Bountiful blueberry crop so far this summer in Sudbury
Art Choquette of Sudbury, Ont., known locally as the ‘Blueberry Man,’ has been in the business for four decades.
The local blueberry expert he is bullish on this season’s crop. Choquette said his blueberry stand just off Highway 69 has been open for awhile already this summer with the crop blossoming about two weeks early.
“This is the second time in the history of blueberries -- in 2021 we started on the 21st of June for the first time -- and this is the second time we started on the 28th of June,” he said.
“I think it must have something to do with climate change, I would say.”
With little snow this past winter, Choquette said he was worried about this year’s crop, but he said the wet spring saved it.
“The spring turned out better than we figured because we need a lot of snow for the blueberries and we didn’t get it,” he said.
“But we got lots of rain and I think that’s what saved our bacon."
Choquette has several pickers out in the bush and said so far, this year’s crop is bountiful.
“Pickers are saying the crop is good,” he said.
“Besides that, the bears are out there. They are having their feed, too, so you gotta’ watch out for mama bear. She is still around with her cubs.”
Choquette said if the weather for the next little while brings a good balance of rain and sunshine, the blueberry season could last until the end of August.
o Download our app to get local alerts on your device
o Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
“Our crop is looking promising,” he said.
“A lot of people don’t understand that we do have two crops of blueberries in Sudbury. We are in the first one and then we will be in the second one … probably the first week of August we will be getting into the second crop.”
Choquette said the going rate for wild blueberries this season is $15 a litre.
His stand, at the corner of Highway 69 and South Lane Road, is open from 6 a.m. until 2 p.m., seven days a week.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Canada advances to women's soccer quarterfinals after defeating Colombia 1-0
Canada's women's soccer team has advanced to the quarterfinals after defeating Colombia 1-0 in a do-or-die match at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Father and son facing terror charges were planning 'serious violent attack in Toronto': RCMP
RCMP say a father and son who were arrested in Richmond Hill on terrorism charges last week were 'in the advanced stages of planning a serious violent attack in Toronto.'
Secret dresser compartment discovered in Calgary drug trafficking investigation
Calgary police say the discovery of a unique secret compartment in a piece of bedroom furniture was the key to solving a recent drug trafficking investigation.
Donald Trump questions Kamala Harris' race as he appears at gathering of Black journalists
Donald Trump falsely suggested Kamala Harris had misled voters about her race as the former president appeared before the National Association of Black Journalists in Chicago Wednesday in an interview that quickly turned hostile.
Changes are coming to mortgage rules. Will they help you afford a new home?
New mortgage rules from the federal government taking effect Thursday won't 'move the needle,' according to some experts in the housing industry.
How a cross-border conspiracy to smuggle drugs into B.C. on a Jet Ski unravelled
A 67-year-old man who planned to use a Jet Ski to smuggle more than 180 kilograms of fentanyl and methamphetamine into Canada was convicted in a Seattle courtroom Friday, after beachcombers found the drugs stashed in several duffel bags along the Washington state coastline.
WATCH 'What the heck is happening?': Video shows huge swarm of dragonflies invading Rhode Island beach
Beachgoers couldn't believe their eyes when thousands of dragonflies swarmed a beach in Rhode Island over the weekend.
Cinnamon recall and warnings south of the border prompt monitoring in Canada
In the wake of U.S. warnings about ground cinnamon products, Canada says it is monitoring the situation and doesn't believe any products are affected in the country.
Montreal swimmer Ilya Kharun wins bronze in men's 200m butterfly
Swimmer Ilya Kharun has won a bronze medal for Canada in the men's 200-metre butterfly on Wednesday at the Olympic Games in Paris.