Tim Hortons recently announced it’s stepping back from its dependency on temporary foreign workers and committing to hire 10,000 new Canadian team members this summer. The hires will support natural turnover and growth across the system, including 80 new restaurant openings across Canada this year and 400 renovations — all backed by a $400 million national investment.
It’s a big, splashy, feel-good announcement. But the biggest question is: why now?
A Notable Shift From a Few Years Ago
In 2021, during the pandemic recovery,Tim Hortons was one of the most vocal corporate voices lobbying the federal government to expand access to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP). The argument was acute labour shortages: restaurants couldn’t staff up, Canadians weren’t showing up to work the early shift, and every quick-service chain was sounding the same alarm. Fair enough, at the time.
Fast forward to 2026, and the company’s tune has changed dramatically. In its own statement: “with high youth unemployment nationally, lobbying for expanded access is no longer necessary.”
For context: of Tim’s approximately 110,000 employees today, roughly 4,000 — about 3.6% — hold positions under the TFWP. That number has been steadily declining since 2024, according to the company. So this isn’t a total pivot — it’s an acceleration of a shift that’s already been underway.
Still, it raises an obvious question.
Is the New Tim Hortons Strategy a Shield Against Dunkin’?
Less than two weeks before this announcement, Foodtastic confirmed it’s bringing Dunkin’ back to Canada, with hundreds of new locations planned for late 2026 and early 2027. Tim Hortons currently controls more than 70% of Canada’s hot coffee market, and for the first time in nearly a decade, that dominance has a real challenger walking through the front door.
So which is it? Is this move a strategic reaction to Dunkin’ becoming a serious threat — Tim’s playing the “We Are Canadian” card to lock in loyalty before the competition lands? Or is it a genuine patriotic shift toward supporting Canadians through a tough economy with high youth unemployment and rising cost of living?
Canadians Are Mixed Feelings About Tim Hortons
The public reaction has been split. Some are saying it’s about time Tim’s showed up for local workers in trying times. Others are saying it’s a little too late — pointing to the years Tim’s spent lobbying for greater TFWP access while many Canadians were actively searching for work.
Neither side is wrong. Tim Horton’s is responding to a moment, and Canadians are entitled to ask why that moment didn’t arrive earlier.
The author’s thoughts
I understand the business dilemma. As a newcomer myself who arrived in Canada at the tail end of the pandemic in 2022, I have seen the systemic issues the country faces when prioritizing the hiring of immigrants over locals. I learned about some managers’ preferences to hire people from specific immigration statuses and backgrounds simply because it works for them economically, allowing them more control over workers who may not fully understand their basic labour rights. These companies chose the easier route rather than working with locals to understand the underlying economic problems driving these dilemmas.
Personally, while this country has been supported by immigrants on many economic levels, locals should always be front and center for businesses and the government. Providing opportunities to its own people is the first step toward addressing the growing pains of unemployment, inflation, and housing.
Disclaimer: This article reflects personal commentary and analysis based on publicly available information from Tim Hortons, Restaurant Brands International, and Canadian news sources. It is intended for informational and discussion purposes.
