The Sweet Taste of Success: Thank You to All Who Joined Us for the 2023 Sugarbush Maple Syrup Festival
April 3, 2023, Toronto, ON — Saturday, April 1 closed out Toronto and Region Conservation Authority’s (TRCA) 2023 Sugarbush Maple Syrup Festival, and we thank everyone who joined us over the month-long event. More than 30,000 visitors enjoyed maple syrup season at Kortright Centre for Conservation and Bruce’s Mill Conservation Park, demonstrating fantastic community spirit, and an appreciation for the outdoors and this great Canadian tradition.
This year, the annual festival ran from Saturday, March 4 to Saturday, April 1 and was initially met with unpredictable weather. CityNews visited in advance of the festival to talk to TRCA’s Aldo Missio, an Educator at Kortright Centre, about the impact of the weather on maple syrup production. Even with the variation in temperature, sap still flowed and fires blazed, bringing out throngs of visitors eager for in-person learning experiences about all things maple syrup.
Families with children, in particular, enjoyed the opportunity for outdoor recreation and education during the March Break, and kids loved sampling the sweet syrupy goodness, as highlighted by this CityNews segment. The festival was featured on several other news outlets, as well, including OMNI TV and CBC Radio.
The 2023 festival was an exciting time, as it also marked the official opening of the Nature Centre at Bruce’s Mill. The launch event kicked off the festival on Saturday, March 4 and saw members of the community, program partners, elected officials from all levels of government, and TRCA Board members and staff all come together to celebrate. The Nature Centre is open year-round and will offer programming focused on the natural and cultural heritage of Bruce’s Mill and the surrounding area to reflect the diversity of our local communities.
TRCA’s 2023 Sugarbush Maple Syrup Festival was a great success and an incredible opportunity to honor the historical roots and techniques of maple syrup production developed by Indigenous peoples, while enjoying the outdoors and our community.
Thank you again to everyone who joined us and made the festival a great success. We are looking forward to seeing everyone again next year!
About Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA)
Since 1957, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA), as enabled through the provincial Conservation Authorities Act, has taken action to enhance our region’s natural environment and protect our land, water, and communities from the impacts of flooding and increasingly extreme weather events – Ontario’s leading cause of public emergencies.
As the region’s first line of defence against natural hazards, TRCA maintains vital infrastructure and provides programs and services that promote public health and safety, protecting people and property.
TRCA mobilizes a science-based approach to provide sound policy advice, leveraging its position as a not-for-profit operating in the broader public sector to achieve collective impacts within our communities and across all levels of government.
TRCA’s jurisdiction includes nine watersheds and their Lake Ontario shorelines, spanning six upper-tier and fifteen lower-tier municipalities and representing almost five million people, approximately 10% of Canada’s population.
To learn more about TRCA, visit trca.ca.
Media Contact
Crystal Lee
Communications and Media Relations Specialist
Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA)
crystal.lee@trca.ca