54th ANNUAL 49TH ANNUAL ONE OF THE LARGEST ONE-DAY MAPLE SYRUP FESTIVALS Saturday April 27th, 2019 • 8am to 5pm www.emsf.ca CONTENTS CREDITS Mayor’s Message Festival Highlights Publisher A warm welcome More things to do 2 24 Elmvale Maple Syrup Festival Committee Dignitaries’ Welcome Elmvale High Scool [email protected] Greetings from our officials EDHS project update 4 27 Editors Maple Syrip History Tiny Marsh Irene Burgler The evoloution of sugaring Come blitz with us Donna Kenwell Chris Trott 6 28 Hospice Huronia Maple Syrup Quiz Graphic Design Ensuring comfort How well do you know syrup? Hi-Rez Graphics Inc. 6 31 705.322.4739 [email protected] Feature Artist Festival Map The Mugs Band An overview of EMSF Advertising Sales 7 32 Irene Burgler The Main Stage Festival Event Schedule 705.322.5846 Festival entertainment Times and locations [email protected] 13 33 Vendor Information Greenlaw Products Local Sports History Flowing with the generations Springwater Sports Heritage [email protected] 16 45 Website Log Sawing Contest Lalonde's Maple Syrup EMSF Committee Watch the sawdust fly Waiting for spring 18 46 EDHS Music Department Pancake Eating Contest Another exciting year Firefighters/community challenge 20 49 Recipe Vendors List Spicy Maple Sriracha Wings Vendors at the Festival 22 56 Acknowledgements: This Maple Syrup Digest was produced by The Elmvale Maple Syrup Committee, with graphic design by Hi-Rez Graphics. Photographs provided by various advertisers, and partners. All information contained in this publication is believed to be accurate and complete at the time of printing. Since much of this information is subject to change, we assume no liability for any damages or loss arising from errors, omissions or information given in any of the enclosed advertisements or listings included in this publication. ELMVALE MAPLE SYRUP FESTIVAL 2019 1 Mayor’s Message Welcome to the 54th Annual Elmvale Maple Syrup Festival! It is my sincere pleasure to welcome you to this year’s Annual Elmvale Maple Syrup Festival! For more than five decades, this signature event embraces visitors from far and wide to enjoy a wonderfully sweet experience in our community. I encourage you to take in the entertainment, shop for unique gifts and try some mouthwatering maple syrup. This local tradition brings together family, friends and neighbours to celebrate our cultural fabric and rural pride. Thank you to the team of volunteers and organizers for your hours of hard work, Don Allen and for what you continually Mayor of Springwater Township fundraise for local projects and charitable causes through this spectacular event. It is the tireless dedication of volunteers that make Springwater such a charming and vibrant place to live. Whether you’re a first-time visitor or a regular at the festival, I wish to thank you for participating and joining our community at this uniquely Canadian event. Enjoy your time here today and be sure to taste some sweet Ontario- made maple syrup! We look forward to welcoming you back next year. 2 Welcome to the Village of Elmvale Discover all our treasures, the unique shops, cafes, restaurants and services, the historic setting, and all the events that Elmvale has to offer. Help us to create the village we know we can become! The Elmvale Business Improvement Area positions the community as a “village” destination for shopping, dining and culture. The BIA manages a number of programs and promotions to support its brand. Join us as we represent the business community’s interests and create a vibrant downtown Elmvale. www.elmvalebia.ca / [email protected] www.Facebook.com/ElmvaleBIA The BIA would like to congratulate the Elmvale Maple Syrup Committee for another fabulous event!! ELMVALE MAPLE SYRUP FESTIVAL 2019 3 Dignitaries’ Welcome Welcome from our Parliamentary Officials MP Barrie-Springwater-Oro-Medonte Alex Nuttall As the Member of Parliament for Barrie-Springwater-Oro-Medonte, it is my honour to welcome you all to the historic Elmvale Maple Syrup Festival 2019! Each year, this event brings together the local community to celebrate the annual Maple Syrup Harvest. This important and valuable tradition attracts visitors from all across the province and country who come to Elmvale seeking a reminder of their Canadian roots. Weaving together local talent, creativity, and innovation, the festival delights us in new and exciting ways each year, while remaining deeply grounded in the traditions of the area. I thank all the volunteers who have worked tirelessly to bring this wonderful event together. It is this selfless group who make this event such a memorable and special experience for all. Thank you to everyone who has travelled to Elmvale to enjoy the festival. Whether you travelled across the country or just around the corner, we’re glad you’re here and hope you enjoy all this beautiful