There are legends, those are the ones you hear in a darkened tent masterfully told to a rapt audience.
Then there are urban legends, those are usually told as stories to unsuspecting people about something which may or may not be true, but it could be. Usually it involves a friend of a friend of a friend. Generally they are untrue.
One such story making the rounds in the James Bay territory is the aluminum pull tab story. Those are the ones on the pop can openings. Though the legend isn’t a new one, it is new to the north. It has all the local flavours to give it a ring of truth. A Waskaganish man cashed in his tabs for $5000, You just take them to the (Name of store) in Val d’Or. The tab story has been around for some time with different variations for each region or story teller. Send them in to an organisation so they can trade them in for time on a dialysis machine or something like that.
The version that is going around now is the tabs can be cashed in at a Val d’Or dépanneur or store for 15 cents each or 30 cents if the tab is intact. Some say that they are worth $1.50 and that Michael Jackson is involved.
Sadly, Michael is not involved. They are not worth 15 cents or $1.50. I called up Super Marche Pelletier where the Waskaganish man supposedly cashed in a Ziploc bag of tabs for $2000 or $5000.
I asked whether they cash in tabs, Jacques Pelletier said that they “never have cashed them in and that they take cans at 5 cents each.” I also called up Guay Metal in Rouyn where they supposedly cash in a two litre plastic pop bottle full of tabs for $200. I asked Mr. Guay if they cash those tabs in. He said, yes they take “all aluminum at 40 cents per pound.” Reynolds Aluminum also has to deal with the issue on a regular basis they urge people to bring in the whole can for recycling. So all the would be tab tycoons should keep the whole can and cash it in for the 5 cents. It may not be as much as $5000, but it makes good sense for the environment and you won’t feel like a fool.
