ONLINE INFORMATION - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- President
- Regional President
This spring was Alain Gauthier's 40 th as a maple producer. That means he has borne full witness to the evolution of the industry but, more importantly, he took part in it, making him one of the great builders of what it is today.
When Alain Gauthier and his brothers started their business in the early 1980s, maple production was obviously not what it is today. He joined the maple movement to improve conditions for producers. But he had no idea that he would find himself in the middle of momentous battles and that he would contribute to the signing of the joint plan.
It's a few kilometres from Chesterville to Saint-Christophe d'Arthabaska, then some 50 kilometres more to Saint-Pierre-Baptiste in the Centre-du-Québec region. This is the path Dany Fortier takes most days as he tends to his maple operation. "Sure, it'd be nice to have it all in one stand, but you don't always get what you want," says Dany, with determination.
Job Titles:
- Regional President
- 2 Nd Vice - President, Montérégie - Est
Job Titles:
- Director
- Director, Promotions and Market Development
Job Titles:
- Regional President
- 4 Th Executive Member, Beauce / See Bio
Job Titles:
- Director
- Director, Marketing
Job Titles:
- General Manager
- Member of the Management Team
- Finances and Marketing
- New Owners
Job Titles:
- President
- Regional President
He heads the Estrie region for its maple syrup producers, but it's by no means his introduction to the way of life. Joël Larrivée is part of the 3 rd generation of his family on their sugar bush at Saint-Adrien-de-Ham. "I was even born during sugaring season," he laughs.
Joël Larrivée speaks of his parents as innovators, one of the first in the region to use tubing and an osmosis unit. "Back then, you couldn't get that kind of equipment here. They bought it in Ontario," he explains. He grew up in the sugar bush. "When I was 14, I helped my dad set up the operation around our home."
Joël Larrivée is not only a full-time maple producer. From 2016 until 2020, he's been president of the Syndicat de Producteurs et productrices acéricoles de l'Estrie. Before that, he was the region's administrator.
"I started by going to meetings for information, especially about the quotas. One thing led to another and I got more and more involved, volunteering as administrator and finally becoming president."
Job Titles:
- Director
- Director, Communications
Job Titles:
- Regional President
- 1 St Vice - President, Bas - Saint - Laurent - Gaspésie
Job Titles:
- Plant Manager
- Warehouse and Inventory Management
Job Titles:
- Regional President
- Vice - President
- 5 Th Executive Member, Côte - Du - Sud / See Bio
Martin has been vice-president of the Côte-du-Sud regional chapter for four years, becoming involved when a fellow producer suggested it. He did so without hesitation. In fact, he was quite happy, seeing the opportunity to understand what decisions were being made and why. "I like being in the discussions and understanding what's going on." Furthermore he's gratified by the feeling that he's making a difference and helping his peers. Humbly he says, "By getting involved, I know I can help producers. The reward is feeling useful!"
Job Titles:
- Director
- Associate Director, Producer and Quotas Service
- Pascale
- Producer and Quota Service
Our dedicated staff has maple in its veins and a mandate to defend the interests of Québec's 13,500 maple producers by applying QMSP's many marketing tools: the joint plan, sales agency, marketing agreements, the Global Strategic Maple Syrup Reserve, and regulations including those governing quotas.
They also provide services to members, help put local maple producers in a position to succeed, and promote Québec maple syrup, notably through the development of new markets.
Québec Maple Syrup Producers (QMSP) as well as Maple from Canada brand is actively involved with communities in the regions of the province, encouraging initiatives that develop modern 21 st Century maple syrup production and products.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Associate Director, IT
Job Titles:
- Deputy General Manager
- Member of the Management Team
Job Titles:
- Coordinator
- Director, Regulations
Job Titles:
- President
- Regional President
Go to the rural municipality of Hérouxville and you will find the maple operation called Parcelles de soleil, roughly translated as "Place in the Sun." It was there, in 1995, that two new graduates of the agriculture school in Saint-Hyacinthe, Éric Bouchard and Isabelle Thiffeault, bought his grandfather's land. Their dream was to keep up the family farming tradition, including 1,000 maple taps. "At the beginning, we wanted to grow vegetables and did that for many years. But, with 6 kids, we decided to go all in on maple production and processing."