Tory Redux

Tag: politics

  • Double-Double Standard: How Tim Hortons Lost the Plot

    Built for the Working Canadian

    Tim Hortons started in Hamilton.

    Not in a boardroom. Not in a marketing strategy session. In a working-class city built by people who showed up early, worked hard, and didn’t complain about it. The original customers weren’t looking for an experience. They wanted something hot, cheap, and fast before another long shift.

    Coffee was fuel. Food was functional. And Tim Hortons got that.

    That’s why it worked.

    More Than a Coffee Shop

    Over time, it became part of the routine. The red cup on the dash. The double-double on the way to the rink. The quick stop before an early shift or after dropping the kids off at school. Didn’t matter if you were in Calgary, Sudbury, or a small town in Saskatchewan. You knew what you were getting. That familiarity meant something.

    Tim Hortons didn’t just sell coffee. It sold a feeling of belonging to something Canadian.

    Something Changed

    But that feeling has been fading for a while now.

    The food isn’t what it used to be. The service is hit or miss. The connection to the communities that built this brand has quietly eroded. Most Canadians have noticed. They just haven’t always had the words for it.

    Here’s one way to put it: Tim Hortons stopped acting like it needed to earn your business.

    A Fair Question

    While young Canadians were struggling to find entry-level work, real work, and real wages, Tim Hortons was filling those same positions with temporary foreign workers. Legally. Yes. But Canadians are allowed to ask whether that’s the right call for a company that built its entire identity on ordinary Canadian workers and their families.

    That’s not xenophobia. That’s a fair question.

    You can’t have a national conversation about youth unemployment, stagnant wages, and the cost of living, and then pretend the labour market exists in a vacuum. When a corporation systematically chooses cheaper temporary labour over local hiring, there are consequences. Wages stay flat. Young people get shut out. And the communities that made the brand what it is get less in return.

    The fix isn’t a government program. It isn’t a boycott. It’s competition and accountability, the way it’s supposed to work.

    A Step in the Right Direction

    This week, Tim Hortons announced it will hire 10,000 local workers and scale back its use of the Temporary Foreign Worker program. New locations. Renovations. Job fairs across the country.

    That’s good news. Say it plainly, that’s good news.

    But it’s one step. And Canadians have been around long enough to know the difference between a genuine change in direction and a well-timed press release.

    This announcement reverses years of leaning on temporary foreign labour while young Canadians sat on the outside looking in. The question now is whether franchisees actually follow through — or whether it’s back to business as usual once the cameras move on.

    Earn It Back

    Trust isn’t rebuilt with announcements. It’s rebuilt with consistent action over time.

    Tim Hortons was built for the working Canadian. It can get back there. But it has to mean it — not just when the competition is moving in next door, and the headlines aren’t flattering.

    Treat Canadian workers as the first point of contact. Not the backup plan.

    That’s the standard. Hold them to it.

    Built for the Working Canadian

    Tim Hortons started in Hamilton.

    Not in a boardroom. Not in a marketing strategy session. In a working-class city built by people who showed up early, worked hard, and didn’t complain about it. The original customers weren’t looking for an experience. They wanted something hot, cheap, and fast before another long shift.

    Coffee was fuel. Food was functional. And Tim Hortons got that.

    That’s why it worked.

    More Than a Coffee Shop

    Over time, it became part of the routine. The red cup on the dash. The double-double on the way to the rink. The quick stop before an early shift or after dropping the kids off at school. Didn’t matter if you were in Calgary, Sudbury, or a small town in Saskatchewan. You knew what you were getting. That familiarity meant something.

    Tim Hortons didn’t just sell coffee. It sold a feeling of belonging to something Canadian.

    Something Changed

    But that feeling has been fading for a while now.

    The food isn’t what it used to be. The service is hit or miss. The connection to the communities that built this brand has quietly eroded. Most Canadians have noticed. They just haven’t always had the words for it.

    Here’s one way to put it: Tim Hortons stopped acting like it needed to earn your business.

    A Fair Question

    While young Canadians were struggling to find entry-level work, real work, and real wages, Tim Hortons was filling those same positions with temporary foreign workers. Legally. Yes. But Canadians are allowed to ask whether that’s the right call for a company that built its entire identity on ordinary Canadian workers and their families.

    That’s not xenophobia. That’s a fair question.

    You can’t have a national conversation about youth unemployment, stagnant wages, and the cost of living, and then pretend the labour market exists in a vacuum. When a corporation systematically chooses cheaper temporary labour over local hiring, there are consequences. Wages stay flat. Young people get shut out. And the communities that made the brand what it is get less in return.

    The fix isn’t a government program. It isn’t a boycott. It’s competition and accountability, the way it’s supposed to work.

    A Step in the Right Direction

    This week, Tim Hortons announced it will hire 10,000 local workers and scale back its use of the Temporary Foreign Worker program. New locations. Renovations. Job fairs across the country.

    That’s good news. Say it plainly, that’s good news.

    But it’s one step. And Canadians have been around long enough to know the difference between a genuine change in direction and a well-timed press release.

    This announcement reverses years of leaning on temporary foreign labour while young Canadians sat on the outside looking in. The question now is whether franchisees actually follow through — or whether it’s back to business as usual once the cameras move on.

