Maple Magic

Written by Travel Trek & Tour Contributor, April 12, 2012

April means maple syrup and according to National Geographic, the best sticky stuff in Ontario is in Lanark County just outside Ottawa, in Ontario’s Highlands. Known as the Maple Syrup Capital of Ontario, Lanark’s maple syrup was ranked first in a list of top ten foods to eat in Ontario.

That’s great news for Ottawa foodies seeking to make the most of the final weeks of the maple syrup season that runs from late February to April. Located between Ottawa and Kingston, Lanark County offers up a treasure trove of choices for even the most discerning maple syrup connoisseurs. And for those simply seeking to enjoy a great Canadian tradition, the area has a wide selection of sugar bushes ideal for individuals, couples and families alike. Guests can enjoy maple syrup treats from maple taffy, watching maple syrup production and indulging in maple syrup-soaked breakfasts.

Wheeler’s Pancake House and Sugar Camp and Fulton’s Pancake House and Sugar Bush

provide but a sample of the County’s maple syrup delights. Wheeler’s, located on Highland Line near McDonald’s Corners, offers the complete maple syrup and family fun experience including pancake meals, trails, barn and playground, a blacksmith shop, a Maple Heritage Museum, and of course, maple syrup production. Fulton’s is located on #291 6th Concession Road and is another great option. Fulton’s has a modern sugar shack, a gift shop and a restaurant capable of seating 120 people that serves up pancakes, sausages, baked goods and yummy combination plates. Also not to be missed are sumptuous male syrup treats from The Maple Shoppe that include maple syrup, butter, maple candy and granulated maple sugar. For some sweet pampering, Fulton’s offers a fragrant line of Maple Luscious Bath and Body Products containing maple sap, maple syrup or maple sugar sand.

But it’s not just Lanark County that excels in maple syrup production. Other locations in Ontario’s Highlands, from Madoc to Haliburton and the Ottawa Valley, also have their own fair share of star maple syrup producers. In the Ottawa Valley, Mapleside Sugar Bush and Mapleton House are great options. Mapleside Sugar Bush is located near Pembroke and offers maple syrup at its finest along with a gourmet range of maple syrup products including candy, maple mint vinegar, mustard, male BBQ sauce and maple meat rubs. Mapleton House, a licensed restaurant and gift shop near Hardwood Lake, provides maple-inspired catering for weddings, anniversaries, retirement parties and family reunions. In Madoc, O’Hara Sugar Maples offers tours of their sugar bush, though hours vary throughout the season.

In nearby Haliburton, maple fans can enjoy the maple sensations at the Wintergreen Maple Syrup and Pancake Barn and Camp Can-Aqua. Wintergreen offers a full line of maple products and gifts, sugar bush tours, fruit pies, a full maple menu and group BBQ events and corporate gifts. Nearby Camp Can-Aqua doubles as a summer camp and it produces some of the top quality maple syrup available at food retail outlets in Bancroft, Algonquin Park, and the Muskokas. Maple syrup bottle sizes range from 40ml right up to a hefty four litres. Tours of the Sugarhouse are available upon request. Then there is Ontario’s First Maple Winery. Check out Moon Shadows Estate Winery on Highway 118 in Haliburton. It offers its famous chilled maple wine, as well as a quality selection of other gourmet wines from fruity autumn pear to blackcurrant and fuzzy peach.

And if all that isn’t enough to satisfy your maple mania, Lanark County has one more option. The Perth Festival of the Maples celebrates everything maple for one day only on April 28 – to mark the official end of the maple syrup season. Festival highlights include fantastic shops, vendors offering award-winning maple products, displays, stage entertainment and children’s activities concentrated on scenic downtown Gore Street.

For the ultimate maple experience, visit YoursOutdoors.ca to learn about a variety of maple

experiences, including a three-day special package, The Art and Syrup of maple. During this maple extravaganza, guests can learn about maple syrup production, explore a sugar bush on snowshoes, dine on maple cuisine, enjoy maple wine at the neighbouring Moon Shadows Estate Winery, indulge in a Maple Sugar spa foot treatment, and even make a maple syrup pitcher and glass at a glassblowing workshop. Guests stay at the cozy Inukshuk Manor B&B. To top it all off the package features a house concert by local musicians Bethany Houghton playing the cello, violin and fiddle and Ernie Demuth on guitar.

No matter what your maple craving, Ontario’s Highlands is truly the best place to find it. To find out more visit the Ontario’s Highlands website at www.ontarioshighlands.ca.