It's a bit chilly just yet, but a maple syrup producer in this region hopes to start boiling its 2018 run of the sweet confection sometime next week.
“Essentially we need a couple of days at three, four or five degrees above zero,” said Tracy Séguin of Sucrerie Séguin Sugarbush close to Monetville, in between Sudbury and North Bay.
She said the weather is forecast to warm up a bit next week, so her family hopes to produce syrup by the Easter long weekend at least.
Even though there's no 2018 syrup, Sucrerie Séguin Sugarbush is already offering tours of its operations every Sunday afternoon from 12-4 p.m.
“We give a guided tour that talks about the historical aspect of maple syrup, a little bit about Native culture and the French-Canadian influence, because they populated this area 100 years ago,” Séguin said.
“Then we talk about the taps throughout the ages, right from Native culture through the early citizens into what we're using today.
“We talk about the forest today, the health of the forest, the sustainability of the forest and maple sugaring. We show them our operation, and we typically end up with some tastings of maple jelly, maple butter and taffy on snow.”
During Maple Weekend, April 7-8, the sugarbush's opening hours will be extended from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday.
A couple of food vendors are coming in for the occasion, including Bear's Fish Fry and Yogen Fruz (which will be selling maple frozen yogurt).
Séguin said the event attracted hundreds of visitors last year.
If you want to visit Sucrerie Séguin Sugarbush, which is located at the end of a one-lane bush road, be prepared for a lot of healthy exercise.
You can either walk the two kilometres (each way) to get to the sugarbush, or bring your own ATV. Don't forget to wear rubber boots, as the road can get muddy.
For those physically unable to make the walk, Séguin said if people contact the sugarbush ahead of time, they can arrange for transportation.
The Ontario Maple Syrup Producers' Association lists several operating sugarbushes in this area of northeastern Ontario, although none in Greater Sudbury.
We've reached out to the 100-year-old Depatie Sugar Bush in Hanmer, which tapped its trees in 2017 after several years of being out of business, but our calls haven't been answered to date. We're still hoping to hear from them.
If you'd like to make the trip out to the Sucrerie Séguin Sugarbush, here's the directions.
To get to the sugarbush from Highway 64 in Monetville, follow the Dokis Reserve Road for nine kilometres. To the right will be the road to the sugarbush, located at 1838 Dokis Reserve Road. Proceed by foot or ATV for the final two kilometres.
For more information, visit the Sucrerie Séguin Sugarbush's website.
