Tim Hortons Franchisee Rehires Staff After Backlash Over ‘Canadian Workers’ Being Let Go

A Tim Hortons shop in Barrie, Ont., in a file photo. The Canadian Press/Christopher Drost

Tim Hortons says one of its franchisees in Grimsby, Ont., has committed to rehire staff after backlash in the community over the reported dismissal of the majority of workers at four locations.

Tim Hortons posted a public statement in response to Conservative MP Dean Allison who asked the coffee and donut chain what its franchisee is doing, saying, “Are you firing all Canadian workers?” His Dec. 18 comment came after a post by someone who said they’re one of the employees being let go on the Grimsby Community Page group on social media, expressing concern that the incoming hires would be international workers.

The Epoch Times contacted Tim Hortons for comment on the claim but didn’t immediately hear back.

The company said in its Dec. 18 public statement in response to Allison that the matter came up when a franchisee in Grimsby who plans to retire sold his restaurant to another “local franchisee.”

“Following discussions between the two franchisees, existing team members were told that their employment would end with the sale of the restaurant. We believe this was a bad outcome,” the company posted on X.

“The selling franchisee has apologized to his team and provided letters today that reconfirm their continued employment. Assuming the sale goes through, the buying franchisee has committed that he will maintain the employment of all the existing team members.”

Conservatives have in the past criticized Tim Hortons hiring international workers, calling for an end to Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) Program other than a carve-out in the agricultural sector, and saying instead the company should be hiring Canadians.

“Companies like Tim Hortons, the once beloved coffee shop that gave a first paycheque to countless Canadian teens, have hired an almost unimaginable number of TFWs – 1,131 percent more for Tim Hortons over just four years alone,” the Conservative Party wrote in a Sept. 3 press release.

Tim Hortons said the vast majority of its staff are hired locally, with only 5 percent via the TFW program.

“More than 95% of Tim Hortons employees are hired locally. Less than 5% of team members are hired through the TFW program, which is a federal, tightly regulated program that requires employers to prove a labour shortage before any application can be approved,” the company said in a Dec. 5 statement.

Tim Hortons added that the TFW is “not a cheaper option” and sometimes actually involves additional costs such as paying for travel, and is used by the company in situations where local employees can’t be found.

“However, in some smaller and rural communities, there are simply not enough local applicants for open positions. In those cases, restaurant owners may turn to the TFW program to help keep their restaurants open and serving their communities,” the company wrote, noting that its Canadian locations employ around 100,000 workers at 3,800 locations.

The Liberal government’s Nov. 4 federal budget reduces the number of temporary residents permitted entry into Canada by 43 percent, with 385,000 temporary residents to be accepted next year and 370,000 in each of the next two years. That represents a decline from this year’s total, surpassing 673,650. However, 370,000 is still higher than the Trudeau-era goal of 365,000 by 2027.