Maple syrup producers gather near Moose Creek to discuss storm recoveries, deforestation

Nov 29, 2023

MOOSE CREEK — Some SDG maple tappers will try making up for the loss of sap-producing trees north of Highway 417 damaged by the May 2022 derecho.

“Some of our neighbours are extending (their sap-gathering tubes),” said Anne Zoeller, operator of Zoeller Maple Products/Glengarry Maple Sugar Shack.

She said adding trees to the production isn’t readily possible, however, as an individual tree must be of a certain age. She personally won’t be adding trees, but rather working to overcome additional damage her woodlot suffered during an ice storm last winter.

While more sap production may be possible, Zoeller said she wasn’t sure if expansion plans were a direct correlation to the derecho, which was a topic at Saturday’s Ontario Maple Syrup Producers’ Association – Eastern Local (OMSPA) annual meeting/seminar.

The need for government assistance to help syrup operators recover from the derecho was widely accessed, South Nation Conservation CAO Carl Bikerdyke told OMSPA members and expert presenters at Sand Road Maple Farm in North Stormont.

Click here to see more...

Video: Finding a Balance of Innovation and Regulation - Dr. Peter Facchini

Regulations help markets and industry exist on level playing fields, keeping consumers safe and innovation from going too far. However, incredibly strict regulations can stunt innovation and cause entire industries to wither away. Dr. Peter James Facchini brings his perspective on how existing regulations have slowed the advancement of medical developments within Canada. Given the international concern of opium poppy’s illicit potential, Health Canada must abide by this global policy. But with modern technology pushing the development of many pharmaceuticals to being grown via fermentation, is it time to reconsider the rules?

Dr. Peter James Facchini leads research into the metabolic biochemistry in opium poppy at the University of Calgary. For more than 30 years, his work has contributed to the increased availability of benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthetic genes to assist in the creation of morphine for pharmaceutical use. Dr. Facchini completed his B.Sc. and Ph.D. in Biological Sciences at the University of Toronto before completing Postdoctoral Fellowships in Biochemistry at the University of Kentucky in 1992 & Université de Montréal in 1995.