How climate change is affecting Ontario maple syrup producers

Maple syrup producers in the national capital region are seeing the effects of climate change, and if those changes continue, there could be long-term effects for the maple syrup landscape in North America.

At Wheelers Maple in Lanark County, they did something this year they've never done before - tap trees in January.

"Traditionally here in Lanark County our maple syrup season starts early to mid-March through to the middle of April," co-owner Mark Wheeler tells CTV News.

Two weeks after tapping, Wheelers was boiling its first batch of syrup on Valentine's Day - again, the earliest the team ever done so. The previous earliest boil was Feb. 20, 2018.

Wheeler credits a mild winter for the record start to the season and notes it's a trend he's seeing become more regular.

"On average, it's been kind of inching earlier."

Maple producers across Ontario are also noting the warming temperatures and the effects of climate change.

"Although it's of concern, I don't think sugaring as we know it is going to be in any type of jeopardy down the road," says Ray Bonenberg, treasurer and head of communications for the Ontario Maple Syrup Producers Association.

The world's only maple belt is situated in North America and is an area that stretches as far north as the tip of Lake Superior, as far south as Tennessee, west to Missouri, and east to Newfoundland.

The sweet spot for soil enrichment to create flavour lays around southwestern Ontario and Pennsylvania.

Bonenberg says just south of that region, effects of climate change are being seen.

"I've seen in some of the southern states and areas in southwestern Ontario that the sugar content was quite low."

"The sap likes it cold, the syrup likes it cold," he explains.

Bonenberg says that the ideal weather for maple syrup is a swing of five degrees during the day and minus five at night.

He adds that producers in Lanark and Renfrew counties could actually benefit from climate change if that ideal weather window were to be pushed north due to rising temperatures.

"I don't see a negative impact on a slight temperature increase over the next 100 to 200 years."

"If we had another degree or two the sap would run really well," adds Wheeler.

The maple syrup producer in Lanark County says the early start hasn't impacted syrup production or flavour negatively at this point, and the result is sticky success.

"Because we've had a fairly mild winter the sap was really, really good right from the start," says Wheeler. "It was very sweet."