What a Sap! The Maple Syrup Has Arrived!
The Nova Scotia spring this year (some call it spring!) features cold nights and warm days. And while this is not unusual in Canada a sustained weather period of this kind spells an unrestricted flow of maple sap, the lifeblood a huge Canadian industry and one vital to Nova Scotia. Because while the recession lurks in many areas of the economy the maple sugar industry is booming and this spells economic relief for Nova Scotia tour and accommodation operators.
Maple syrup doesn’t just flow from the trees raw it has to be collected and maple groves sport miles of tubing that directs the sap to collection depots. Traditionally, this process was done by bleeding a tree into buckets but the streamlining of the operation delivers thousands of litres of sap – 140,000 litres last year. Currently, there are over 70 maple producers in Nova Scotia with the total number of tree taps pegged a 300,000.
Tourism gets a boost because the maple syrup harvest has traditionally been a spring festival and this has spread out to include weekend vacations at bed-and-breakfasts and small bus tours to the maple syrup operations.
The Maple Producers’ Association of Nova Scotia, located in Springhill, advises people who cannot get out for the festivals to try “Sugar on the Snow.” This backwoods delicacy involves putting snow in a tray and pouring boiling-hot syrup on the snow. The liquid will congeal into a waxy confection with the consistency of taffy.
Or simply contact the MPSNS directly at (902) 597-2645 and see what’s going on.
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