The courage of our forebears is often mentioned, but their optimism should be noted, as well. They left a familiar place, to settle in unknown territory, absolutely convinced that all would go better.

In 1877, Odilon Millette, his wife and their twelve children, left Saint-Jérôme to settle north of La Repousse mountain, later Saint-Faustin (and now Mont-Blanc). Their daily life was very busy. They had to clear land, cut wood, build a house, raise animals, farm the earth – all this with the goal of being sheltered, feeding the family…in other words, living.

In 1922, Odilon junior and his wife Amanda Doré took over and became the owners of the land located in the heart of the village of Saint-Faustin. This land was mainly a maple forest and until then, it had been the family that enjoyed the maple products. But Odilon Jr. dreamed of the day when his family would exploit the commercial potential of the maple bush.

In 1945, he sold the land to his son Gérard who settled there with his wife Jacqueline Levert and their six children: Gilles, Louise, Luc, Monique, Michel and Benoît.

It was not until 1955 that Gérard organized his first outdoor party for a group of snowshoers from Sainte-Agathe who came to satisfy their sweet tooth.

The experience was positive and in 1957, Gérard and his wife Jacqueline decided to build a sugar shack on Hwy 11, where there was neither running water or toilets. Nonetheless, they decided that every member of the family would take part in the work. They left their home and settled in the cabin during the sugaring-off period.

Luc Millette has only good memories of this first experience, but for his parents, it was absolutely necessary that there be a water pipe to the cabin. They asked the municipality, which responded that for just one taxpayer, the cost was disproportionate. As a result, Gérard gave a piece of land to Gérard Ouimet of Sainte-Rose on condition that he build a house immediately. He did so, and the sugar shack was connected to the water main.

As a result, when the family settled in for their second sugar season, life was more pleasant. Gérard was completely determined that running the sugar shack would be a family affair. Taking turns, the children collected the maple sap, worked at reception, provided table service, washed the dishes and did the cleaning.

From my perspective, this sugar bush was an integral part of the Saint-Faustin landscape. We knew the Millettes well and, like my parents, they worked hard serving the tourist customers.

As the seasons passed, Gérard noticed that the market was evolving: the expectations of the tourists – whose numbers were increasing – were becoming clearer, but the Millettes were able to adapt.

In 1979, Gérard and Jacqueline suggested to their children that they buy the business. Monique, Luc and Benoît answered the call and the three new owners decided to take training at the Institut du tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec. Each would have their own specialty: Monique would manage the kitchen; Benoît, the staff; and Luc, the bar and customer service. The Millette sugar shack thus became “the place to go” to celebrate the arrival of spring and to enjoy maple products.

With the support of Tourisme Laurentides, the Millette family developed the off-season market in Québec, and also internationally. When an Asian clientele developed in the Laurentians, they created a menu in Japanese. They offered a guided tour of the sugar bush which included a reproduction of the first log cabin of their ancestor Odilon. They became so famous that in 2002, they hosted representatives of the G8. They also won many awards for tourism.

But times change and the aspirations of the new generation are not always those of the generation that preceded them. Gérard, for his part, stated that he no longer wished to be around if the business was sold out of the family. A sales agreement was signed on March 15, 2013, and Gérard died the following night. Since 2013, a lot of water has flowed under the bridge and the property ended up being sold to a developer.

On July 13, 2022, the sugar shack was demolished and Luc Millette was present for this final act. Back at his home, he spotted a huge earth mover coming resolutely down the road in his direction. The driver stepped down and said to him, pointing to the big shovel, “I thought you’d like to have that.” He was speaking of the “Cabane a sucre” sign which, since the ‘70s, had presented this lifelong business. Luc’s mother Jacqueline had traced out the letters and Luc himself had painted inside the lines.

What a thoughtful act on the driver’s part, and what a wonderful remembrance for Luc to have.

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