Any project starring Emmy-winningMargo Martindale, Oscar-winningJamie Lee Curtis, and Emmy-nominatedChris Diamantopoulosis bound to be compelling. That’s a lot of talent in one project! ButThe Sticky, a new series debutingon Prime Video on December 6, is intriguing for another major reason. The story the show is based onis completely true. Although the serieshas changed up some things,it remains a wild tale of the biggest heist in Canada ever(that you’ve probably never even heard of). Here’s the scoop behind the real Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist.
‘The Sticky’ Is Based on Real Events
InThe Sticky, a middle-aged woman named Ruth Landry (Martindale)is a maple syrup farmer in Quebec. But when bureaucracy threatens to take away her farm, she partners up with a mobster from Boston (Diamantopoulos) and a security guard named Remy (Guillaume Cyr) to pull off a huge robbery. Just like in the show, there was a real-life heist that was achieved in Canada that brought huge media attention up north. Within the span of a year, from 2011 to 2012, a group of thieves (led by ringleader Richard Vallieres)were able to steal more than 9,500 barrels of maple syrupfrom a warehouse in Quebec. Although maple syrup might seem like an unusual loot, it’s actually pretty expensive.More than 71 percent of the world’s maple syrupcomes from Canada (91 percent from Quebec itself), andthe thieves were able to steal more than $18 million (in Canadian dollars) of syrup.
The thieves felt like they were doing a sort of Robin Hood act, because pretty much all of the maple syrup that comes from Quebec is controlled by the FPAQ (the Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers), who are notoriously villainous.FPAQ makes all of its suppliers meet quotas, but takes a cut of the profits (which means many label them similar to a cartel). During the time frame right before the heist, there was a surplus of syrup, which was then stored in warehouses throughout Quebec. One of these warehouses had basically no security, which made it the perfect target for a robbery. The thieves would transport the barrels with the maple syrup to a second location, siphon out the syrup, replace it with water, and then return the original barrels to the warehouse.This plan worked successfully for months, creating a black market for the crewwho would then sell the syrup to other buyers.
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Martindale stars as a syrup farmer turned criminal in Prime Video’s dark comedy series.
The Aftermath of ‘The Sticky’ Is Fascinating
Because the thieves were able to successfully steal the maple syrup for so long, they got lazy. They decided they didn’t need to do the crucial step of refilling the barrels with water. One day, an inspector arrived at the warehouse and accidentally knocked over one of the barrels. Well, this would be virtually impossible to do with a barrel filled with heavy maple syrup. The inspector realized that the barrel was completely empty, and then the whole plot unraveled from there.Dozens of people were arrested, with the biggest sentence going to Vallieres(for theft, fraud, and trafficking stolen goods).He was sentenced to eight years in prison and a $9.4 million finein 2017. None of the maple syrup could be recovered since it had all been sold off already, so Vallieres was on the hook to repay back a portion of the money.
In 2022, Vallieres was faced withspending an additional six years in prisonbecause he couldn’t actually pay the fine. Vallieres' father, Raymond, was also convicted of possession and was sentenced to two years in jail and an $850,000 fine.Other members of the crew who took part in the heist were also convicted, includingthe truck driver who transported the barrels, one of the owners of the warehouse who had been in on the scheme, and a reseller of the syrup itself.
Althoughthe series might take some liberties with the storytelling(a lot of the characters are different from the real-life figures), the inspiration for the Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist is still a story that needs telling. The heist was originally covered inan episode of Netflix’sDirty Money, butThe Stickydives even more into the riveting tale throughout its six episodes. Even if the thieves were caught in the end, their story of trying to go up against a powerful organization (with a creatively sweet strategy) is a captivating one.
The Sticky
The Stickyis available to stream starting December 6 on Prime Video in the U.S.
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