Indulge Your Sweet Tooth With The St-Germains
*This business has closed. The Outaouais Tourism’s team would like to thank Véronique Lortie-Bourgeois and Karl St-Germain as well as the Érablière St-Germain’s team. Thanks to their passion and their implication, the Érablière St-Germain has greatly contributed to make the Outaouais region shine.
A passion for maple: that’s what prompted Véronique Lortie-Bourgeois and Karl St-Germain, co-owners of the Érablière St-Germain, to purchase their 86-acre sugar bush in L’Ange-Gardien. The moment they saw the property for sale, it was a “GO”! It’s hard to resist when you have a sweet tooth and an entrepreneurial streak.
The Sugar Shack, A True Living Environment
But what’s the secret ingredient behind Véronique and Karl’s sugar shack? Maple sap? No!
First and foremost, says Véronique, it’s the couple’s commitment to customer service and hospitality that defines their sugar shack. After 10 years of operating a small sugar shack at their home, they decided to develop it into a larger enterprise.
But what motivated the decision to expand their operations? “It was seeing the sparkle in people’s eyes: we wanted to recreate that and share it with as many people as possible,” says Veronique. “Instead of welcoming 5 to 10 people at a time, we’ll be able to accommodate 240, and we’ll be happy to host so many people because that’s what we love to do!”
The pleasure is shared by their three children, who help out with the business—and treat themselves to a little maple taffy every now and then. “Our children embarked on the adventure right along with us, because even though they’re still young, we discussed it with them,” says Véronique. “You’ll see them helping out with the business as much as playing around the sugar shack, because it’s truly become their living environment.”
The Magic of Maple
One of the missions the St-Germain family has set itself is to encourage people to experience maple in new ways. There are a thousand and one ways to discover maple, through different products and in different seasons.
“You’ll see many things evolve over the seasons and over the years at the Érablière St-Germain. We don’t just want to collect maple sap, we want to transform it into different products, products you won’t find elsewhere.”
One thing is certain: “Maple is a magical resource that delivers a very special product,” concludes Véronique.
Maple lovers, the call has been launched!
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