community has to offer. MP Barrie-Springwater-Oro-Medonte Doug Downey As the Member of Provincial Parliament for Barrie-Springwater-Oro-Medonte, it is a privilege to welcome you all to the 54th annual Elmvale Maple Syrup Fest! This fun and festive event is a great way to welcome the beginning of spring, and celebrate the annual Maple Syrup Harvest. As the world’s leading producer and exporter of maple products, we can safely say that maple syrup is a highly valuable Canadian commodity. From its discovery and first use, through the years of innovation and advances in collection methods, to the presence of the Maple leaf on our national flag, it certainly holds true as one of the classic symbols of Canadian culture. Today, Elmvale continues this proud tradition as a hub for maple syrup production and celebration. Thank you to the volunteers and organizers who work tirelessly to make this event happen year after year. Thank you for keeping this tradition alive, and providing an opportunity to gather with friends and family to learn about and enjoy the Maple Syrup Harvest season within our community. I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend, and I hope to see many of you out and about, enjoying the festivities! 4 Greetings from our Officials County of Simcoe EMSF Committee George Cornell Warden, Simcoe County John Savage Festival President 2019 Welcome visitors and residents to Elmvale and one of the I would like to extend a warm welcome to the 2019 world’s sweetest Maple Syrup Festivals! Simcoe County Elmvale Maple Syrup Festival, on behalf of the many takes its Maple Syrup industry seriously, and for more dedicated volunteers who comprise the EMSF Committee. than a half century, the village of Elmvale has welcomed An event of this scale can only be successful with hard visitors from across the province to join us in celebrating work, knowledge and physical ability, which ensures that one of our favourite homemade products. our regularly scheduled entertainment, such as the log- Simcoe County is one of Ontario’s top tourism destinations, sawing and pancake-eating contests, Sugar Bush tours welcoming more than nine-million visitors each year to and musical acts go smoothly. take in our award winning events and festivals, attractions While Maple Syrup is the main focus of our festival, we and cultural experiences. These events are vital to our are always striving to offer new and exciting attractions small towns and local businesses with proceeds raised for your enjoyment, and we welcome your suggestions for going right back into the community. Thank you to the how we can make that happen. many volunteers who offer their time and energy to make the festival possible each year, and to attendees for We believe that it is these attractions which keep our joining us and celebrating everything that’s great about visitors coming back, year after year, to welcome spring our region! with their trip to the Elmvale Maple Syrup Festival. Whether you’re a resident or a visitor, I know you’ll enjoy a Along with me and my team, the residents of Springwater wonderfully sweet experience at the 2019 Elmvale Maple Township and the Village of Elmvale look forward to Syrup Festival. meeting and chatting with many of you. Please feel free to approach us with your stories and ideas and remember that we are always seeking new volunteers to join our committee and become part of a dedicated team. Mission Statement The Elmvale Maple Syrup Festival is a fundraising event whose proceeds support projects which contribute to the physical, intellectual, cultural, emotional or spiritual well-being of our community. Parking at the Festival Springwater Township will be enforcing no parking strictly enforced on Festival day. Special event along the west side of Amelia Street, the south parking lots throughout the village will be well side of Stone Street, and the north side of William marked. If you have any questions, please do not Street. The streets will be clearly marked by the hesitate to approach one of our volunteers. Township as tow-away zones and this will be ELMVALE MAPLE SYRUP FESTIVAL 2019 5 Maple Syrup History The Evolution of Sugaring Techniques In the early days, Native Americans shared their the ‘three pot method’ was created. Raw sap was woodland survival skills and maple sugaring know- placed in a pot over heat and as it began to darken how with the early European pioneers, who, in turn, and sweeten, it was ladled into another pan. As it contributed to refining and simplifying production continued to evaporate, it was ladled again into a with their large kettles and iron tools. third pan. This is still the basic method by which Wooden buckets, placed on the ground beneath syrup is produced to this day, albeit with much more the tree taps, were used to collect the sap, but this modern equipment.