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Tiffin Centre gears up for annual Spring Tonic festival

March 17, 2022   ·   0 Comments

Maple syrup is about as Canadian as it gets. 

The time to collect the sap from sugar maples in Ontario is a brief period lasting only a few weeks, but the wait is worth it. The timing relies on the right spring temperatures to get the sap flowing.

There are only a few places in North America where sugar maple trees grow. Ontario and Quebec lead the way in maple syrup production, followed by New Brunswick and Nova Scotia who have a small share of the market.

When you visit the Tiffin Conservation Area, you can explore the sugar bush with a self-guided activity book that tells visitors how they manage the sugar bush.

The Spring Tonic Festival at the Conservation Area will take place on April 2 and 3 this year.

The Conservation Area has hosted the event for more than three decades. 

Visitors to the event will take a trip back in time to explore how Indigenous people and pioneers made maple syrup.

After the tour, you can see the modern operation and how the syrup is made today right on site.

You can end the tour with a sample of the sweet liquid by having a pancake and sausage breakfast with maple syrup.

Syrup made at the Tiffin centre is available on site with proceeds going towards the maintenance of the Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority’s conservation areas.

Your admission fee includes visiting the exotic animal zoo, music, fire trucks, and a walk through the sugar bush.

Breakfast will be served until 2:00 p.m. on each day. 

Because of overcrowding and parking limitations, visitors are asked to follow a timed entry procedure. There will be two time slots: from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., and 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Admission is $15 for adults, and $10 for children ages one to 12.

The Tiffin Centre for Conservation is located at 8195 8th Line in Utopia.

By Brian Lockhart
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

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