Here are a few humorous news items that could only have occurred in the Great White North, ranging from a multi-million dollar maple syrup heist to a considerate thief returning a stolen automobile with a full tank of petrol.

Photo Credit (Freepik)

“Heading to a ‘frosh’ party, Saskatchewan RCMP brings chips and salsa.”

In 2015, Global News reported that Saskatchewan’s RCMP officers chose to warn partygoers in the most Canadian manner after they learned of an underage gathering north of Regina. A cheeky remark from the Mounties on the party’s Facebook page said, “Thanks for the invite to the underage frosh party in the Lumsden area on Saturday night.” “Lumsden RCMP will provide a selection of potential charges along with chips and salsa.” As promised, the officers set up a checkpoint at the venue’s entrance to ensure that no teenagers were driving after drinking.

“Goat ‘arrested’ after entering a Tim Hortons in Saskatchewan and staying there: ‘He was very unhappy'”

The RCMP, Canada’s national police force, frequently receives bizarre complaints. One such instance occurred on a fall evening in 2015 when, according to the National Post, cops were called to a Tim Hortons in Martensville, Saskatchewan, to remove a goat that would not go. A cheeky RCMP news statement said, “He was very unhappy with this so the members decided to take him home instead of to holding cells at detachment.” The goat had escaped from the University of Saskatchewan Rodeo the night before, according to the event’s organizers.

“Three men convicted of stealing $18 million worth of maple syrup in Quebec”
One of the most daring thefts in Canadian history involved maple syrup, a genuine national treasure. Nearly 3,000 tonnes of the candy, worth an estimated $18 million, were pilfered from a storage facility in Quebec between 2011 and 2012. According to the Toronto Star, the mastermind, Richard Vallieres, received an eight-year sentence and a $9.4 million fine in 2017. Two other individuals received two-year jail terms. Fortunately, the quantity pilfered accounted for only 10% of Quebec’s supplies of maple syrup.

“The most prolific car thief in Canada ever returns a stolen vehicle with a full gas tank.”

A woman from Nova Scotia discovered in 2018 that her car had disappeared from the parking lot when she came back from shopping. However, what appeared to be a carjacking turned out not to be one at all: a driver of a car that was exactly the same had parked in the space next to her and had unintentionally taken off in the wrong vehicle! (We’ll never know how his key fob worked.) When the careless driver realized his mistake, he located the woman and gave her car back, complete with a full gas tank. Typical of the Maritimes, she paid him back!

“Enjoy your day: Man in British Columbia gently requests that the bear family leave his yard.

With typical Canadian grace, Jordan Cote of Sooke, British Columbia, invited a black bear and its two young pups to leave his property when he discovered them only a few meters from his deck. In a video of the event that he later uploaded to the Facebook group “Meanwhile in Sooke,” Cote can be heard stating, “I need you guys to go.” I hope you had fun in my backyard. I hope your day goes well. In a CTV News interview, Cote expressed his surprise at the mother bear’s continued composure.

“Snow go: Snow-related cancellation of a Canadian winter festival”

At the beginning of 2019, severe cold and snowstorms hit much of Canada, including Montreal. According to CTV News, the city saw exceptionally high snowfall during the third weekend of January, when lows of -29°C were recorded. It even became necessary to postpone Montreal Park’s annual winter carnival! The Festival of Snow is the event’s moniker. (Ah, how ironic!)