Ice Storm '98 swept across Eastern Ontario with a
vengeance. Heavy ice build up sent branches crashing to the forest floor
resulting in severe damage to the region's valuable maple trees. It will
take years for sugar bushes to recover. But through this the sugar maker
lives on, this heritage industry will maintain the tradition.
Tree damage at our bush forced a reduction of taps
from 9000 down to 6000 this year, a 30 percent decrease. That isn’t our
biggest problem. The sweetness of sap will be affected for many years.
Fewer leaves in the damaged crown reduce the amount of sugar produced during
the summer. A lower sugar content in sap will increase the amount of sap
required to make a gallon of Maple Syrup.
