Everyone agrees that spring and the arrival of mild temperatures are synonymous with "sugar season". In a usual context, in the region of L'Érable and everywhere in Quebec, the months of March and April see a succession of sugar shacks and family gatherings. Each sugar shack receives family and friends for a traditional "sugar shack meal" and to taste the famous "tire sur la neige" (maple taffy on snow). But that happens everywhere in Quebec. So why do we say it's the region of L'Érable and not elsewhere?
Why L'Érable?
Many other names could evoke the assets of our territory, such as metallurgy, including bronze, sustainable development, or the cultivation of small fruits such as cranberries, for example. However, maple syrup production remains an important sector of activity in the region.
One of the particularities of the MRC de L'Érable is the presence of its maple forests and numerous businesses that manage, transform and market this natural resource in several ways: transformation of maple products, exploitation of maple groves, forestry, wood machining, and cabinetry. Thus, the economic spin-offs attributable to maple syrup production and related activities are significant in the region.
One of the companies that greatly contributed to attributing the title of "Maple Capital of the World" to Plessisville in 1976 is Citadelle, a cooperative of maple syrup producers.
Did you know that? Citadelle has the largest storage capacity of maple syrup in the world, with its 8 million pounds of syrup that can be stored in 38 stainless steel tanks at the Plessisville plant. Thousands of barrels of maple syrup pass through it every year.
L'Érable, rich in colors!
Whether you are exploring the roads of the region, taking part in festivals, visiting one of the commercial maple groves in the area, or discovering the various tourist attractions, you will have the opportunity to discover how the region is intimately linked to maple and its exploitation.
Festivities To celebrate the maple syrup season, no less than two events dedicated to maple syrup production are held in the region in the spring!
The St-Pierre-Baptiste Sugar Festival, for its part, was first created in 1958 as a maple taffy party followed by a traditional dinner to raise funds for the church. It has now become an essential festivity of the region, taking place over three days. Music, crafts, maple taffy, bingo, and other activities are on the program!
One of the oldest festivals in the province after the Quebec Winter Carnival, the Plessisville Maple Festival was launched to promote the consumption and sale of maple products. For the first edition in 1959, Plessisville welcomed more than 8,000 visitors. Maple butter contests, shows, bazou races, culinary demonstrations, and parades color this event.
The Colors of L'Érable Between its plains and hills, the region of L'Érable seduces with the presence of numerous maple groves. The leaves of these trees, which change colors in the fall between mid-September and mid-October, offer a magnificent landscape of warm colors, in a palette of yellows, oranges, and reds. Hikers and tourists can then contemplate these magnificent panoramas whether by bike, car, or on foot.
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