For many families in the province of Québec, sugar time is like an annual pilgrimage. It is a time to revisit the foundations of our heritage and its values, to meet with family and friends eating, singing and dancing to songs and music transmitted from generation to generation. In a way it is a return to our roots reminding us of who we are and what we have been through. It is a cheerful period when on a Sunday afternoon you forget your troubles, appointments, deal signings and phone messages to return.

“Le festival Beauceron de l'Érable” inaugurated in 1990 was the idea of a group of persons acknowledging the fact that they lived in a rural community where maple syrup production was important. Based on the quality of the maple products and wishing to share the tradition associated to all this spring activity, the Festival Beauceron de l'Érable pioneers, Richard Poulin, Denis Pouliot, Lise Giguère, Michel Rancourt and all the original administrators supported by the tourist and maple industries as well as by the hundreds of volunteers created a major tourist event known all over the province. The Board has 11 members from local and regional organizations. A Committee regroups many more persons putting together all the activities.

Including the school groups and the visits to the various retirement houses in the region, over 50 000 people participate yearly in the activities. The program is diversified and includes music, sports, cultural events, fine cuisine, family and school activities featuring maple products. Celebrities invited in the past years include Jean Soulard, chef at the Château Frontenac, Sister Angèle, Julien Letellier and Daniel Lessard of Radio-Canada. Participants age 5 to 95, groups of students, retired people, families and friends enjoy the Festival each year.

For a few years now, ÉRABELLE, the mascot of the Festival, disguised in a colourful maple tree leaf, is the joy of all participants. ÉRABELLE is also the proud representative of the Festival.

Although, the maple industry has its difficulties, this period is a reminder that our region is an important producer and plays a major part in the province of Québec's economy.

The mission of the “Festival Beauceron de l'Érable” is by-fold, show the folk side of this ancestral activity and demonstrate to the general public, the huge contribution this industry now has on exportations, job creation, its energy and the economical benefits it has on all of us by organizing an annual feast on that theme to promote locally and internationally maple products using Beauce's leadership in the production and marketing of this industry.