Future cloudy for syrup seller vs. “maple mafia”
Christine Generoux is not a fan of over-regulation. The outspoken Byward Market standholder started a petition against the city’s outdoor smoking bylaw in 2012, and spoke out publicly against another bylaw in 2014 that required all food sold in a market stall to be at least 51 per cent pure. When it comes to the so-called “maple mafia” in Quebec though – The Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers (FPAQ) – her feelings are mixed.
The Beauregard et Fils maple and honey stand where she works, which her uncle has operated for 42 years, gets all of its syrup from family friend Gerald Beauregard in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec. Generoux said Beauregard “has the best maple syrup” because Quebec has “a different system in place than Ontario for testing and quality.”
Quebec has a different system than the other two maple-producing provinces – New Brunswick and Nova Scotia – too. Since FPAQ was established there 50 years ago, producers have abided by a collective agreement that started regulating sales strategy in 2002, enforced a quota system in 2004, enforces quality criteria, and maintains a strategic reserve. “That’s why maple syrup production really, really increased in Quebec,” said FPAQ communications officer Caroline Cyr.
According to analysis of Statistics Canada data, maple production has indeed skyrocketed in Quebec while remaining relatively stagnant in the other provinces, accounting for 90 per cent of production in Canada. In the graphs below, the green line marks the formation of FPAQ.
Gallons of Maple Products Produced Since 1924
Value of Maple Products Produced Since 1924
“People call them the maple mafia, but there’s pros and cons to that. Some of the pros would be (the syrup is) heavily regulated and inspected, so you’ll always get a quality product,” said Generoux. “We find Mr. Beauregard always has really good maple syrup, consistently all the time. It’s never burnt, it’s never too watery, it’s always properly graded, it’s never cloudy or crystallized, it’s always good quality.”
After pausing to sell a $1 maple candy to a young girl, Generoux continued with the cons, conceding that under the federation a producer is subject to all their rules and regulations. “I’m not a big fan of over-regulation, but I can see why,” she said, adding that syrup is “an important part of our revenue and our identity.”
For some producers in Quebec though, the FPAQ agreement is cloudy, unlike the syrup Beauregard sends to Generoux. Angele Grenier, who along with her husband, children and grandchildren owns and operates a sugar shack that she inherited from her parents about five hours from Ottawa, said she doesn’t see any benefits from dealing with FPAQ. “It’s good only for someone who doesn’t know any buyers,” she said.
Grenier has been selling to a buyer in New Brunswick because “she gets 100 per cent paid” as opposed to sending it to FPAQ and waiting, which can take years if the syrup in question is put into the strategic reserve. As a result of her rebellion, FPAQ has brought more than $400,500 in lawsuits against her.
“It’s what her maple farm is worth, probably even higher,” said Grenier’s daughter Marilyn. “She cannot settle with the federation with the penalties that she has.”
Grenier has sent her file to the Supreme Court and is currently waiting to see is the court will hear her case. In the meantime, she’s started a GoFundMe campaign to help cover her legal costs.
“She wants her freedom. That’s her fight,” said Marilyn. “When you lose everything that you have for just wanting your freedom, that’s sad.”