Maple syrup producers hopeful for promising season
Shaw's Maple Syrup Sugar Bush and Pancake House welcomed some families with a sweet start to their March Break.
The maple syrup season began unusually early this year, and Tom Shaw, the owner of Shaw's Maple Syrup, says it's been one of the best starts he's ever seen.
"We made 200 gallons of syrup in February, which is just unheard of for us. Typically, we would make 10 or 15 gallons in February if we even made any in February," Shaw said.
Shaw is optimistic that this is just the start of a great season and is waiting for the weather to warm up to tap more of the sweet stuff.
- Download the CTV News app to get local alerts to your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
According to John Williams, the executive director of the Ontario Maple Syrup Producers' Association, the season looks promising, but it's entirely dependent on the weather.
"Those springs that most people really start to complain about, 'when is it ever going to end,' 'when will it warm up,'" that's perfect for us, and we still have time to have that, especially as we get into this weekend and next week," Williams stated.
The Williams Farm producer in Wyebridge added the amount of sap is dependent on location as much as the weather.
"In the past week, we didn't get any sap at all but operations that have bushes that face south, a lot of them were getting sap flows, but our bushes face north, so we've been slow, but we're really hopeful that we'll still have a good season," Williams said.
Typically, the most considerable volumes of syrup for Williams' operation come at the end of March and the beginning of April, and he's hoping for the same this season.
Meanwhile, both producers are looking forward to Maple Weekend, which begins on April 1.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Federal employees will be required to spend 3 days a week in the office
Starting in September, public servants in the core public administration will be required to work in the office a minimum of three days a week. The Treasury Board Secretariat says executives will need to be in the office four days per week.
Concerns about plexiglass prompt inspections at some Loblaws locations in Ottawa
Inspections are underway at more than one Loblaws location in Ottawa after complaints were filed about tall plexiglass barriers.
OPP officer said 'someone's going to get hurt' before wrong-way Hwy. 401 crash
As multiple Durham police cruisers were chasing a robbery suspect on the wrong side of Highway 401 Monday night, an Ontario Provincial Police officer shared his concerns, telling a dispatcher, "Someone's going to get hurt."
Five human skeletons, missing hands and feet, found outside house of Nazi leader Hermann Göring
Archeologists have unearthed the skeletons of five people, missing their hands and feet, at a former Nazi military base in Poland.
Poilievre returns to House unrepentant for calling Trudeau 'wacko,' Speaker not resigning
An unrepentant Pierre Poilievre returned to the House of Commons on Wednesday to pepper the prime minister about his drug decriminalization policies after being booted the day prior for refusing to take back calling Justin Trudeau 'wacko' over his approach to the issue.
Liberal MP says she's leaving politics over disrespectful dialogue, threats, misogyny
Liberal MP Pam Damoff says she won't run again in the next federal election, saying she has experienced misogyny, disrespectful dialogue in politics and threats to her life.
Toddler of Phoenix first responder dies after bounce house goes airborne
A two-year-old child died after a strong gust of wind sent the bounce house he was in airborne and into a neighbouring lot in central Arizona, the Pinal County Sheriff's Office said.
Canada's most wanted fugitive arrested in P.E.I. in connection with Toronto homicide
A suspect in a fatal shooting in Toronto’s east end last summer has been arrested in Charlottetown, just one week after he topped a list of Canada’s most wanted fugitives.
Plane overshoots runway at airport in St. John's, N.L., no injuries reported
Investigators from the Transportation Safety Board of Canada are headed to St. John's, N.L., after a plane overshot a runway at the city's airport this afternoon.