    Earn It Back

    Trust isn’t rebuilt with announcements. It’s rebuilt with consistent action over time.

    Tim Hortons was built for the working Canadian. It can get back there. But it has to mean it — not just when the competition is moving in next door, and the headlines aren’t flattering.

    Treat Canadian workers as the first point of contact. Not the backup plan.

    That’s the standard. Hold them to it.

  • Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations at 250

    This week marks 250 years since Adam Smith published The Wealth of Nations. This book fundamentally changed how we understand economics, markets, and the role of government.

    The anniversary has sparked discussion in the media, including here in Canada. Columnists are revisiting Smith’s ideas and debating how they continue to shape our economic policies.

    Even Pierre Poilievre contributed an opinion piece. He defended Smith’s legacy. He emphasized the importance of free markets for Canada’s future.

    Smith’s influence is hard to overstate. Before his work, economic thinking was dominated by rigid systems that assumed wealth was fixed. Governments tried to tightly control trade and production, convinced that one country’s gain always came at another’s expense.

    Smith challenged that view. He argued that prosperity grows when people are free to produce, trade, and innovate. These ideas still resonate in our debates about economic policy.

    One of his most famous insights was the power of specialization. Rather than one worker making an entire product from start to finish, each person focuses on a single step. That simple shift leads to a dramatic increase in productivity.

    Smith illustrated this with his famous example of a pin factory. When each worker handled a specific task, production soared compared to when one person tried to do everything alone. The lesson is clear: when people specialize and trade, everyone benefits.

    But Smith’s ideas went far beyond factories and markets. He helped define what we now call political economy. He shaped how we think about the relationship between government and the economy.

    At its core, political economy is about understanding the proper role of government in economic life. Smith believed the government had a crucial job. It should set fair rules, protect property rights, enforce contracts, and preserve the institutions that allow markets to work.

    But once those rules are in place, the government should step back. It should not try to micromanage the economy or decide which industries succeed or fail.

    When markets run under clear, fair rules, producers compete, prices show real supply and demand, and innovation thrives. In that system, people succeed by creating value for others.

    That insight still shapes many of the economic debates we have today.

    Two hundred and fifty years later, The Wealth of Nations remains one of the most influential books ever written. Its core message is simple but powerful. Prosperity grows when people are free to work, trade, and build. This happens within a system of fair rules.

    Put simply, the government’s job is to referee the game, not try to play it.

  • looked back at Stephen Harper, a decade of Canadian Prosperity

    looked back at Stephen Harper, a decade of Canadian Prosperity

    Earlier this month, it was announced that former Prime Minister Stephen Harper will finally have his portrait unveiled in Parliament. For Canadian political leaders, this tradition often serves as the capstone of a public career. It is a formal and long-standing recognition of service to the country.

    The unveiling will naturally prompt renewed reflection on Harper’s full record in office. Commentators, political figures, and Canadians alike will revisit his years in power. They will weigh his decisions, priorities, and long-term impact on the country.

    The ceremony takes place in February. It coincides with the 20th anniversary of the Conservative Party’s first minority government. This coincidence adds historical weight to the moment. It marks an opportunity to step back from daily politics and assess a defining chapter in modern Canadian history.

    Under Harper, Canada experienced a decade marked by stability, economic resilience, and clear governing priorities. While opinions will vary, his time in office left a lasting imprint on the country.

    Here are a few of the key accomplishments that continue to shape his legacy.

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    Stephen Harper’s Record: The Facts Still Matter

    ​

    1. A Stronger Middle Class

    By 2012–2014, Canada’s middle class was the wealthiest in the world, surpassing the United States for the first time. While U.S. incomes stagnated, Canadian after-tax incomes rose, driven by steady growth and targeted tax relief.

    2 Real Tax Relief for Families

    The GST was cut from 7% to 5%, leaving billions in Canadians’ pockets. The introduction of the TFSA gave families a powerful, tax-free way to save. It remains one of the most popular financial tools in the country.

    3 Global Economic Leadership

    Canada emerged from the 2008 financial crisis stronger than any of its G7 peers. The Economic Action Plan supported recovery. It returned the budget to balance by 2015. It also kept Canada’s debt-to-GDP ratio the lowest in the G7.

    4 Expanding Trade Beyond the U.S.

    Canada went from free-trade agreements with just five countries to over fifty. Landmark deals with Europe and South Korea opened new markets and reduced our dependence on a single trading partner.

    5 Defending Sovereignty and Principles, Arctic sovereignty became a national priority, backed by a stronger military presence in the North. Internationally, Canada pursued a principled foreign policy. It stood firmly with democratic allies. Additionally, it led to maternal and child health through the Muskoka Initiative.

    In fact, former Prime Minister Stephen Harper has grown more popular since leaving office in 2015. A recent poll conducted by Research Co. ranked Harper second among Canada’s prime ministers since 1968.

    As we consider the Harper government, we see its clear record of accomplishment. This record stands as the true legacy of former Prime Minister Stephen Harper. It improved the lives of Canadians and served as a principled moral voice on the world stage.

    That legacy includes a full decade of strong, stable Conservative government for Canada.