By: Christian Collington, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, TheIFP.ca
The annual Maple Syrup in the Park festival is set to return to the Terra Cotta Conservation Area on March 19 to 22, 28 and 29, to offer a blend of sticky treats, historical education and cultural reflection.
For the team at Credit Valley Conservation (CVC), the festival isn’t just about the pancakes, it’s about the narrative of the land.
Sandy Camplin, CVC’s conservation parks senior co-ordinator, notes that storytelling is the secret ingredient to their success.
“We love maple syrup season, and we work hard to make it a fun, engaging experience for our visitors through storytelling,” Camplin said.
She added that CVC hosts “stations around the park where our staff experts share stories about maple syrup production, from the discovery of sap by Indigenous communities, to how settlers created maple syrup and then modern-day practices.”
Visitors can witness this evolution firsthand at the park’s fully functional sugar shack, where sap is collected and bottled on-site and according to Camplin, highlighting the history is vital.
“Maple syrup is an important part of our Canadian identity and culture,” she said. “Over 70 per cent of all maple syrup production happens in Canada and we wanted to be a part of sharing this tradition locally.”
Honouring Indigenous roots
A significant portion of the festival focuses on the Indigenous origins of maple harvesting, which is facilitated through a partnership with the Oshkabewis (traditional helpers).
Raiden Levesque, CVC’s Indigenous engagement specialist, explained that these relationships were built from the ground up.
“The partnerships with the Oshkabewis were developed through Melissa Stevenson, who is an Anishinaabe-Cree Kwe, member of Peguis First Nation, Bear Clan,” Levesque said.
He explained that Stevenson, a sweat lodge conductor, reached out in 2022 to establish a grassroots partnership for a sweat lodge space at Terra Cotta.
Levesque said sweat lodge (Madoodiswan) ceremonies can happen year-round, but they hold a specific weight during the winter.
“Traditionally, for many Indigenous peoples, the winter season is a time of storytelling and honouring the medicines as they continue to sleep throughout the winter, until they wake up in spring,” Levesque explained.
He also added that during the maple syrup festival “the helpers talk about the importance of honouring storytelling and remembering to slow down during the maple season.”
Trackless train debut and annual staples
This year marks the debut of a trackless train; an addition that Camplin said is meant to appeal to families with younger kids.
Beyond the new train, the event will feature wagon rides to the sugar bush, blacksmith demonstrations and giant outdoor games, as well as the pancake house, where visitors can purchase fresh pancakes with real maple syrup, along with other maple-themed treats.
Camplin said the festival has received so much positive feedback from the community in the past and hopes to maintain that reception with this year’s festival.
Tickets to the festival can be purchased online, by phone at 1-800-367-0890, or at the park during the event dates.
Early-bird tickets are available until Feb. 25 or until supplies last. Credit Valley Parks pass-holders receive a 15 per cent discount, including on early-bird pricing.
More information about the festival can be found on the CVC’s website.
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