Spoiler alert: This article discusses plot points from The Sticky.
The comedic series The Sticky, premiering December 6th, playfully depicts a real-life incident: the infamous Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist.
The theft, occurring approximately two hours north of Montreal, involved the pilfering of roughly $18 million worth of maple syrup over several months in 2011 and 2012, ranking as one of history’s largest agricultural thefts.
This article details the heist, its motivations, and how the series satirizes the event.
The Real-Life Maple Syrup Heist
Quebec leads global maple syrup production. Mirroring OPEC, the Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers controls syrup production and pricing through yearly quotas. Excess syrup was stored in a warehouse guarded by a single security personnel.
The federation’s control created industry tension. Many members enjoyed legacy status, while aspiring producers faced lengthy waiting lists for quota allocation. Brendan Borrell, author of the 2013 Bloomberg Businessweek article “Sticky Gold,” describes this as a “miniature Canadian Cold War,” highlighting the frustration of growers unable to sell their surplus produce. The federation employed undercover agents to monitor illegal syrup sales.
This frustration fueled the heist, orchestrated by “a group of renegades opposed to the controls on the maple syrup market in Quebec,” according to Borrell.
The stolen barrels, each weighing around 620 pounds, were replaced with water-filled barrels after the syrup season concluded.
The Sticky’s Depiction of the Heist
Screenwriter Brian Donovan clarifies that The Sticky’s characters are fictional, avoiding portrayal of real individuals involved in the crime. His approach: “Let’s not try to reproduce the truth. Let’s just be inspired by what happened and roll from there.”
The show’s heist unfolds rapidly. The fictional thieves initially plan to use lake water as a replacement but ultimately employ suction to remove the syrup, substituting it with water. Unlike the real-life event, The Sticky features a body discovered within a syrup barrel.
The show introduces Remy (Guillaume Cyr), a security guard who secretly pilfered one barrel monthly. He’s depicted as an individual living with his parents, uncertain about his future, and constantly under his father’s watchful eye. The father’s unexpected visit during the heist is a fictional addition. While an insider aided the real heist, Remy’s character is entirely fictional.
Another fictional thief, Ruth (Margo Martindale), seeks to circumvent the federation’s restrictions by selling her own syrup on the black market in the U.S. Her motivation stems from her husband’s coma and her financial needs.
Aftermath of the Real Heist
The federation discovered the theft in July 2012 during a routine inventory. Authorities arrested at least 16 individuals.
Richard Valliere, the ringleader, received an eight-year prison sentence and over $9 million in fines for fraud, trafficking, and theft.
The federation enhanced its security measures, relocating the syrup to a more secure facility.
Borrell concludes, “It seems unlikely that another heist of this scale will ever happen again.”