home to a stream, imaginary bear tracks, rich vegetation and unknown birds. Everything was fear and mystery. I also remember this vestige of a sugar shack invaded by moss and vegetation, with rusty pipes, boiler artifacts and metal sheets deformed by time. It is not surprising that at the age of 27, my partner and I invested in a woodlot, even if it meant wandering around for a few years. It was in 1980. What followed was the construction of a log camp, later replaced by a chalet, then the sugar shack. The latter has generated a spring fever which returns every year as if to break the winter. Everything happens quickly in season. With over 400 cuts, we need arms, and they always arrive on time with parents and friends. We make no sales, no turnover: just liters of syrup which are offered as “bribes” in anticipation of subsequent years!

My wife and I have a small maple grove with 340 taps. It all started in 2014, while I was listening to the show A chef at the cabin. Since I had been working from home for two years, I was itching to do manual work. We knew nothing about maple syrup production, but we had the desire to produce this syrup which is part of our culture. So we bought a chalet and rented land in the Lanaudière region. We quickly realized that making syrup isn’t just about boiling maple sap! It’s a lot of work and it’s certainly not to make a profit that we do it. But when we see smiles in our little maple grove, we tell ourselves that these moments and these memories are well worth the profit we could make!

We have an artisanal sugar bush without electricity or running water. Faithful to the “method of yesteryear”, the maple sap is harvested in a boiler, heated with wood, filtered with a felt, cotton and paper cap, then boxed by hand: it’s 900 boilers to pick up, fortunately with the help of family and friends. Everyone arrives in a good mood to share our enthusiasm for making maple syrup like more than 60 years ago and to tell anecdotes from past years. We are unfortunately witnessing climate change together, while hoping to continue for several more years to fuel our passion for making good maple syrup!

We bought a small maple grove with our four children in 2015 and since then, we have produced around 40 gallons of maple syrup per year. Days at the cabin start early and end late. They are often full of friends, gathered around a cubbyhole (a delicious little mixture of boiled maple water and gin). Afternoons of taffy on the snow are a delight for young and old alike. Seeing our grandchildren licking the “palette” makes us happy. Our syrup is the best, in our opinion… It must be the result of all our efforts and these good times shared!