The annual French Canadian classic Cabane á Sucre, was back in action last Sunday, March 6, at the Historical Chappelle Society grounds in the hamlet of Plamondon.
Over 300 attendees came to celebrate the Cabane á Sucre event —or the “sugar shack” when translated to English. The French Canadian tradition originated from Québec but is celebrated widely among many French communities across the country, said Crystal Plamondon, with the Association Canadienne-Française de L'Alberta (L’ACFA) and cultural director for Plamondon and Lac La Biche.
She was pleased with the turnout from the recent celebration, especially considering that the special Francophone event has been cancelled for the last two years due to the COVID pandemic.
“I was delightfully surprised by the turnout. I knew people were coming and I said maybe we’ll be lucky to have 150 but we had just about 300,” she told Lakeland This Week.
Many attendees, from young to old, got to experience the sweet treat that the sugar shack is known for, where individuals got to roll up maple syrup on top of fresh snow. The experience also came along with musical performances from Dominic Plamondon with guests playing the fiddle, which Plamondon says brought back memories that the community has missed for the last two years due to COVID.
“It was a spectacular day, many people got to see what our culture is all about. A lot of people have been here before too and they had heard about the sugar shack, but they didn’t know what it meant…the horses, music, it was a beautiful day. People just wanted to get out, they’re tired of being locked in,” she said.
Something familiar
Cabane á surce was an opportunity to not only celebrate the Francophone community but to kick off the month of March which celebrates Francophone heritage all over the country, but for some residents with Francophone backgrounds who are new to the area it was an opportunity to feel at home, said Plamondon
“There are also people that have moved to the area from Québec or Ontario. They were pretty excited because they saw an advertisement for it in the POST…they moved here and they were like, ‘Wow we haven't seen that for years,’” she said.
With a bonfire, warm beverages, and a classic French lunch of maple chili that ran out quickly with all the guests who showed up, however, she says it will go a long way covering overhead costs for the event, said Plamondon.
"We ran out of food which is good…but not good for some,” she said with a smile.
The event which offered hot beverages, a chili lunch, horse carriage rides, entertainment, family activities and a toboggan party, was all available for a minimal fee for families and individuals. Plamondon said the entry price was a way to cover expenses while keeping it affordable.
Overall, the warmer weather, sugar and the massive crowd were a move in the right direction for the community’s annual events.
In the future, Plamondon says L’ACFA will continue to share and embrace the community’s heritage.
Francophone month events
L’ACFA will be holding multiple events throughout the month from ‘Les Chiclettes’ musical on March 23 in Plamondon and 'Hockey en Fête’—with eight local and out of town hockey teams participating in a weekend-long tournament in Plamondon this weekend from March 18 -20.
For more information on L’ACFAs’ events visit the group’s website or click the link in the digital version of this article at www.lakelandtoday.ca
