Maple Syrup Festival - March!

 

 

 

Bronte Creek Provincial Park’s

 

Maple Syrup Festival Identified as Top 100 Festivals in Ontario

 

Fresh Ontario maple syrup has been the focus of Bronte Creek Provincial Park’s Annual Maple Syrup Festival since 1998.

 

“We specialize in the Late Victorian Era, so visitors get a sense of early farming heritage and how important maple syrup and sugar was to our early settlers.  Our tour guides dress in period correct attire, which set us apart from other maple festivals.”  Say Festival Coordinator Andrew Cirtwill.  “It is very exciting that we have been recognized as one of the top Festivals in all of Ontario.”

 

The maple syrup festivities are open to the public from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. every weekend in March and from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. daily through March Break (March 11-15th).  School field trips are offered during the week, where students can learn first-hand how maple syrup is made.

 

Hop on a wagon that will take you to a heated pancake house where you can enjoy fresh, hot pancakes with pure maple syrup and sausages, served up throughout the festival hours.

 

Enjoy a guided tour of the Maple Lane, where 1890s costumed interpreters demonstrate how to tap maple trees, make maple syrup and maple sugar.  View artifacts in the maple museum or tour the 100-year-old Spruce Lane Farmhouse.   Be sure to browse through the maple products and souvenirs available in the Maple Gift Shoppe and pick up a bottle of syrup to take home.

 

Daily Vehicle Permits are $16.00/ vehicle or $53.75/ bus. For more information or to book your school field trip, call 905-827-6911 or visit www.BronteCreek.org.

 

 Extra charges apply for meals: Pancake meals include hot, fresh pancakes with pure maple syrup, crisp bacon or sausage, and a drink. 

 

The Maple Syrup Festival takes place in the Day-use area of Bronte Creek Provincial Park.  It’s just north of the QEW on Burloak Drive, between Oakville and Burlington (Exit 109).   

 

 

Bronte Creek Provincial Park is NOW Hiring students for Maple Syrup Festival

Student Jobs

 

 

 

Now Hiring at

Bronte Creek Provincial Park

 

Jobs:

1. Festival Interpreter (19 positions)

-  lead guided walks, staff heritage house, greet visitors, staff candy shanty and Taffy areas.

 

2. Pancake House Servers (3 positions)

- Help serve and prepare pancake meals for visitors.  Keep pancake house clean.  Provide customer service information about park and area.

 

 

Students should be available to work Feb. 23, 2013

 

each weekend in March + the week of March break (11-15).

 

Interested students should send/ drop off their resume and cover letter to the park before Feb. 8, 2013

e-mail sheila.wiebe@ontario.ca

fax 905-827-8706

 

Bronte Creek Provincial Park

1219 Burloak Drive

Oakville, Ontario

L6M 4J7

 

Refer to www.brontecreek.org for more information on the Festival

 

Please call 905-827-6911

 

Valentines themed evening program Planned for Feb. 9

Love Gone Wild @ Bronte Creek Provincial Park

 

Special Program --- intended for an ADULT audience

 

Guided hike/program February 9, 2013 … just in time for Valentine’s Day.

 

BONUS: Outdoor skating rink and park store will be open – share a funnel cake and enjoy a skate!

 

Program will have adult content – we wouldn’t have to find the PG words for… well… You know.

 

Program starts at 7pm sharp at the park store, next to the ice rink by lot D or lot C.  You’ll have a chance to skate before or after the program.

 

Dress for the weather (snow boots, hat and mitts--- warm coat). 

 

Price is just entry fee to park… not registration required. ($16.00/ car)

 

NO dogs please.

 

Adult audience?  Does that mean that Ontario Parks has lost its innocence? Would you believe that we are not the only creatures who get amorous in the month of February?  Call it February blahs or just keeping warm, but we are not the only creatures using wooing to pass the time or... giving in to nature.

 

Bronte Creek Provincial Park has become an island of green in an urban setting, home to many animals that might also call your backyard home.   Bronte Creek was established in the early 1970’s when the surrounding landscape didn’t really look that much different than the park land.  More than every Bronte Creek Provincial Park has become vital to the survival of local wild animals.

 

During this program we will be discussing the secret lives of the more common animals... and the interesting stuff that happens sometimes at night and sometimes right in front of us!

