March is maple-syrup month in Ottawa

March is maple syrup month in Ottawa, with several special events and menus focussing on the sweet spring treat. Here are a list of sugar bushes.

Fulton’s Pancake House & Sugar Bush, located in nearby Lanark County (the maple syrup capital of Ontario), hosts a series of activities from late February until April 22, including self-guided maple tours, nature trails, horse-drawn sleigh rides, a well-stocked maple shoppe and a delicious maple menu—including pancakes, sausages, beans, taffy on snow, and maple cotton candy! There’s even a native forest blessing to end the season. http://www.fultons.ca/

Stanley’s Olde Maple Lane Farm opens its maple Sugaring Off season in the small town of Edwards, Ontario on March 3 and runs till April 15. Experience horse-drawn sap collection, taffy on snow and an all-you-can-eat pancake buffet. Kids of all ages can also visit the petting farm. http://www.stanleysfarm.com/

At the Vanier Sugar Bush, you can enjoy maple syrup in the city—you can even see Parliament Hill through the maple trees! http://www.sugarbushvanier.com/

Throughout March and April, traditional Québécois meals and hospitality are on offer at the Sucrerie de la Montagne. Located midway between Ottawa and Montréal, the Sucrerie offers a great feast, including pea soup, Canadian back bacon, wood-fired baked beans, and sugar pie. http://www.sucreriedelamontagne.com/

A brand new sugar bush opens March 1! Temples Sugar Camp is situated in a 5,000-tap working sugarbush, with walking trails throughout. A handcrafted timberframe restaurant with stone fireplace and sugar camp offers traditional Ottawa Valley cooking with a touch of maple. http://www.templessugarcamp.com/

Maple menus
For the month of March, Chef Michael Blackie of Perspectives restaurant at Brookstreet presents two complete maple-themed dinner menus (one from March 5 to 17 and the other from March 19 to 31). A sweet sampling from one table d’hote menu includes a maple smoked wild salmon to start, followed by three finger duck breast (sun dried blueberry waffle, maple and roast garlic stick) and a banana and maple crème brûlée to finish.   http://www.brookstreet.ca/

Sam Jake’s Inn, located in historic Merrickville, is one of Eastern Ontario’s finest inns—especially in March when it offers a menu of maple smoked pork hock, maple cheesecake and other sweet treats. You can also savour delicious maple treats including a maple martini, maple bush coffee and maple pie served with maple walnut ice cream and walnut caramel! All of their maple products come from Gibbons Maple Farm, a local maple syrup producer in Frankville, Ontario.

Heritage Brewing is a local craft brewer offering a delicious maple brew called Maple Bush Lager. Using maple sap, rather than water, supplied by Fortune Farms in Lanark County, it is only available in Ottawa in the spring months when the sap in running.  It gives off a nice maple aroma and flavour. http://www.heritagebrewing.com/

Events
On Thursday, March 15 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Temple’s Sugar Bush Restaurant hosted the 17th Annual Lanark and District Maple Syrup Producer’s Association Tapping Out Party—a festival of family fun that celebrates the first sign of spring.

The Vanier Sugar Bush’s annual Sugarfest runs March 23-April 1 and will add two new events this year—a fiddling contest and a parade. http://www.sugarbushvanier.com/

At the Maple Soup Splash event in Richelieu Park in Vanier on Wednesday, March 28 from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. where local restaurateurs will compete to produce the best soup with a maple twist! $10 admission. The winner will be presented with the first Maple Spoon Award.

Ottawa Tourism provides industry leadership and destination marketing to service the travel media and attract visitors, tours and conventions to Ottawa and Canada’s Capital Region. Visit  http://www.ottawatourism.ca/ for further information.

Report by Chitra Mogul