Image via flickr
Lock up your Timbits and Stanley Cups: somebody is after our Canadian Treasures!
Two Group of Seven paintings and up to $30 mil worth of maple syrup have been reported stolen in separate heists.
Group of Birches by Frank Johnston and Beach Litter by Arthur Lismer were among a cache of three paintings nabbed from an art gallery in Toronto’s Yorkville neighbourhood early last Sunday morning. Police said the thief or thieves smashed the window sometime around 5:30 am and made off with the art collectively valued at $50,000. (The third stolen painting was Harbour Scene #2 by Canadian artist Sylvia Lefkovitz).
Meanwhile, in St-Louis-de-Blandford, Quebec, thieves emptied a “large number” of barrels storing maple syrup from a warehouse owned by the Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers. The warehouse, 160-km northeast of Montreal, held about 3.4 mil litres of the golden liquid – worth about $30 mil – and represents about ten per cent of Quebec’s 2012 harvest. Police are still investigating exactly how much was stolen.
There is no evidence that the two cases are related, but it would appear that someone – or something – is stealing iconic Canadian treasures. Why? Who can say. International espionage? Homegrown radicals looking to “take back the country?” Only one thing is for sure: we need a detail of Mounties protecting Martin Short immediately.
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Michael Kolberg is The Sprawl Editor at Toronto Standard. Follow him on Twitter for jokes @mikeykolberg
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