‘Maple syrup and pancakes are delicious’: Kinsmen Fanshawe Sugar Bush opens for 2026 season

The Kinsmen Fanshawe Sugar Bush is hosting pancake breakfasts and educating people on how maple syrup is made this Family Day weekend. Brent Lale reports.

The pancakes are sizzling and the sausages are golden brown.

It’s opening weekend at the Kinsmen Fanshawe Sugar Bush, just north of London.

“The maple syrup and pancakes are delicious, that’s why we came here,” said Scott Capstick.

Coming for opening day has become a tradition for his family ever since his kids were young.

“Every year we come for my birthday,” said Emma May Capstick, who is turning 12.

“I love the maple syrup and the wagon rides.”

After breakfast it’s time to hop about a horse drawn wagon for a tour of the property.

With money from last year’s 50-50 draw, they were able to upgrade the seats on the wagon from wood to composite.

“We take you back through time,” said Darryl Van Moorsel, president of the Kinsmen Club of Greater London (KCGL). “We start at how the Indigenous made maple syrup, then to move you forward up into the early settlers, more or less modern times and then we literally take you up to the most modern time.”

Managed by the KCGL, the funds raised from breakfast and the 50-50 draw as well as sales of maple products go to help local charities.

“We give the Stephenson Camp that’s just outside of Dorchester,” said Van Moorsel. “We normally give about $15,000 to them each year. Tuna Tuesdays as well as Mission Services at Saint Vincent de Paul, their new building, we donated to that. We also give a lot to cystic fibrosis as well. There is about 7,000 to 8,000 members of Kin Canada from coast to coast. We enjoy what we are doing, but we do need new blood because it takes a lot of work. The benefits are huge because when you give that cheque away for $10,000 it just makes you feel good inside.”

Andrea Root is a recent member to Kin Canada and a volunteer at the Sugar Bush.

“All the money that people are using to pay to get here and for their food, it’s all going back into the community,” said Root. “It is a really nice organization to see the money that you come and spend and enjoy your day goes right back into the community.”

As of opening weekend, these sap buckets remain empty as they’ve yet to tap the trees.

They need temperatures of 5 C during the day and overnight lows below zero.

“Maybe Julie [Atchison, CTV London meteorologist) can do something and have a long conversation with Mother Nature and sit there and see if she can get the forecast, change a little bit,” joked Van Moorsel.

There is no need to worry. Even if they haven’t tapped the trees, there is plenty of maple syrup stockpiled to get through until this year’s batch gets flowing.

No need to worry though. They’ve got lots of maple sirup stockpiled to get through until this year’s batch gets flowing.

After Family Day, the Sugar Bush will be open for four straight weekends starting Feb. 28.

A large group hopping aboard the wagon rides suggest people support the Kinsmen.

“First is the food, it’s really great and we had a nice activity here which is very educational,” said Londoner Chyssa Bubuli.