A Story of Sweet Traditions Spanning Four Generations

For four generations, our sugar shack has been a gathering place to celebrate feast, and honour the richness of maple. The adventure of Le Relais des Pins began with Ludovic Prémont, our grandfather, who used to cross the river on horseback and invite people to enjoy maple taffy on snow while sharing a traditional meal: pea soup, baked beans, meat pie, boiled potatoes, and pancakes with maple syrup.

Back then, travellers would stop near a tall pine tree nearby to water their horses. Ludovic, who loved chatting with visitors, realized that the family home was becoming too small to host everyone. In the 1960s, he built a dedicated dining hall for sugar shack meals, where groups could enjoy festive evenings filled with music and warm traditions.

As its popularity grew, the first expansion was carried out in 1975 by Jean-Claude, Ludovic’s son. This is when Le Relais des Pins got its name and officially opened its doors to all. Tourists, often arriving by bus tours, joined our loyal clientele, and in the 1990s, a maple products boutique was added to offer sweet souvenirs to take home. Today, even in the summer, you can enjoy our famous maple taffy on snow.

In 2009, Jean-Claude entrusted Le Relais des Pins to his son Jean and to us, his nieces Anne and Julie Lachance. We are proud to continue this family tradition while sharing our passion for maple with visitors from all over the world. In 2020, we even created an educational video translated into six languages to tell our story to curious visitors from afar.

Today, the next generation is taking the reins with Frédéric, Jean’s son, who is learning the secrets of maple to carry on this beautiful tradition. Whether you’re visiting alone or with a group, we invite you to explore our sweet world and taste our recipes that have delighted guests for years.

We look forward to sharing our heritage with you!

Anne and Julie Lachance

Sustainability Policy -2025

Le Relais des Pins is committed to a sustainability policy by implementing various short- and long-term actions aligned with its community and environmental values.

In the current context, the company believes it is essential to take decisive and swift action on certain issues. Le Relais des Pins will henceforth position itself as a reference in eco-responsible culinary tourism. The company also ensures partnerships with suppliers who share similar values.

In the restaurant sector, concrete actions are being implemented, such as limiting water consumption, managing energy usage, reducing and managing waste, including recycling all materials and eventually implementing composting.

At the building level, the use of environmentally friendly (ecological and sustainable) materials is currently being analyzed for the renovation of all our terraces. This work is planned for fall 2025. For this project, we will collaborate with subcontractors from Île d’Orléans (carpentry, excavation, plumbing, electricity, etc.). Additionally, we upgraded our heating and cooling system this summer to prioritize renewable energy (electricity instead of propane).

Furthermore, a community outreach initiative is already in operation and will continue to grow in the coming years. We maintain a partnership with the Île d’Orléans Volunteer Association to redistribute meals and processed products. We also participate in food processing days to prevent waste and ensure that members of our community in need have access to food assistance.

The policy will be reviewed and updated annually by our committee. Additionally, any employee interested in volunteering is welcome to participate. Together, we are all committed to this new direction.