After a fleeting hint of spring in mid-March, the cold has returned to Montreal, and frankly, we need a little warmth. Technically, spring begins on March 20, 2026—the day of the spring equinox. In reality, we’ll have to wait a little longer.
Fortunately, it’s maple syrup season.Maple sap is tapped from the trees as the snow melts all around. It’s boiled, sweetened, and turned into the classic Canadian maple syrup.
L’Érablière Charbonneau
Sugar Season also comes with a heavy dose of nostalgia and the menu that goes with it—and you eat it in an overheated room, sitting on a rough-hewn wooden bench, surrounded by 18 crying cousins and with wet feet. That’s just how it is, and it’s wonderful.
We can relive the best moments of our childhood at Érablière Charbonneau and its traditional sugar shack: pea soup, baked beans, pork cracklings, coleslaw, ham, maple taffy, sugar pie…
All the classics are here, and above all, the setting is perfectly nostalgic. It smells of wood and the fresh air coming in from outside as families enter, their faces reddened by the cold.
L’Érablière opened its doors in 1929 —it was the first commercial sugar shack in Quebec. The warmth of the spirit of sharing, community, and boiling sugar has remained within its walls, and dining there is still just as comforting.
Today, you can also bring the sugar shack atmosphere home with a takeout menu—or have it delivered. To order, email or call: info@erablierecharbonneau.com / 450-347-9090.
Practical Information
Where? 45 Chemin du Sous-Bois, Mont Saint-Grégoire (just under an hour’s drive from downtown Montreal)
When? Maple Syrup Season at Érablière Charbonneau—February 21 to May 1, 2026
Monday / 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Tuesday / 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Wednesday / 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Thursday / 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Friday / 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Saturday / 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Sunday / 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
How? To make a reservation and for more information, click here!
Adults 16 and older / $46.95
Children 13–15 years old / $30.95
Children ages 6–12 / $20.50
Child 3–5 years old / $16.50
Children 0–2 years old / Free
