Tucked away off Metler Road in Pelham stands a tree that was already old when Canada became a country. The Comfort Maple is widely believed to be the oldest and finest sugar maple in Canada.
The numbers
In 1975, forestry experts estimated the Comfort Maple's age at 400 to 500 years. It stands about 24 metres tall, and its trunk measures about 6 metres around.
A family's tree
The Comfort Maple takes its name from the Comfort family, who bought the land in 1816. Today it's protected in the small Comfort Maple Conservation Area, cared for by the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority. In June 2000 it was designated a heritage tree under the Ontario Heritage Act.
Visit this fall
There's no better season to see a sugar maple than autumn, when the leaves turn gold and red. The Comfort Maple Conservation Area is open from sunrise to sunset. Take a moment to stand under its branches and think about everything the Comfort Maple has seen.
Pair the visit with a drive through Pelham's countryside, a stop at a farm market, or lunch in Fonthill.