There is less than one month until the official start of spring and already many people in the Capital Region are counting down the days.
Many outdoor enthusiasts spent Saturday at the Ottawa Boat and Sportsmen’s Show at the Ernst & Young Centre in South Ottawa.
“We just bought a new property right on the water so we're really excited for the summer to come and all the fun stuff summer brings,” said Coreen Bouchard.
“We have a young family and we'd like to spend more time out on the water enjoying a boat and going all over the local area by the river,” said Andrea MacDonald.
Organizers said the show features more boats than in past years, more than 60 brands of boats are on display and about 150 exhibitors.
Exhibitors feature everything from fishing gear, lifejackets, docks, wakeboards, dirt bikes, kayaks and more.
“It’s a little bit overwhelming but it gives us a lot of options,” said Mark MacDonald.
Maple Syrup production at Stanley’s Olde Maple Lane Farm east of Ottawa is set to get underway in the next few days if the weather holds up.
“We’re going to tap when Mother Nature starts to cooperate,” said Earl Stanley. “We're looking for a +4C, -4C differential and we've got a long-range forecast that's not real warm yet but we'll probably start next week, get things rolling.”
Once production starts, you can experience the whole process from sap to syrup along with sleigh rides and maple taffy at the farm.
The Ottawa Boat and Sportsmen’s show wraps up Sunday at 5 p.m.
With a report from CTV Ottawa’s Katie Griffin
