The Maple Grove and Sugar Shack
In 1905, three additional acres of land are purchased along with all the equipment necessary to produce maple syrup, increasing the maple grove by over 750 buckets! A proper sugar shack is built a few years later around 1908 and remains in operation until the farm is sold in 1966.
The sugar factory built in 1918 (to the left); small shed for cooking and eating meals built in 1942 (to the right), 1958. Photography: author unknown. Grey Nuns of Montréal’s Archives, Métairie Saint-Joseph (Nicolet)’s Fonds, L054-N-7-A
The sugar factory, 1954. Photography: author unknown. Grey Nuns of Montréal’s Archives, Métairie Saint-Joseph (Nicolet) Fonds, L054-I-Album 1-page 11. 1st row: Antonia Brisson, René Labonté, Mgr F.X. Letendre, Gaétan Provencher, Philibert Poisson, Maurice Beaudet. 2nd row: M. Félicien Houle (employee), Armand Provencher (employee), Roger Albert
Leaving the cabin to collect the sap, 1940. Photography: author unknown. Grey Nuns of Montréal’s Archives, Métairie Saint-Joseph (Nicolet) Fonds, L054-I- Album 1-page 18A. From left to right: Laurent Lemire, Louis-Georges Dufresne, Roland Dufresne, Adolphe Trottier, Jean Paul Laplante, Raymond Dionne, Wilfrid Gélinas
Washing the boilers at the sugar factory, 1942. Photography: author unknown. Grey Nuns of Montréal’s Archives, Métairie Saint-Joseph (Nicolet) Fonds, L054-I-Album 1-page 18C. From left to right: Ernestine Côté; Jean-Paul Laplante; Diana Beaulieu; Bertha Dubois; Maria Allard; Sister Claire Lauzier, s.g.m.; Jacques-André St-Jean; Roland Pinard; Hermance Allard; Thuribe Tremblay