From traditional rustic wooden cabins to avant-garde culinary experiences, sugar shacks come in many forms. Long wooden tables draped with checkered tablecloths set the stage for a hearty Québécois meal where almost every dish is bathed in maple syrup. Besides serving up delicious food, sugar shacks are a social hub for friends and family – and a favourite for visitors to La Belle province.
Stepping foot in a sugar shack is to immerse in Québécois culinary culture with adventures that extend beyond the meal. Here are some sugar shack experiences that await visitors this spring.
- Sucrerie de la Montagne (Rigaud, Montérégie): Sucrerie de la Montagne stands as a shining example of traditional Canadian maple syrup craftsmanship in Québec’s Montérégie region. From February to April, visitors can witness the art of maple sap harvesting as it was done in yesteryears. This heritage site offers more than a peek into syrup production. A rustic, communal dining experience echoes the traditional sugar season feast, available throughout the year. Adding to the charm are horse-drawn sleigh rides, steered by the farm’s own draft horses, live musical entertainment, maple taffy on snow and cozy cottages for an extended stay.
- Cabane à Pommes (Oka, Laurentians): In picturesque Oka, La Cabane à Pommes stands as a culinary gem on a sprawling four-season agrotourism estate with a century-old apple orchard and an artisanal cider house. This picturesque eatery offers seasonal gourmet dining experiences throughout the year. From March 1 to April 24, visitors can savour the Temps des Sucres menu that features a gourmet twist on traditional sugar-season dishes. Among the highlights are onion soup enriched with maple and Oka cheese, and maple taffy served atop vanilla ice cream. The restaurant also offers a vegetarian sugar-season menu.
- Le Vignoble du Ruisseau (Dunham, Eastern Townships): In the heart of Dunham, the inaugural township established in Québec’s Eastern Townships in 1796, Le Vignoble du Ruisseau is a family-run vineyard, distillery, bistro, and organic maple grove. Enhanced by its iconic red covered bridge, vaulted barrel cellar, forest garden and century barn, the estate provides a picturesque setting year-round. While 2024 sugaring season dates are pending, it typically spans from Feb. 22 to April 30, and features a contemporary sugar shack menu with estate-produced organic maple syrup.
- Cabane à sucre Chez Dany (Trois-Rivières, Mauricie): Located in Trois-Rivières in the scenic Mauricie region, halfway between Montréal and Québec City, Cabane à sucre Chez Dany presents an authentic, rustic sugar shack experience. Open year-round by reservation, this large but cozy, family friendly locale offers a forest-like ambiance despite its in-town setting. Guests enjoy a traditional all-you-can-eat menu, live folk music with dancing, plus maple syrup production demonstrations and maple taffy on snow.
- Cabane Panache (Montréal): Set along the banks of the St. Lawrence River, Montreal’s Verdun neighbourhood is preparing to welcome the 12th edition of Cabane Panache. This family friendly event, running from March 21 to 24, will transform Wellington Street into a winter lumberjack village, celebrating Québec’s rich cultural heritage. This year’s programming is yet to be announced, but visitors can expect decadent, maple-enriched foods, live music, quadrille dancing, wood-splitting demonstrations and a variety of camp-style activities.
