The unique flavour of West Coast maple syrup attracted visitors from all over Vancouver Island last week at the Bigleaf Maple Syrup Festival in Duncan.
“The festival was a huge success with over 2,300 visitors in attendance,” says Aimee Greenaway, Program and Collections Coordinator at the BC Forest Discovery Centre. “Visitors participated in tapping and syrup making demonstrations, sampled local maple syrup and enjoyed the festival atmosphere. This year, we expanded to include a Slow Food Canada maple tasting workshop hosted by Mara Jernigan and a variety of delicious maple-flavoured foods provided by the Cowichan Valley Inn.”
The maple syrup contest drew 21 entrants from all over Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland and was judged by Don Genova, Mara Jernigan, and Bill Jones.
“The quality of syrup was impressive this year,” says Gary Backlund, local maple syrup producer. “Sap production was dramatically lower this season, likely due to unseasonably warm temperatures, but the Sapsuckers still managed to create syrup and food products that were better than ever.”
Almost half of the visitors traveled from outside the Cowichan region to attend the festival. “This is truly a Vancouver Island event,” says Greenaway. “The Bigleaf Maple Syrup Festival creates an excellent opportunity to showcase the Cowichan region to Island visitors. We look forward to welcoming new maple tappers and more workshops at next year’s festival.”
