Bank of Canada to Upgrade $10 the 18 May

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They may just want them back so that they don't enter circulation ahead of time.

It's official, both answers are deserving of being considered correct but only time will tell for sure.

So does that really mean the upgraded tens are being recalled?  Will they be delayed?

The " repair guy " repairs banknote acceptors and developes the software necessary when our notes change. This guy had some notes but the BoC wanted them returned before the software could be completed. This is not to say definatively that the issue has problems but I see no other reason for the recall.

The BoC release in January states :

The Bank of Canada is also collaborating with its partners to ensure the smooth introduction of the upgraded $10 note into daily cash exchanges. The Bank is providing manufacturers of bank note handling equipment—such as automated banking machines (ABMs), change-makers, and automated ticket dispensers—with the necessary information to make the required adjustments to their equipment. "In order to ensure that bills are not rejected by bank note handling equipment, it is important for the owners and manufacturers of this equipment to be ready for the upgraded note on 18 May 2005," said Roy Poppe, President of the Canadian Automatic Merchandising Association. "This simply makes good business sense."

This is to answer your question jonathan. Some new tens have been sent vendors to upgrade all machines and they want all those new 10's back so that they do not get circulated before may 18

So I guess that means that the vendors borrowed the upgraded tens as a "test" to see if the machines would accept them or not, and then sent them back to the Bank of Canada before they hit circulation, right?  

Thats the whole point. The prefix that was used was FEP... Those FEP notes used can probably be said to be test notes. However, unlike the S/R, RS, 330, and AXA/EXA notes we will probably not have anyway of knowing which FEP notes were used as tests simply because each FEP note used had a random serial number and only the BoC will know which serial numbers were used. This information will be confidential and we will probably never know. When the 2005 $10 is released the first ones out will likely be with the prefix FEP and BET or BEW.
Of course, another possibility could be a similar senario to that G/R prefix from the 1954 $2 series. During the 60's the BoC issued G/R as both test and regular usage. Only certain number ranges were designated to the test issue while the rest of the G/R prefix was issued for regular circulation. The G/R test runs were returned to the BoC where they were destroyed and only a couple remain in the museum in Ottawa are there are no circulated copies that are yet known to remain. Again, this is only possibilities, if i wrote anything that is false, please correct me and lets see what others think  

The G/R test runs were returned to the BoC where they were destroyed and only a couple remain in the museum in Ottawa are there are no circulated copies that are yet known to remain.

I refer you to the Online Canadian Paper Money Museum where the only G/R test note known to be in public hands (ie: a collector, not the Bank of Canada or an institutional collection) is shown.
http://moneymuseum.bwjm.ca/rare_gr-test.asp

All in, there is at most 3 G/R test notes remaining today, as of last count.  The one shown at the Museum is in the hands of a collector, and the Bank of Canada has at least one, possibly 2.

But now we're getting off-track.

PBW: And of course, you can see it at http://www.cdnpapermoney.com/English/BoC/1954M_2.htm as well.

When the 2005 $10 is released the first ones out will likely be with the prefix FEP and BET or BEW.

Is there any reason you are not wondering about BEU or BEV?  

Went to the BoC currency musem yesterday and I got 4 consecutive UNC 2001 series 10$ notes;
serial # BER9999218  

I tell ya, there's going to be some activity in the $10 Highs/Lows list come May 18th...

Can't wait!