Mmmmaple Syrup!

There are many things Canadians can be grateful for (too many to list!) but what tops my chart has got to be Maple Syrup. To be clear, I ain’t talking about the Aunt Jemima syrup sauce commonly found at lousy breakfast joints, I am talking about the real stuff. Maple syrup is just so quintessentially Canadian, just like beer or hockey or even our favorite filler word, “eh”. But, unlike those other things maple syrup can be poured on almost anything, baked or cooked in almost anything, and is enjoyable in any form, from liquid to solid state! I mean what kid doesn't love liquid sugar, this is actually Max's preferred food choice (along with honey, maple syrup is basically nitro fuel for kids, so portion judiciously and it's best used in conjunction with outdoor activity) but the truly neat thing about maple syrup is the simplicity in its origin, extraction, and processing. The Sugar Maple sap is taken straight from tree (no additives! No filler! No surprises!), boil it down (preferably over an open fire pit outside for the full experience) and voila, a wonderfully delicious treat. This beautifully simple process connects us with our Canadian heritage and thus lends itself to an adventure in time travel, back to a time of fur trading and confusing territories like Upper and Lower Canada!

For the last two years we’ve taken Max to Bronte Park's March break Maple Syrup Festival. Here he gets to see how the stuff was originally made by the settlers (who were taught by the indigenous people) and also enjoy other things like eating frozen and candied maple syrup and of course, spending some time checking out the farm animals. Dixon will be old enough to enjoy the spoils of the day but Max is at that perfect age where his imagination runs rampant (will be in overdrive due to maple syrup) and I can’t wait for the Spanish inquisition (because three year olds ask the funniest things!) coming my way when he sees the full costumed actors tapping trees and boiling the sap.

If you’re not lucky enough to be heading off to some warm and sunny southern destination for March break, and you are looking for something to do during the week off, then this is a great activity for the family because you spend the day outside, learn a little about our unique history and also enjoy a sweet treat (or several…) And for the really courageous, and assuming you have the right trees on your property, you can make maple syrup yourself - check out this website for everything you need to know.

Bronte Park Maple Syrup Festival March 2015