Beyond the traditional concoction tapped from the sugar maples of the east, a brave new world of syrup is emerging. The west’s Bigleaf maple and birch trees yield sweet elixirs that are showing up in vinaigrettes, mustards and even syrup wine made by local producers. Tap into this secret network.

Backlund’s Backwoods
Ladysmith, B.C.
Last season, the heavy rain and steady temperatures on Vancouver Island that resulted in less sap and less syrup could have left a bitter taste in the mouth of Gary Backlund. But Backlund is an entrepreneur who sees the forest and the trees. He has used his woodlot for B.C. agroforestry demonstrations and hosted dozens of industry presentations about Bigleaf maple syrup, as well as tours and workshops for visitors. Last February, 1,400 people attended the first Bigleaf Maple Syrup Festival at the B.C. Forest Discovery Centre in Duncan. Backlund sold out of syrup and products like honey-maple mustard were also hits.
Tasting notes Strong butterscotch flavour.
Find it Backlund farm (250-381-7565) or the Bigleaf Festival (250-715-1113,
bcforestmuseum.com).

Moose Meadows Farm
Quesnel, B.C.
The mountain pine beetle has damaged livelihoods in Northern B.C.’s Cariboo-Chilcotin region, but the trees felt the hungry insects’ impact most of all. Yet at the height of the beetle epidemic, Heloise Dixon-Warren and her husband, Ted Traer, diversified by tapping into birch syrup. Moose Meadows Farm (2861 Nazko Rd., Quesnel, BC, 250-249-5329, moosemeadowsfarm.ca) was greeted with such enthusiasm that Heloise has literally written the book on birch syrup production in Canada (The Birch Syrup Production Manual).
Tasting notes Bold, lively caramel taste.
Find it Saturna Island General Store (101 Narvaez Bay Rd., Saturna Island, BC, 250-539-2936), Plenty (1034 Fort St., Victoria, 250-380-7654, epicureanpantry.ca).

Thumper Creek Birch Syrup Company
Hay River, N.W.T.
Making syrup in the far North may sound impossible, but Frederick Beaulieu knows what he’s doing. Beaulieu is a Métis elder who, for the last 30 years, has expertly collected what the Dene call k’i tu, or birch water. He takes it back to his community on the shores of Great Slave Lake where he boils down the liquid, which has half the sugar content of the Eastern maple, into a light, caramelly syrup. Beaulieu has made a demonstration DVD to pass on traditional tapping methods to future generations.
Tasting notes Light and less sweet than typical birch syrup.
Find it Call Beaulieu (867-874-4346) and ask really nicely—most of his production doesn’t leave the community.