Liquid Gold Traditions
By Melanie Rose | Photography Adrienne Callan
A trip to your local sugar shack will surely serve as an education for adults and children alike, about the meaning of hard work, ethics and one of the greatest commodities produced in Canada: maple syrup.
Glenn and Courtney Melton, owners of the Shaw Sugar Shack note that they have some families that have come to their sugar shack for four generations to enjoy what some people call liquid gold, also known as maple syrup.
When walking into the Shaw Sugar Shack, memories are instantly triggered and senses are heightened; there is the smell of wood burning, the misty candy smell and a cozy warm feeling that enters your body, reminding you that a tasty experience awaits.
Taffy at the sugar bush:
They will watch with anticipation as the clear amber liquid pours onto snow and the aroma of maple syrup fills the atmosphere.
The experience was combined with a short lesson and some skillful advice on how to maximize our experience with the taffy. Mrs. Melton assured us that the taffy is great for kids of all ages.
The tradition has lived on for over 50 years. Families from all over Ontario have made the Melton’s Shaw Sugar Bush a family tradition of their own, one that they are guaranteed to delight in for many further generations. If your family needs to be pried apart from technology and you wish to enrich that family bond, bring them to the sugar shack, introduce them to the maple taffy, and soon, technology will be long forgotten. Unless, of course, you are doing selfies.
