Every summer my parents would pile my siblings and me into the car and we would take a day trip. Unlike most families in our neighbourhood, we didn’t have the means for trips to the Florida, Aruba, or across the Atlantic for an adventure in Europe. So, we would keep it local. 

Our day trips would consist of drives to Wasaga beach, St. Catherines to visit family, or picnics in Niagara-on-the-Lake. The latter would always include a mandatory stop at Maple Leaf Fudge. No other fudge would do. My mother had a sweet-tooth, but it was a picky one, so any fudge that didn’t have the right consistency, and balance of flavour was something  she wasn’t going to spend money on. 

It became a sort of tradition. Even if we were passing by Niagara-on-the-Lake we would have to make the obligatory stop at their picturesque store. Many of my fondest childhood memories were made in the store and vicinity.  

Exploring the shops with my siblings, being sure not to break any of the handmade glass vases, or finding a book in the second hand shop to read during the summer. Holding my little sister’s hand as she waddled to keep up with all of us, and stopping to take a rest on the benches that line the sidewalks. 

And that moment when we finally walked into Maple Leaf Fudge and we got to choose our favourite flavours. Rocky Road for me, plain chocolate for my sister, and brother. Then piling back into the car for the ride home, we would hear the usual refrain “no one is getting anything until ALL seatbelts are on!” Using the plastic knife, she would cut each of us a piece from our favourite, as well as a piece for her and my dad. 

Maple Leaf Fudge first opened in 1978 and is still a family-owned business. They have the one location in Niagara-on-the-Lake and make their fudge fresh daily. Their fudge recipes are top secret and they still make them the “old-fashioned way” in copper kettles, and tempered on marble slabs right in front of the customers. Maple Leaf Fudge has had their share of celebrity visitors including Princess Margaret, Christopher Walken, Donny Osmond, and Prince Phillip. 

They also offer brittle, imported liquorice, maple products, sponge taffy, and speciality candy. 

As we got older the trips to Niagara-on-the-Lake dwindled. There were part-time jobs, pool parties, and other extra-circular activities to attend to. But there is an unspoken rule in our family that we still keep to this day. If anyone is in the area, they have to stop and pick up Maple Leaf Fudge for everyone in the family. 

Maple Leaf Fudge offers curb-side pick-up and you can order online.