It was about 1940 when the Society of Missionaries of Africa (known as the White Fathers) constructed the first sugar shack in today’s Richelieu Park (shown above). The White Fathers had developed a Scholasticate in 1938 and immediately began harvesting the syrup for their community. While the property was transferred to the City of Vanier in 1976 and converted into a municipal park, local volunteers constructed today’s sugar shack in 1998 (built with salvaged wood after that year’s epic ice storm) on the same site as the original sugar shack.
This year’s Maple Sugar Festival culminates on the weekend with various events including a Lumberjack competition, Disco Dinner Dance, 5k and 1k Maple Run, pancakes – and Vanier’s own maple syrup goodness.
VanierThen is a monthly series, produced in collaboration with Vanier’s Muséoparc. Special thanks to the museum’s researcher, Yanick Labossière, and museum’s curator, Janik Aubin-Robert, for making this possible. Image Credit: First White Fathers sugar shack, circa 1940. Muséoparc
Sources:
Paroisse Saint-Charles 1908-1988 (Comité de l’Album Souvenir, Saint-Charles) (undated)
Le Droit (2009) “Eastview Vanier: Cent Ans d’Histoire 1909-2009” (Le Droit Cahier Publicitaire)