It will be a busy weekend in St. Pierre. 

Rolly Gagne, President of the St. Pierre Museum, says they will be celebrating French Canadian culture and heritage with the festivities getting underway Saturday morning. 

“We are so darn lucky to have this weekend and the weather is going to cooperate also, so it is going to be beautiful. We have got our Sugaring Off Festival coming up. It is one week sooner because of Easter and that is why we are having it on April first and second.” 

Gagne says the festival is a celebration of St. Pierre and De Salaberry’s French Canadian and Metis heritage. 

“We have different actors playing different roles and then after that we have a lot of great French-Canadian entertainment, Metis entertainment, and then we have our traditional food that you can purchase a la carte. Just come, sit down and enjoy our Manitoba spring that is just around the corner.” 

There will also be plenty of children’s activities, carving, and craftsman demonstrations. 

Normally, Gagne says we would be in the middle or even nearing the end of the maple harvest at this time of year and there would be tapping demonstrations but this year the weather hasn’t cooperated. He notes we need positive temperatures during the day and freezing temperatures at night. 

“That Mother Nature! She is always keeping us on our toes." He adds “what we are expecting is that the harvest will start next week, Easter week and then we are hoping that we will get 10 to 14 solid days of harvest.” 

Not to worry, Gagne says there will still be maple taffy on a stick at the Sugaring Off Festival this coming Saturday and Sunday.