Tim Hortons built its brand on a simple promise of decent coffee, quick service, and a familiar face behind the counter. It wrapped itself in Canadian symbols and asked us to believe it stood for community.That promise is broken.The latest reporting shows Tim Hortons and its parent company have pressed Ottawa for more access to temporary foreign workers (TFWs), including a higher cap and faster approvals. A May 2024 letter to then-immigration minister Marc Miller asked to raise the foreign-worker limit from 20% to 30% at franchise locations, and even floated a “NEXUS-type” fast-track to speed renewals..QUESNEL: Sacred or sinister? Rethinking religious defences in hate speech.At the same time, federal rules for low-wage positions are supposed to be tightening. Employment and Social Development Canada states there is a 10% cap on the proportion of TFWs an employer can hire in low-wage jobs at a specific work location.So why is Tim Hortons pushing in the other direction? Because this isn’t about “labour shortages.” It’s about labour costs. It’s about control. And, increasingly, it’s about a customer experience so poor it has become a national embarrassment..I’ve seen the damage up close.In the city where I grew up, a friend spotted a help wanted poster at his local Tim Hortons. He did what parents do, which is he asked about a part-time job for his teenage daughter. The reply stunned him. He said the manager told him she couldn’t work there because she didn’t speak Tamil, which was the language all the other employees spoke..PINDER: The West’s breaking point — how Canada’s emissions policies expose a rigged federation.If that happened as described, it’s hard to read it as anything but a closed shop. Local kids need not apply. That is not “diversity.” That is exclusion, plain and simple.I’ve heard numerous people refer to Tim Hortons as “Singh Hortons” and no wonder if they have to speak a language from Asia just to work there.Then there’s the service at the counter. .I’ve largely stopped ordering at Tim Hortons unless it’s through the app, and even that hasn’t solved the basic competence problem. On multiple occasions, I’ve been handed the wrong order. When I raised it, the person taking the order apologized and said she didn’t speak English.Why are you working a till in Regina, Sask., if you can’t serve customers in English? This is not about accents or where someone was born. It’s about the minimum requirement to do the job safely and properly, in a Canadian city, dealing with the public..And yes, the mistakes have reached a level that would be funny if it weren’t so pathetic. I once asked for coffee with cream. I received coffee with a lump of cream cheese in it.Cream cheese!That’s not a “bad day.” That’s a broken system as training, oversight, and basic standards have gone missing.Tim Hortons will say these are isolated stories. .Maybe. But the broader trend is no secret as the chain is lobbying for more TFW access while Canadians are growing skeptical about the pace and scale of immigration and temporary-resident growth. A Nanos survey commissioned by the Globe and Mail found 45% of Canadians support, and 26% somewhat support, reducing the number of new immigrants, 71% in total.Canadians are not heartless. They are practical. They can see the strain on housing, healthcare, and entry-level jobs. They also see a system that can trap workers. .OLDCORN: Accountability, not politics — $34 million ‘questionable’ spending at Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations.Amnesty International has argued that closed work permits and tied status can create conditions ripe for abuse and exploitation. So here is the ugly truth, this model can hurt everyone. It squeezes Canadian teenagers out of starter jobs that teach punctuality, teamwork, and responsibility. It can leave newcomers stuck in workplaces where speaking up feels risky. And it gives customers a worse product delivered by staff who often haven’t been set up to succeed.Tim Hortons should stop gaming the system. Stop lobbying for more TFW capacity. Stop treating entry level work like a global commodity. .If the chain can’t attract local workers, it should do what every other employer must do. Improve the job. Pay more. Train properly. Ensure staff can communicate with customers. Build a workplace where a 16-year-old can get hired without needing to pass a foreign language test.Until that happens, Canadians should vote with their wallets.I do. .MACLEOD: A Seat at the table — rise of the independence movement within the UCP.I go to independent coffee shops as much as possible. The coffee is better. The service is clearer. The money stays closer to home.Tim Hortons wants to be a national symbol again. Fine, but symbols carry obligations. Right now, it’s a national disgrace. Treat it accordingly. Avoid Tim Hortons whenever you can.
