I came across an old story from back in 2013, when the world was seemingly a little brighter, that I thought might be worth a share as we near the end of 2025.
Canadians have been raising a stink with the Bank of Canada about the new plastic bank notes.
Emails to bank officials from the public in the months after the polymer bills were introduced repeatedly ask whether a scent of maple syrup has been added to the notes.
The correspondence, obtained under the Access to Information Act, asks the bank to confirm whether a scratch-and-sniff feature has been quietly added.
Rumours of the maple-syrup scent got started on the internet soon after the first bank notes were introduced in 2011, and have persisted in YouTube videos, blogs and Tweets.
The bank insists it has not added a scent, maple or otherwise, to any of the new plastic bills.
But the maple myth is likely to persist, with some Canadians claiming the odour might be an unexpected byproduct of the manufacturing process.
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Guys, I have one of the first batch in a ziplock and it still smells like maple.
Either they’re lying or it was accidental.
Wouldn’t it be hilarious if it was a mint worker pranking us all by randomly spraying perfume in the printing process.
This sounds like something we Americans would make up just to tease Canadians.
Alternatively, it sounds like something we Canadians would make up to troll Americans. :-)
Are the newfies fucking with us again?
Always have been eh.
The weird part is that that Christmas a few of us got gifted the bills fresh and uncirculated from the bank. We all joked about the maple rumor that was going around and found that some of the bills did smell like maple and others didn’t.
Ditto, I’m not sure why it’s a myth cause I actually did get some that smelled like maple. I highly doubt my family bought maple perfume just to prank me
The higher the denomination the stronger the smell seems to be. Get a stack of fresh 50’s and you can REALLY smell it.
They can also play records. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXl3wGWMMV4
Ok, so it’s a myth. But what’s stopping them from making it a reality? Who doesn’t love the smell of maple?
Get on it, people!
It should be an option to request the teller give a little maple spritz upon withdrawal at the bank.
Oh the good ol’ days when people’s stupidity wouldn’t kill millions.
Remember when conspiracies were fun? And also the folx leading the charge weren’t literally in charge?
Have you handled any new polymer bills as of late? Do you recall a faint wisp of sugar shacks and maple sugar candy?
We should get Rick Mercer to do another Talking to Americans skit.
All I remember about the rollout of mylar banknotes was the way they used to cling together. Some kind of coating must have been added since, because they no longer do that.
