The Greatest Heist In Canada's History Wasn't What You'd Think

Maple syrup is worth a lot of money

Photo by Nadine Primeau on Unsplash

The aptly named Great Maple Syrup Heist was the greatest theft in Canadian history. Over a 10-month period, from 2011 to 2012, a group of thieves managed to steal an impressive 2700 tons of maple syrup - Canada’s liquid gold.

You’d think maple syrup would be an odd target for a gang of criminals, but it’s actually pretty valuable. The average price in the USA for a gallon of maple syrup is around $30, but a quick Google search will show that it can sell for well over $50. The really good stuff is worth even more than that.

That’s why 2700 tons of maple syrup was worth around $18 million Canadian dollars at the time.

There’s liquid gold in Canada’s famous trees, and in Quebec, the world’s largest maple syrup producer, vast amounts of it were stored in one place. Why steal small when you have a Fort Knox of maple syrup? The thieves almost got away with it, too, but for some luck on the authorities' side and a good old dash of laziness and greed on behalf of the criminals.

Why was so much syrup left in one place?

Maple syrup is synonymous with Canada. A maple leaf is on the national flag, after all. Here are some stats: 75% of all maple syrup comes from Canada - and over 96% per cent of that comes from Quebec.

The body in charge of the quality and supply of all this sweet goodness at the time of the heist was called the Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers or FPAQ (after the French). This group oversees Quebec’s maple syrup production and sales and sets annual quotas.

To achieve this, they established a strategic reserve of maple syrup in 2000 called the International Strategic Reserve (ISR). The FPAQ (who get a cut) controlled nearly all production in Quebec, so a lot of maple syrup needed to be stored.

In some years, such as in 2011, bumper harvests resulted in a lot more syrup that needed storage. This led to expanding to warehouses in towns across Quebec, including one in a place called Saint-Louis-de-Blandford. By 2012, the reserve in that particular warehouse was roughly 16,000 barrels - nearly C$30 million.

How did the thieves steal so much without getting noticed?

When the FPAQ rented the warehouse, they knew it had poor security and a lack of cameras. Unfortunately, it was also known that the warehouse only had one inspection a year.

The FPAQ reasoned, massively incorrectly, that these factors didn’t matter much, as surely no one would steal maple syrup despite its immense value.

Another thing to keep in mind is that many in the business saw the unpopular group as an overly powerful cartel. Consequently, there was a thriving black market for the stuff. The scene was set.

A man named Avik Caron, the husband of the warehouse co-owner, spotted a fruitful opportunity. Caron got in touch with a ‘barrel roller’ called Richard Vallières. Barrel Rollers illegally bought syrup directly from the producers and then sold it on the black market, bypassing the fees and limits set by the FPAQ.

Vallières and his crew devised a cunning plan. They rented some space in the warehouse so the few security guards would not be suspicious about their comings and goings. In addition, they hired a truck driver and established separate storage space nearby.

This allowed them to start loading their truck with several barrels at a time. After all, no one would notice their disappearance from a warehouse full of the things. Then they transferred the barrels to the other storage spot, siphoned off the maple syrup, refilled them with water, sealed them up again, and returned them to the Strategic Reserve warehouse.

Given the barrels weighed over 600 pounds when full, no one would be aware of the swap until the annual inspection. Even then, there was no guarantee the inspector would open and sample the affected barrels.

Once the swap was made, the syrup was transferred to various places, such as New Brunswick to the east and Vermont to the south - basically, outside the control of the FPAQ.

The theft began soon after the previous inspection, which meant the thieves likely had a whole year before anyone checked.

The criminals get lazy, greedy, and busted

The crime could have continued undetected for years, giving the criminals ample time to disappear properly. Instead, due to laziness, greed, and a bit of bad luck, they got busted after the first inspection.

In July 2012, FPAQ inspector Michel Gauvreau did the annual warehouse check. Being a professional, he climbed several stacks of barrels to check everything was as expected. Much to his surprise, a barrel shifted suddenly, and he almost fell. Given the barrels were supposed to weigh over 600 lbs, something was clearly wrong.

Inspector Gauvreau called the relevant authorities, and the investigation began. By this time, much of the stolen maple syrup had already entered the legitimate market.

It turns out the criminals had gotten greedy and lazy. Instead of transporting the barrels, swapping the syrup for water and returning them, they got cocky. They started syphoning off the syrup directly into their own receptacles while still in the warehouse and didn’t bother to top the barrels back up again with water.

This sloppiness led to the whole scheme unravelling. If the thieves had stopped earlier or continued swapping the contents with water, the maple syrup and all involved may have disappeared into the market before anyone noticed.

But they didn’t.

The crime didn’t pay, but some viewed the theft as a success

Investigators from the provincial police — the Sûreté du Québec — were soon on the case. It didn’t take long for them to realise that it was most likely an inside job. As the husband of the co-owner of the warehouse where the syrup had been stored, Avik Caron soon drew their attention. As did the group that had hired the warehouse space.

The police eventually tracked the syrup to the gang’s legitimate New Brunswick operation. New Brunswick was outside all the controls that existed in Quebec, which let the gang sell small amounts to unknowing businesses.

Authorities were only able to recover around 450 tonnes of maple syrup from the 2700 tonnes stolen, although some had to be destroyed because they were deemed unsafe.

Over 300 people were interviewed, and 40 search warrants were issued. The main ringleaders, including Vallières and Caron, were arrested and fined.Vallières was the most heavily punished, sentenced to eight years in prison and a CA$9.4 million fine.

Despite the criminals getting caught, some allegedly saw it as a success. They viewed the crime as a fight against the cartel practices of the hugely unpopular FPAQ. Raymond Vallières said, “Stealing from thieves is not stealing”. (Source)

The Great Maple Syrup Heist was ultimately a failure, but the FPAQ came under much scrutiny and criticism. Quebec’s agriculture minister even called for the FPAQ to scrap its strict quotas and relax regulations. It hasn’t happened yet, but the federation certainly felt the aftermath of all the unwelcome attention.

The sticky-fingered criminals may have failed, but they made history, and their attempt to fight back against the FPAQ continues.

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Note - a slightly different version of this article is on Medium. You can also check out my books and website if you are interested.