Last weekend marked the seventh year of Tellier's Farm hosting the La Cabane a Sucre Du Norde, or Northern Sugarshack, with hundreds of local residents out to attend the popular traditional French-Canadian festival.
The event, which took place outside despite bleak weather conditions, saw a number of people enjoy the many different attractions provided throughout the day – including musical performances from local talent, horse and sled rides through the beautiful scenery surrounding the farm, as well as the usual maple toffee on snow.
Bonnyville resident Racheal Mercier brought her son Kayden along to the festival, saying she thinks it's a great place for youngsters to have fun.
“This is our first year out and it's great, it's definitely something we'd come to again – every year sounds good to me,” Mercier said. “Kayden seems to be really excited – he's had a lot of fun. He's cold, but he's had fun.”
Kayden said he was enjoying himself at the event, pointing excitedly towards the hot chocolate container when asked what his favourite part of the day had been.
Doug and Treena Kurek say they try and come to the event every year, saying it's a great way to recognize and celebrate French culture.
“We were both born, bred and raised in Bonnyville, so we know how much this sort of thing means to the community,” Doug said. “It celebrates lots of French traditions; from the pea soup to the maple candy,” said Treena.
They said they have two teenage children they've brought every year, with this time being no exception. Doug said he really enjoys the event and wondered whether or not the people that drive past on the highway know there are hundreds of people enjoying themselves so close by.
“This really is a nice little getaway spot, kinda like our little secret,” he said. “But I guess the secret is getting out considering the line up to get in!”
As well as the several locals in attendance, there were some migrant Bonnyville residents from Quebec, where the festivals originated, who came out to see what the event was like.
“This is a really nice tradition from back home, we're having a good time – sure it's a little chilly, but being an oil worker, I can deal with that,” said Daniel Guimont. “This is our first time out to this event, and to be honest this is sort of the same as back home – the food is similar to what they serve back in Quebec, but it's really a nice touch of home, which is really, really cool.”
The festivities have been going on in the Bonnyville area for decades and Mireille Lavoie-Beaupre, the person charged with organizing the sugarshack, said the Tellier's have been wonderful hosts for the event, on their farm west west of town, along Highway 28.
Lavoie-Beaupre says the La Cabane a Sucre Du Norde is really the trademark of French tradition and culture in Canada, and she's happy that she is able to play some part in putting the event on for the people of Bonnyville and Cold Lake.
“This is one of the very few events that is open to Anglophone, Francophone and well, anybody,” Lavoie-Beaupre said. “It's for people that enjoy being outside, enjoy great food, some toffee in the snow, traditional things. It's a major event for the community and French or not anybody can come and have fun.”
There were around 350 people that came out to the event throughout the course of the day, and Lavoie-Beaupre said she's very happy with the numbers considering how bad the weather was.
“It was extremely cold today, so we were thinking we understood why not many people would want to come out, but we're thrilled by how many did actually come,” she said. “And it's great because there are lots of smiling faces and people having fun, which is exactly why we put the sugarshack on.”