 

Have you ever watched 2 damselflies? Those bright blue or red dragonfly-like insects?  Yeah... when they are flying around attached together... they are not saving energy!

 

Have you watched as the squirrel chase one another up and down the tree truck?  Remind you of anyone?  Or watched our peacock presents his grand display of tail feathers to just about anyone who will pay attention?

 

Funny how wild animal and human courtship has similarities.  Find out how animals use dance, scent and calls to woo a mate.

 

www.OntarioPark.com

www.BronteCreek.org

905-827-6911

 

 

A howl'n good time at Bronte Creek this New Years

Bronte Creek

New Years Eve Family Skate

Rink hours 9:30am - 9:30pm --- Park CLOSES at 10pm

Public Coyote Howl Hikes
6:00, 6:30, 7:00 and 7:30pm

Meet a park ranger by the bonfire pit, near the skating rink,
at one of the designated start times. As we walk through
the forest we will dispel the myths and misunderstanding
that surround the coyote. During the hike we will howl
in hopes of getting a response from the resident pack.

Kids Countdown
8:30pm
Gather by the bonfire for a countdown BRONTE style.

905-827-6911
www.BronteCreek.org

Daily Vehicle Permits apply
Park Store Open ‘til 9:30pm
Skate Rentals available.

New Years Eve @brontecreek

Merry Christmas and a Joyous New Year.

 

See you on Dec 31 for a Bronte Creek Tradition --- 12 years and going strong.

 

Sheila.

Homestead Christmas Dec 19, 20, 21, 22 and 23, 2012

Homestead Christmas @brontecreekprovincialpark

 NO RESERVATIONS required!

December 19, 20, 21, (5pm - 9pm) 22, 23 (10am-4pm)

$16.00 park access per vehicle or seasons pass to Ontario Parks. (annual or Winter).

You get:

• Gift shop and refreshment stand @ Homestead Headquarters
• Wagon Ride to activity house
• Traditional activities - checkers, ring toss, bean bag toss etc.
• Tours of holiday decorated Victorian Home
• Cookies and apple cider ($2.00)
• Reindeer Barn --- Sleigh makes a great photo opportunity -- reindeer are usually away practicing take offs and landings.  Getting ready for their big night. (wink, wink)
• Animal barns - pigs, heritage turkeys and cows.
• Then there is the Santa Experience: ($5.00 per person)

• whole family can dress in Victorian Costume
• Private Family visit with Santa
• Candy Cane
• 10+ images of visit saved on USB stick
• an now that the Outdoor ice rink is open -- return to Homestead Headquarters for Funnel Cake and hot chocolate before you skate on the rink!
• we have skate rentals if you don't have skates
• heated change rooms with lockers
• plus the playbarn is open daily 9-3.

Plan to spend between 1.5 hours - 4 hours at the park.

If you have little ones --- bring a stroller/ wagon or backpack carrier.

More information is available at www.brontecreek.org --- 905-827-6911

NEW parking arrangements for winter

Park Visitor Cooperation Sought

In an effort to save winter operating dollars Bronte Creek Provincial Park staff will be closing 2 out of the 4 parking lots for the winter season. Effective December 1 through March 2 park visitors will need to park in Lot A or Lot C.

Parking lot C will become the main parking lot for winter facility access.  It is centrally located to access the Children's Farm and Outdoor Skating Rink and Park Store.  Parking lot A and C can hold approximately 300 cars each.  That's 600 cars or 1900 people.

The park can see upwards of 800 cars on an average weekend in the summer time, in the winter we are luck if we see 100 cars per day.

Parking lots D and F will be closed and a portion of the access road will be blocked starting December 1, 2012.  Dog Walkers will still be able to access the parking area for the leash free area and the Disc Golf players will have a short walk to the first tee.

Park Visitors who have traditionally used Parking Lot F will need to adjust their route for the winter.  Washrooms will continue to be available at the Children's Farm, Spruce Lane Farm (and the recreation complex during rink operations).

The closures will also mean that the park can open up sooner on snowy days as there will be less roads and areas to clear.  It will also make closing the park at night more efficient.

We sincerely hope that our park visitors will understand these changes and prepare accordingly.

Park Ranger + staff.