Tapping into politics at the sugar bush

It's crunch time in the sugar bush, but as producers pour their energy into syrup season, some are also turning their attention to the federal election bubbling in the background. 

Jamie Fortune is the owner of Fortune Farms, a sprawling sugar bush with about 8,000 taps, just outside of Almonte, Ont.

"Standing back and looking at the state of affairs with the Americans at the moment and the disruption it's causing, it's hard not to feel that it's going to affect our country so I'm kind of thinking about that at that high level," Fortune says as he begins his day on the farm. 

It's the busiest time of year for syrup producers, and Fortune is focused on operations, but he also has a decision to make. 

The 64-year-old says he usually votes Conservative for the local candidate but this time he's undecided.

"I'm really watching how these leaders come together and what they bring forward for our country," he said. 

Fortune Farms is located in the riding of Lanark-Frontenac, formerly Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston.

Conservative Scott Reid has been the area's MP since 2000, tying him with riding neighbour Cheryl Gallant in Algonquin-Renfrew-Pembroke for the longest-serving local MP.

Reid fell just short of 50 per cent of the vote in 2021, winning by about 14,000 votes.

This time around he's running against Liberal Michelle Foxton, and Shane Peters with the People's Party. 

Tariffs and Trump

Like Fortune, volunteers who work on the farm also say this election feels different because of heightened tensions between Canada and the United States. 

"I think Trump stirred the pot and got everyone riled up," said Jeff McNaughton as he bottled fresh maple syrup.

"As a voter I'm very worried about Trump, that's probably my main concern," echoed fellow volunteer Scott "Tiny" McLellan.

While industries across the country keep a close eye on impending tariffs, the Fortune family is lucky because they sell the majority of their product in Ontario. 

However, owner Sherry Fortune says there is uncertainty for customers, which could impact their sales. 

"We are a federally licensed facility, so we can ship syrup, but at this time we're not experiencing any difficulties because of it," she said.

"However, our customers also have businesses and incomes and if they are affected by the reduction of their incomes because of tariffs, then that will affect our sales," Fortune added. 

Climate and environment

Sustainability and the future is something the Fortunes prioritize as they rely on a healthy forest to run their operation and have plans to pass on the business to the next generation. 

Jamie Fortune says he sees first hand the impact of climate change on the season. 

"Over time we always thought our average starting day was the 15th of March, well now it's the 9th of March and we've made syrup in February," he said, adding that never happened while his late father Ray Fortune was running the operation. 

He's not sure though if climate policies are the full answer to a global problem. 

"It's always been a concern to me that you're trying to solve this global issue on the backs of Canadians and the carbon tax, yep I get it, I understand the economics, I know what it's for, what is the strategy behind it but it disadvantages us in a global environment where nobody else has to pay the carbon tax on the product," he explained. 

Regardless of your politics, Fortune says the sugar bush is a great place to come and get away from it all. 

"You know we're having a good time and the customers are happy ... it's very positive experience," he said. 

Although, as production continues, Fortune says he'll also take time to pay attention to the campaign trail. 

"I like to learn and I like to read and I like to understand as best I can what the options are. So we're preparing ourselves to make a choice basically, and that's what we're up to, learning as much as we can," he said.