The Maple Sugar Festival returns for ARP's 30th anniversary!
March in Quebec naturally evokes the time of sugar shacks. From the very beginnings of the ARP, a sugaring-off activity was born when a member suggested it.
Still at Parc du Méridien, where all our neighborhood activities were held 30 years ago, with the support of the City and the partnership we had created with Maxi et Cie (the first and only grocery store at the time), we held the sugaring-off event, complete with horse-drawn sleigh rides and musicians in plaid shirts. Each segment of the activity cost $1 per person. And participation always numbered around 700 to 800 people.
Fortunately, this year again, the commemorative event will take place on March 24th, hoping that there will be some snow left... a phenomenon that we also experienced 30 years ago despite the more evident climate changes today.
I would like to add an anecdotal element to this article: our meeting places. From 1994 to 1996, the members of the board of directors gathered, once a month, alternately, in our respective homes. Then, in 1996, the newly built Plateau Fire Station welcomed us until the opening of the Plateau Primary School (Atmosphère/Gravité), where the Community Center was integrated.
We look forward to seeing you in large numbers on March 24th to enjoy some maple treats!
Best regards,
Marc Jacques Girard
Co-founder president of the ARP