Maple syrup season has long marked the arrival of spring in Canada, but its origins trace back to the deep knowledge, traditions and land‑based teachings of Indigenous Peoples. This year, Credit Valley Conservation (CVC) is honoured to strengthen that connection by hosting special ancestral storytelling sessions with Grandmother Kim Wheatley during their Maple Syrup in the Park event. On March 22, visitors can experience these teachings firsthand at Terra Cotta Conservation Area in Halton Hills, with sessions at 1:30 and 3:30 p.m.
“We are grateful to welcome Grandmother Kim Wheatley back for a second year at Maple Syrup in the Park,” said Jesse DeJager, Director, Parks, Lands and Community Engagement at CVC. “Her storytelling and songs share traditional Anishinaabe teachings that remind us of our responsibility to the land. This is a meaningful opportunity for visitors to learn from her wisdom and deepen their understanding of Indigenous traditions.”
Anishinaabe Traditional Grandmother Kim Wheatley is Ojibway, Potawatomi and Caribbean in ancestry. She is a band member of Shawanaga First Nation located on the shores of Georgian Bay in Robinson Huron Treaty Territories and is part of the Turtle Clan. She carries the spirit name “Head or Leader of the Fireflower” and has worked for three decades with Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities across Canada.
Fireside Chats will also be offered daily at Maple Syrup in the Park. Visitors can see a traditionally built sweat lodge (Madoodiswan) and learn how Indigenous Peoples honour Mother Earth by incorporating that sacred connection into healing. Teachings will be offered by a traditional helper (Oshkabewis) while a fire keeper shares stories and songs that speak to the sacredness of nature, responsibility to the land, caretaking of the animals and being in balance with all our relations around us.
Maple Syrup in the Park also provides a variety of family activities that celebrate maple season including:
- Wagon rides to the sugarbush and children’s entertainment
- Trackless train rides for the whole family
- Five educational stations with historical and modern demonstrations of how sap turns to syrup
- A mystery challenge to find out which of Terra Cotta’s woodland animals has been sipping all the sap in the Maple Hills Sugarbush
- Blacksmith demonstrations of how iron tools were hand-made
- A maple-themed storybook walk and giant games
- Pancake breakfast offered at the Pancake House, warm maple taffy and more
For more information about CVC’s Maple Syrup in the Park and to get tickets, visit cvc.ca/MapleSyrup. The Indigenous teachings and ancestral storytelling sessions are included with your admission to the event.
Maple syrup events are an annual tradition at Credit Valley Parks, drawing visitors from across the greater Toronto area (GTA). Through these activities, CVC helps visitors understand, enjoy and appreciate nature.
Photo:
Caption: Anishinaabe Traditional Grandmother Kim Wheatley will offer ancestral storytelling at the outdoor Amphitheatre at Terra Cotta Conservation Area during Maple Syrup in the Park, Sunday March 22, 2026.
Link: https://files.cvc.ca/cvc/uploads/2025/02/kim-wheatley-headshot-2024-1.jpg
About Credit Valley Conservation
Credit Valley Conservation (CVC) is a local conservation authority established by the Ontario government in 1954 to protect, restore and enhance the natural environment of the Credit River Watershed. Our watershed is defined by the area of land where all rainfall, snowmelt and runoff drains into lands and waters flowing into the Credit River. CVC creates connections between people and nature, knowledge and action. We inspire a deep appreciation for the role of nature in keeping people connected, healthy and happy. CVC is a member of Conservation Ontario.
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Media Contact
Jamie Williams
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Credit Valley Conservation
905-431-5772
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