Our Story

Stanley’s Olde Maple Lane Farm^TM is a treasured family-owned working farm.

Since we opened the doors in 1993, an abundance of love, devotion and hard work from three generations of Stanley’s have gone into the farm.

Earl Stanley, his daughters & nieces, his siblings Ron, Kathy and Karen & Erik, and parents all help out to make sure your visit to our farm is one to remember!

Over the years a great number of extended family, friends and neighbours have also helped from gathering sap to baking cookies.

Stanley’s wouldn’t be Stanley’s without the love, dedication, hard work (and the occasional hug), and inspiration of the late Joy Stanley.
We miss you so much.

Located just 25 minutes from downtown Ottawa, Stanley’s Olde Maple Lane Farm™ has quickly become the National Capital Region’s premier reception destination for your Wedding, Company Retreat, or other group function.

Our History

Stanley’s Olde Maple Lane Farm has been in business since 1993 however the farm’s history goes back over 200 years! The land that the farm is on was granted to the Loney family in 1786. Over the next 200 years each generation of Loney’s worked hard to build up and farm the land, and every spring they would tap the hundreds of maple trees on the property in order to enjoy the delicious maple syrup that the sap produced!

In 1850, after the originl homestead was destroyed in a fire the Loney family commissioned the building of the Stonehouse that exists on the farm today. Then in 1867 the family built a brand new barn, this is the same barn that now houses all of our animals. John Loney was born in 1916 and lived his whole life on the farm until his passing in 1992. The Stanley family were relatives and longtime friends of the Loney’s and Earl and his siblings grew up helping collect and produce maple syrup every spring.

It was through these experiences that they grew to love the property and eventually on July 1st, 1993 Earl and his brother Ron Stanley took possession of the farm. With help from family and friends over the next year Stanley’s Olde Maple Lane Farm opened for its first Maple Syrup Season in 1994. Since then the Pancake House has grown from seating 20 to over 300 at once and we still show the original way maple syrup was produced on the farm over 100 years ago.

Over time the business has evolved to become a beautiful wedding and conference centre, Earl and his late wife Joy were married right here on the farm in 1997. With water features, beautiful gardens, towering maples and 2 venues each with their own appeal, Stanley’s has become one of the premier wedding and events destinations in the city of Ottawa but still opens its gates to the public each spring when the sap flows!

Earl, his daughters and family continue to come up with ideas to improve and expand the business in these changing times!

Our Team

Earl Stanley

Owner/Visionary

Earl and his brother Ron have been running the farm since 1993, when they purchased the land from the Loney Family. Having helped the previous owner, Earl was eager to maintain farm operations while also pushing the land to reach its full potential. Because of his deep love for the farm, Earl and his late wife Joy decided it was the perfect place to host their wedding. Thrilled with the results, they decided to continue to create a beautiful location and reception spaces for other couples to enjoy, just as they did. With the help of their daughters, Lyndsay, Sierra and Kendra, family, and many friends, Earl continues to run Stanley’s as a 250-acre working farm and thriving event space. Despite Joy’s passing in 2014, Earl continues to carry on their mission: educating visitors, entertaining guests and clients, and serving fresh and quality product at the farm. His imagination, spirit, and dedicated work ethic keep the dream that he and Joy shared at the forefront of all daily operations.

Kathy Gutscher

Bar & Office Manager

Kathy joined the family business on a temporary basis in 2005 to lend her brother Earl a hand. Many years later, Kathy is still an essential member of the team as she continues to manage the office and help around the farm. Throughout the year, Kathy works with couples to help arrange transportation and bar services for events, while also devoting time to the gift shop, garden, and farm animals. When Kathy has spare time, she can be found bottling the maple syrup made from our sugar bush or taking photos around the farm.

Colin Gallagher

Operations Manager

Having grown up in the area Colin has been coming to Stanley’s for as long as he can remember. Joining the Stanley’s team in 2016, Colin has worked in almost every position including server, supervisor, bartender, set-up crew and more. On any given day you may find him in the office answering emails and phone calls or in the field helping herd the cattle. Colin uses his vast knowledge of the farm operations to help plan and execute all of the weddings and events at Stanley’s.

Ron Stanley

Farm Operations Manager

Ron worked with Earl to purchase the farm in 1993, where he eventually came on to help manage agricultural operations. Ron’s knowledge of agriculture has helped us expand our herd size, produce high quality beef for sale, and maintain successful farm operations. You can often find Ron feeding the farm animals, stealing sugar bush taffy, serving as a coachman for weddings, sleigh rides and wagon rides or with his 3 daughters, Shelby, Georgia and May working with their 4-H calves.

Francis Arcand

Wedding & Event Coordinator

Francis is the Wedding and Event Design Manager here at the farm. He grew up in a neighboring town and as such is familiar with the area and with country life. That, combined with his passion for design and his expertise in event planning and coordination makes him your perfect ally when planning your wedding or event here at Stanley’s! Francis will meet with you to plan the look and design of your event as well as be your contact person throughout the planning process to iron out all the details. On the day of your event he will make sure your vision comes to life!

Courtney Heeney

Social Media Director

Courtney began working at Stanley’s in 2013 as a server, but her versatility led her to take on greater levels of responsibility. She has kept up the farm’s grounds, cared for the barn, managed animal care, supervised events, and even driven sleighs and wagons. Courtney now runs all of our Social Media platforms, where her love for the farm, the animals, and our events shines through as she tells our stories. She keeps the public updated on the daily events and activities at the farm and directs any questions our guests and future clients may have.

Claude Pepin & Glen Argue

Glen and Claude are the do-it-all handymen around the farm! Whether it be putting up fences, feeding the animals, cutting the lawn or building one of Earl’s new ideas, these two will be on the job. Glen has been with the farm for over 15 years and his hard work can be seen in almost every corner of the farm. Come maple syrup season you can find Claude, who joined us in 2018, in the sugar shack carefully preparing our delicious maple syrup!

Boo

Boo is the office cat at Stanley's Farm. His responsibilities include inspecting all the boxes in the office and supervising meetings. He is an expert in relaxation and stress reduction, always ready to offer a comforting purr to the staff or provide a friendly paw whenever someone needs a friend. With his easygoing nature and boundless affection, Boo has quickly become an integral part of Stanley's Farm and staff always make sure to stop by the office every time they come in to give Boo some head scratches.