The sweetest season is upon us.
Members of the Simcoe and District Maple Syrup Producers Association joined local dignitaries at Maple Heights Farms in Innisfil for a "first tapping ceremony" to mark the start of the 2025 production season. This appears to be the first such event of its kind in Ontario this year, meaning production in Simcoe County could be off to a great start within days.
“Maple syrup is an important agricultural crop in Ontario and a growing sector for agri-tourism in Simcoe County,” association president Jack McFadden said, noting production contributes about $53 million toward the provincial economy each year. “Come on out and see how maple syrup really is produced. You’ve got to taste it at the sugar shack to really enjoy it.”
And the anticipated tariffs set to be imposed by American President Donald Trump on Canadian imports this weekend emphasize just how important it is for county residents to support local producers.
“We like to see as much support as possible for local,” McFadden said. “Right now, Ontario producers cannot satisfy the Ontario demand. There is maple syrup now going to the States, but frankly, we’ve got a large Ontario market we need to satisfy.”
Greg Bray has operated Maple Heights for the last 11 years. He grew up around hobby syrup production, but went “all in” when this farm came up for sale. Now, the 52-acre site consists of a self-serve shed and 2,000 taps — a number he hopes to grow with time to 6,000 — and he gives free tours to scouting groups and during events like March Break and April’s Maple Weekend.
“I’ve always enjoyed it. It’s a process I always found interesting,” he said. “Once the boiling process gets going, that gets people thinking about maple syrup. They come out, they visit and we get that support.”
Bray says his best year for production was 2021, during a winter with weather similar to what he’s seen so far in 2025.
“We’re thinking it’s going to be a good season,” he said.
Dignitaries — including Barrie-Innisfil MP John Brassard, York-Simcoe MP Scot Davidson, Bradford Mayor James Leduc and Innisfil Deputy Mayor Kenneth Fowler also had a chance to try their hands at tapping trees, both manually and with electric drills.
“This is literally gold to many people around the world, our Canadian maple syrup,” said Brassard. “Hopefully, us being here will help push the maple syrup business here, and in the province and country as well.”
Davidson chugged some of that liquid gold straight from a large glass bottle.
“I never drink out of a bottle, but when I do, it’s maple syrup,” he said jokingly. “This is one of the most Canadian things — maple syrup. This is like the first gift at Christmas.”
Fowler agreed with the sentiment.
“The first tapping is incredible; I’m happy it’s happening here in Innisfil and to be a part of it,” he said. “There’s nothing more Canadiana than maple syrup.”
Production seasons typically run between six and eight weeks — though consistency is dependent on temperatures warming to about 5C during the day, and dipping back down to -5C overnight.
"The idea is that all the sugars that are going up the tree during the day, we tap into that using, at most, 15 per cent of the sap," McFadden said. "We're using very little to keep the tree healthy."
More details on Maple Heights can be found at mapleheightsfarms.ca. Learn more about the association by visiting omspa.ca.