Category: Events

Saturday 10 am to 3 pm

20 Church Street South

What do you know about Sunderland’s past?

Take the Quiz: The Sunderland & District Historical Society is running a contest providing you with an opportunity to show your knowledge of the village’s history. Anytime between March 1st and May 22nd, try our “Village History Quiz”. Prizes of $50, $30 & $20 will be awarded to the three entrants registering the highest scores. To access and complete the quiz go to https://forms.gle/1mzdxeDZE8oo5qs49

The contest is open to everyone – children through seniors. Just one entry per person! Ties will be resolved by lottery.

Winners will be announced on Canada Day.

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Our Society offers several resources to help you to learn more about the history of our village.

A visit to our website at www.sunmus.ca offers archives of articles and resources about our history. You might take our virtual tour (go to: https://youtu.be/VGdxOCo3nzA) of the village that offers considerable information about Sunderland’s businesses and homes. For those who prefer physical activity, you can follow our guided walking tour. QR codes have been posted at several locations around the village’s downtown. Geographic coordinates that will help you locate these QR postings are provided in the chart below. Using your phone (data plan required), you can read the codes to access brief histories of each location.

1	Museum	44.26338, -79.06848	N 44°15.803 W 79°4.109
2	St. Andrews	44.26304, -79.06831	N 44°15.782 W 79°4.099
3	Town Hall	44.26243, -79.06831	N 44°15.746 W 79°4.109
4	Old Fire Hall	44.26286, -79.06805	N 44°15.772W 79°4.083
5	Dr. Olivers	44.26239, -79.06862	N 44°15.743 W 79°4.117
6	St Marys	44.26238, -79.06877	N 44°15.743 W 79°4.126
7	Blacksmith Shop	44.26226, -79.06885	N 44°15.736 W 79°4.131
8	Nippissing Hotel	44.26237, -79.06826	N 44°15.742 W 79°4.096
9	Oldfield Store	44.26246, -79.06778	N 44°15.748 W 79°4.067
10	Anderson Drugs	44.26248, -79.06760	N 44°15.749 W 79°4.056
11	Pharmacy	44.26252, -79.06750	N 44°15.751 W 79°4.050
12	Freshmart	44.26257, -79.06720	N 44°15.754 W 79°4.032
13	Legion	44.26270, -79.06754	N 44°15.762W 79°4.016
14	MagicDoor	44.26273, -79.06730	N 44°15.764W 79°4.038
15	Home Hardware	44.26279, -79.06694	N 44°15.767 W 79°4.016
16	Brock House	44.26238, -79.066475	N 44°15.743 W 79°4.126
17	CIBC	44.262960, -79.066160	N 44°15.778 W 79°3.970
18	McDermott Block	44.262760, -79.066170	N 44°15.766 W 79°3.970
19	Masonic Hall	44.262419, -79.066150	N 44°15.745 W 79°3.969
20	Taylor Store	44.262680, -79.066420	N 44°15.761W 79°3.985
21	Home Bank	44.262761, -79.066690	N 44°15.766 W 79°4.001
22	Beall Block	44.262620, -79.066850	N 44°15.757W 79°4.011

If you are still having trouble getting an answer, you might resort to Jack Gordon’s book, The Green Pastures of Brock.

Welcome to the new age in Petting Zoos, where the world’s animals come together in an interactive and educational environment. The young and the young at heart will enjoy petting, feeding & learning about the animals that most have only read about or seen on TV.

Watch the children’s faces light up as they ride a live pony for the first time. Don’t forget your camera as you will want to keep this proud moment for all to see.

The Tiger Paw Exotics petting zoo and pony rides are located beside the arena. While the petting zoo is free, pony rides are $5 per ride.

• Bath Tub Poster 2025
• Bathtub Race Rules and Details 2025
• Bathtub Race Team Registration Form 2025
• Bathtub Race Waiver and Consent Form 2025

Centre of town at High Noon Brock Rugby has decided this year to have bath tub races so Clean up your Act and join in the fun. Make that bath tub real pretty, dress up with a wild imagination and win BEST DRESSED

David Croxall davidcroxall@yahoo.ca

Saturday 10:30
by Roadside Country Diner

$5 entry fee. 20 contestants maximum.

The winner receives a ribbon and a year’s worth of bragging rights.

Rules:

• There is a separate category for kids
• Contestants must not touch PANCAKES until the start signal
• Must consume entire stack of pancakes to be counted
• 5 contestants at a time will be given a stack of pancakes
• First to finish their stack wins that round
• Visible signs of sickness will result in disqualification
• The first round winners then will have a final round to pick the winner.

