Newcomers taste maple syrup for the first time at Moncton maple sugar camp

MONCTON – A group of 120 newcomers visited Moncton’s maple sugar camp, some tasting maple syrup for the first time.

Moncton’s multicultural association says hosting groups at the camp helps newcomers adjust to life in Canada.

Megan Small works for the Multicultural Association of the Greater Moncton Area and says it’s important for them to take part in traditional Canadian activities.

“These newcomers are very, very new to Canada,” she said. “Some have only been here for like a couple of months so we want to see what is truly Canadian and to get those experiences that we’ve grown up with so hockey games, maple sugar and what’s more Canadian than maple sugar.”

Nomatten Kamanula moved to Moncton with her family about eight months ago to find a better life for her family.

Kamanula said tasting maple syrup was a pretty special moment – tasty too.

“It’s so nice, like eating candy on ice,” she said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "It's so nice, like eating candy on ice," she said.

Paz Hart moved to Canada about three years ago and now works as an instructor at the Association. She also tried taffy for the first time Friday.

“I’m not really doing very well and it’s all over my mittens and all over my gloves but this is my first taffy in Canada,” she said.

“This is one way to know the culture of Canada. These things are very popular with Canadians and this is one way to experience how to be a real Canadian.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "This is one way to know the culture of Canada. These things are very popular with Canadians and this is one way to experience how to be a real Canadian."

Besides tasting maple treats, the visitors also learned about local wildlife and where maple syrup comes from.

Mao Chao Li moved to Moncton about 10 months ago from China and was shocked to hear maple syrup comes from trees.

“From a tree? This is the first time I know that,” he said. “It’s so sweet, it’s good.”

Heather Fraser is the Camp’s sugar maker and designed the learning program. She said many newcomers come from a farming background and want to know where their food comes from.

“To learn how maple syrup works and that it is from certain trees and it’s only a certain season and know that its 100 per cent pure absolutely there’s an interest,” she said.  “I really want people to learn where their food comes from and especially something that’s so unique to us in Moncton and us in New Brunswick.”

Tours run at the camp until the end of the month.