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Q: What did you think when you heard about the theft?

A: I thought it was a joke. It couldn’t be serious. I just said, are you kidding? Is it April Fool’s day, something like that?

Q: Are there any clues as to whodunit?

A: There are many [police] there, trying to analyze the scene of the crime, and to analyze what happened. [The crime] was not obvious.

Q: How much is missing?

A: Now, we are trying to evaluate how much maple syrup is missing. It’s walls of barrels of maple syrup. It’s a very big warehouse. We have to take every barrel and check it for the content, and weigh them. We think that its a significant amount. But there is maple syrup left. But we will also have to be very cautious or take a lot of precautions.We will analyze it. Every barrel is graded and has a bar code, and its very strict. So now, that someone has just came in this warehouse, and just like played with the maple syrup? No. This is not fun. We will take it very seriously.

Q: Where will all this illicit syrup end up?

A: It’s important to keep in mind, depending on the volume, it could be harmful for the industry. I’m thinking about the processors and buyers, they will have to compete with stolen maple syrup. It’s a high value product – if you can get it for free, then you can lower the price. This would be hard for some processors.

Q: Will I still be able to buy enough for my pancakes in the morning? What impact will this heist have on the market?

A: It’s hard to say, because we don’t know the volume. One thing is for sure, the reserve, it’s stored in many warehouses and this one is the smallest. There is no way there will be a shortage of maple syrup. This is sure. There is no reason for the price to get higher, because there will be no shortage.

National Post

• This interview has been edited and condensed.