Entry Fee: $5:00 per person

All Contestants Enter at their OWN RISK

Registration for this event no later than Saturday at 10:00 in front of the Roadside Country Diner to receive final instructions.

We look forward to seeing you and GOOD LUCK TO ALL!

Pancake Eating Contest 2022 Poster

2019 Photos – Pizza and Pancake Eating Contests

2018 Photos

Our Pancake Eating Contest winners, George (Kids Division) and Cole (Adults Division)! All of our participants did great!

2017 Photos

2025 marks the 28th year that Harlaine Maple Products has welcomed visitors to its sugar shack as part of the Sunderland Maple Syrup Festival. Hundreds of people have visited their farm on Concession 1 south of Sunderland to see how an old-fashioned product is made using the latest in modern technology.

www.HarlaineMaple.ca

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Douglas and Gloria Harder purchased the farm in 1954 from Vince Beaton (sons Jack and Jim) who had previously boiled sap at this maple bush, since 1933. Douglas started boiling at his parents maple bush when he was in his early teens, and continued on after purchasing the property. At age 87, Douglas passed away in 2004.

Paul and his Dad tapped around 500 to 600 taps in the 1970’s, all with buckets. In 1984, they put in the first pipeline with approximately 150 taps. The next year, the whole bush was on pipeline. They always had a used evaporator, approximately, 4×8, and boiled in the bush with no hydro until 1991, when a new building was built near the house. Now there is water and hydro for late night boiling. The building includes an evaporation room, a store, a kitchen and a small bottling room. Once this building was erected, we were able to expand and now have approximately 2,500 taps.

In 2011, we finally purchased a new Lapierre Force 5 evaporator. It’s all stainless steel and very efficient. We still fire it with wood, and it can process approximately 250 gallons of sap an hour. On a good year, with many cold nights and warm sunny days, we can make approximately 1700 liters of maple syrup. We also make maple butter and maple sugar candy, for sale along with the popular maple syrup. During the festival years, we have seen over 4,000 people come out to the bush to watch the syrup being made. We have had people involved for the last 18 years of the festival, hosting bush tours, demonstrating maple syrup production, boiling sap in a large kettle as the pioneers did, and showing how the native people boiled sap using a hollowed out log and hot stones from the fire.

Harlaine Maple Products store is open during the festival, plus we have a booth on the main street of Sunderland. In 2012, we hosted the first tapping for the Kawartha Haliburton Maple Syrup Association. We are also members of the Ontario Maple Syrup Producers Association.

Harlaine Maple Products have toured the world and we are proud to be able to produce pure maple syrup: A Canadian tradition. As for recipes, we always enjoy fresh maple syrup on Old Fashioned Johnny Cake, maple syrup pie, maple butter tarts and maple apple crisp. Maple Syrup is also excellent on fruit and with carrots, squash and turnip.

REMINDER: Get your bus tickets for a tour of Harlaine Maple Products at Sunderland Public School during the Sunderland Maple Syrup Festival!

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Over twelve years ago, the Friends of the Sunderland Library began a series of fundraising initiatives to help support the local Sunderland Library Branch. Our earliest endeavors included activities such as raffles at the Fall Fair and garage sales on long weekends but ultimately the Book Sale was seen as our greatest success. That sale has now become our main fund raising activity. During the Maple Syrup Festival each year, the FOSLs hold a book sale at the library site on Saturday and Sunday. We have incredible support from a small group and we are very fortunate to have the assistance of local authors and individuals who are active in the book business. Community members also are a major source of books we sell in support of the library. All funds collected, by donation only, are used to support local library activities. Those include both youth and adult programmes , visiting authors, DVDs/ e-Books, receipt machines, magazine subscriptions, and books purchased from local independent book stores. Our most ambitious purchases to date have been the public Wifi system, book shelves, Dungeons & Dragons resources, and musical instruments. Recently, we provided almost half of the funds for a 3D printer.

• Leave Sunderland School Yard
• Head south on Albert St. to the old Police Station.
• Presentation on Piggyland by commentator
• Visitors have a guide with some pictures
• Head south on 7/12 and turn at left at the Blackwater Store
• Commentator talks about the Blackwater Junction Railroad Station. Riders have pictures in guide book
• Go north up Blackwater Rd. to the 4^th of Brock and turn right. Head east to sideroad 18 and turn south to the Pinedale Church. Guidebook has pictures
• Go south to Layton Corners and turn right. Go west to the Wick School or Wick Church. Time here depends on amount of time left
• Head back to Sunderland

Time 45 minutes to 1 hour