The sleepy southwestern Ontario town of Elmira hosts the largest single day Maple Syrup Festival in the World
Elmira, Ontario - Every year in early spring tens of thousands of people pour into the sleepy southwestern community of Elmira (pop. 12,000) to celebrate 'The World's Largest One Day Maple Syrup Festival'. That recognition was given by the Guinness Book of Records when in 2000 attendance hit a record 66,529 people. The event is operated by 2,000 volunteers and not only helps to promote local maple syrup producers, it raises funds for local charities. You can learn about the tradition of making maple syrup and enjoy a host of other activities: sugarbush tours, a quilt and craft show, a toy show and sale, children's theatre, wagon rides, an antique sale, a pancake flipping relay race, and a dog show. It is usually held the first Saturday in April, unless that's Easter. Malcolm Gladwell, author of bestseller "The Tipping Point: How Little Things Make a Big Difference", was raised in Elmira. In 2005 he was named one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people.
Where:The 'laid back' rural community of Elmira is 7 km from St. Jacobs (known for its Mennonite history and huge year-round farmer's market and outlet mall), and 15 km north of the city of Waterloo. The Mennonites migrated to this region from Pennsylvania and today you can still find horses and buggies in the parking lot at the local grocery store, and buy hand-made quilts directly from residents. In addition to quilt shopping, summertime visitors can enjoy hiking, cycling, golf, canoeing and fly fishing in the region. Accommodation is available at bed and breakfasts and country inns.
In The News: The 2011 Maple Syrup Festival will be on April 2.You can follow on Twitter at@Elmira_MSF Canada is now producing more than 75% of the world's maple syrup. Quebec produces 70%, but in the last two years more than 400 new producers have been added in Ontario. Toronto Star Story
Lucy Izon
Canada Cool is produced by award-winning Canadian travel writer & speaker Lucy Izon. Her travel stories & reports have appeared in numerous leading North American publications including the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Toronto Star, Globe and Mail, and Chicken Soup for the Traveler's Soul. Bio page
Canada’s Coolest:
Welcome to a new feature on Canada Cool. I'll be presenting different 'Coolest' lists with my favorites and I encourage you to nominate suggestions from your own experiences. You can Twitter @CanadaCool or email [email protected]. Let me know what makes your suggestion exceptionally cool. Remember, by contributing your comments you are giving Canada Cool permission to quote you. Only a selection of submissions will be included, but all comments and submissions are greatly appreciated!
The first feature is: Canada's Coolest Single Day Scenic Drives
Here are some of my favorites...
The Icefields Parkway, Jasper National Park, Alberta - This 229 km (142 mi) Rocky Mountain route from Banff/Lake Louise to Jasper passes 100 frozen rivers and nudges the base of the Athabasca Glacier - the most accessible glacier in the world. You can stop and explore it. It spills down from the Columbia Icefield, an area of ice so massive that you could fit the entire population of North America on it with each person getting at least a square metre of space.
The Corridor, Algonquin Park, Ontario – this 56-km stretch of Hwy 60 cuts through the southwest section of Algonquin Park. Less than three hours north of Toronto the park is a nature-lover's paradise with 7,725 km of lakes, rivers, forest, trails, camping, comfortable lodges and 2000 km of canoe routes. Offers hiking trails to stop and enjoy, but what makes it really cool is that it’s one of the best places in North America to spot moose (especially in May and June). And, on Thursday nights in August up to 600 cars will gather to listen to wolves howl.
The Cabot Trail, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia – Driving this 303 km (187 mile) route is like riding a roller-coaster: the road snakes around hairpin turns, rises to heights over 365 metres (1200 ft), weaves around headlands revealing spectacular coastal scenery, and plunges down to sea level taking you into the heart of small fishing communities. The most dramatic scenery is between the Cape Breton Highlands National Park entrance near Cheticamp and Pleasant Bay, so go slow. And, plan some flexibility into your schedule, so you can drive it on a clear day.
And here are some of your nominations for 'Canada's Coolest Single Day Scenic Drives'...
More from Canada’s Coolest
'Canada's Coolest' topics we'll be publishing in the future:
- Golf Course Features
- Haunted Hotels
- Hotel Special Services
Send your suggestions to [email protected]
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