Maple Weekend 2024: Ontarians head to the bush for sweet celebrations

Maple Weekend 2024 in Goulais River Hogan’s Homestead gives CTV News a look as it prepare for Maple Weekend 2024 at its sugar shack on Goulais River.

Sunny weather in the northeast could not come at a better time as the entire province prepares for a pretty sweet weekend.

Hogan's Homestead products Hogan's Homestead make a variety of maple products including specialty syrups and pure maple candies. (Facebook/Hogan's Homestead)

It is Maple Weekend in Ontario and events are scheduled across the province to celebrate the region’s favourite pancake topping.

In Goulais River, north of Sault Ste. Marie, a local maple syrup producer is giving the public an opportunity to see what goes into the creation of their sweet treats.

Hogan’s Homestead, Algoma’s largest maple syrup producer, is marking the weekend with several new activities – including a make-your-own maple syrup experience along with its usual facility tours.

The sugar shack will also be hosting more than 50 vendors for a special market.

Maple Weekend

The now annual weekend has become more popular for maple syrup producers across the province.

The Ontario Maple Syrup Producers’ Association said they estimate more than 70 producers will host some type of event in the coming days.

“We have actually received a lot of encouragement from government and tourism organizations because they're trying to encourage people to get out outside of the typical tourism times,” said John Williams, the association’s executive director.

It is something that many – including Hogan’s Homestead – have been planning since around this time last year.

Hogan’s Homestead staff said they expect more than 5,000 visitors to their sugar shack this weekend.

“I feel like it's very important for any producer to have the opportunity to open the doors to the sugar shack,” said co-owner Erica Hogan.

“To give the community more of an insight to this labor of love, I would like to call it and what we do because some people think that we hug a tree and serve comes out – but that's not what we do.”

Hogan's Homestead maple syrup production Staff at Hogan's Homestead in Goulais River, Ont., are showing the public what it takes to make maple syrup. (Cory Nordstrom/CTV News Northern Ontario)

A good year for syrup

While the warm winter initially posed a threat to maple syrup producers – temperatures in many areas avoided getting too high and officials with the Ontario Maple Syrup Producers’ Association told CTV News this was a good year for maple production.

Maple leaf maple syrup bottles Limited edition maple leaf shaped bottles of maple syrup produced by Hogan's Homestead in Goulais River, Ont. (Facebook/Hogan's Homestead)