Tag Archives: Canadian Differences

Why Tim Horton’s Sucks Now

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I think it is safe to say that most people in Canada or even some parts of the world knows what Tim Horton’s is. Tim’s would be the Dunkin Donuts equivalent to the United States, or even the Krispy Kremes of the United Kingdom. And whatever else you would consider a big chain coffee shop with pastry delights in them. Tim Horton’s is a coffee shop. Chances are if you live in Canada you can get to one within a 30 minute drive if not far far before. Some streets go as far as having a Tim Horton’s every so many blocks. In gas stations, stand alone, in malls or in other stores as a side spot too.

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I think one of the biggest issues that I have with Tim Horton’s, and I would say a lot of Canadians have the same issue, it is that the company is not even Canadian owned anymore. The company was sold to Burger King or Wendy’s or whatever have you but the company that every Canadian knew of is no longer the Canadian company that we once knew and loved. I would even beg the idea that the quality has gone down as well. Everything pre-made and packaged and bakers simply throw in the oven. Or at least that is the way it tastes, like it has come off a factory line. Not to mention the regular things people once loved like coffee and things have changed. People are reaching for the cheaper counter part at McDonald’s which need I mind you in the summer has the dollar menu for drinks as well too.

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My personal gripe with Tim Horton\s was when they took my beloved Cinnamon Donuts and Timbits off the menu. That was my all time favorite flavor of donut and they took it away. It was a flavor that I had known and loved from when I was a child to the moment they removed it from rotation. This particular item isn’t even out in particular seasons or anything they are just gone. Now I have not found a spot that has these items still but if there is a place out there I urge you PLEASE comment where and if I am ever around hopefully they have that there when I arrive. It was such a simple flavor where they have taken it off and have put on more complicated flavors such as Oreo. Do we really need an Oreo flavor baked good from Tim’s, I think not!

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Another memory of my childhood that has been gone and I am unable to find is the “Gingerbread Figure”. See how progressive Tim hortons used to be? And now what, Nothing! This was just as it explains, a gingerbread person with either just icing or icing and a harden sugar head. Sometimes it was based on holidays or a generic girl or boy person. It really depended. Sometimes it was cartoons of popular movies or kids shows or even just animals too. I always loved going with my grandparents to Tim Horton’s in the mornings when I stayed the night there and looking through the glass case at Tim’s to see that they had some made! I would choose this one every time. I would always pick off one of the legs and then the arms and then save the sugar head for last. I know this probably sounds super morbid then it really is but honestly I was a small child and it really isn’t that bad!

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I will say even though they have basically sold out the heart and soul of Canadians that they still do a lot for the country. Especially for the children. For the supporting minor hockey, the Timbits so to speak or their camp day and smile cookie day too. They continue to help our programs that are impacting the kids of the country’s lives daily and helping the art of sport be more accessible. And their camps that are including everyone no matter their abilities.

I’m sure, after I have tried to rip into the Tim’s you are asking yourself, Wow, Does she like anything there? I do actually. I enjoy having their iced coffee made with chocolate milk and I also enjoy having an Iced Capp also made with chocolate milk. Sometimes I don’t mind a sour cream glazed donut or a chocolate chip cookie, Only if they are chewy though! As far as anything else I really am not a fan of their bagels that i once loved. I avoid that. Tea biscuits cheese no ham or just plain are also good however microwaved with butter is how they are enjoyed best!

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Even though they continue to do things that tick most people off. I probably will still enjoy their products here and there. I know it sounds cray why would you still go there when you have a lot of negative to say. I still enjoy some of their things, however if they were to change their iced capps that would be extremely hard for me to go there really. A major point we go there is because of their convenience. When I go for a road trip we always stop their first for their quick eats and coffee even if it doesn’t taste very good which is happening more often than not.

I am all for supporting Canadian shops however the more time passes they seem to be becoming less and less of what my memories are made of. Something that was a part of nearly every shift on my way there has become a few times a year. I just am not interested in going out especially with Covid let alone for their maybe okay tasting drinks. We have recently upgraded our home coffee in the previous year to a Nespresso and with the Cold Wave system that nearly instantly cools hot coffee, I would say that there really is no need.

Is there something that you really liked when you were younger from a restaurant or shop that has changed and you find yourself avoiding it

is it only known in your country or worldwide

Let me know as I am curious if anyone else has experienced this as well too!

Reasons Why I Do Not Like Quebec

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I have a feeling this may turn into a bit of a rant but you know what I am going to try to do everything in my power to NOT let it get that way and actually have a structured stance on the reasons why I do not like Quebec.

1st, I don’t like it because it is french speaking. JUST KIDDING. I will say though in the nicest way possible. I get that Quebec is French Speaking. That is true. And I respect that they are trying to preserve that in a country that is predominantly English. However, It is extremely frustrating when we first moved here and I would go to a grocery store and a person would speak to me in French when I would respond in English. I would like to think that the person who normally is young. I would choose a young cashier more often than not since they for sure would have known English from being in school. Would speak in French to me. Don’t you think that if I knew French I would be trying to speak it. As someone who just moved here I also find that people are not as friendly as they would be in Nova Scotia.

In order to get anything done I had to jump through hoops. For something as simple as a medical card for example. I have always lived in Canada my entire life. I just used to live in Nova Scotia. I have never, seriously NEVER lived in another country. The only time I even left was for 3 weeks to babysit my neice and nephew in England. Other than that I was always here. For me to get a medical card I had to get the proper forms. This included that I lived in the province. I get it. I had to get a piece of mail with my address. My boyfriend even went as far as getting our housing people to provide a letter stating that I was on the lease for the home we were renting too. Which in the end wasn’t even good enough proof that I was permanently living here. After doing this a few times with a run around of different papers I then got a temporary card. This was only good for so long and after so many months I was sent another letter asking me if I could send mail for the previous 6 months PROVING yet again that I lived in the address that I had said I did. Luckily i had mail from school since I was paid to go (More on that coming up) so all I had to do was take my pay stubs from the time frame that they wanted and got to send those in. Which is pretty hard to do, partly because it was 2019 at the time in a world that encourages paperless living. I don’t really receive any mail now that I am not in school either.

Anyone who knows me also knows that I was in french school for a year and a half. In order to get on this course I basically had to convince someone I wanted to take this. Which was a feat in itself. I want to remind you before I begin, If you are a person coming from a different country you simply can fill out all of this paperwork online and start the process super easy. For me, A Canadian, it was a completely different story and in telling said story to a friend of mine she had said that her experience was not this difficult at all! I had to get paperwork. Fill it out. Bring it back. Sit with someone and explain to them why I wanted French courses where I was told that I could do “warehouse work” with English. Then I was told that I had to wait to meet with a counselor or something. I met with them. Then I had to go back to be told if I was accepted. All of this to do a course in French while being convinced along the way that I didn’t need it to work in Quebec which is a lie. You for sure need to know both languages or they won’t even really look at you.

And lastly, The difficulty it was in the hospital having my Son and nurses either do not know English or they did not want to speak it. My boyfriend had to translate nearly everything. Not to mention the hospital that we ended up being was a hospital that was in a town that was known for being bilingual. It wasn’t a small town but was known for being both languages. As frustrating as it was was having some nurses not respond when we asked questions was insane. And even in instances where my boyfriend would specifically ask for an English speaking nurse we were told at times that “the particular nurse was on lunch so we would have to wait an hour for that person”. Which is absolutely insane. We have this new baby and have questions and we aren’t allowed to answer? Really? Needless to say the other challenge was also trying to find my Son a family doctor. A friend of mine even had to find one on the Island of Montreal since there is no available ones around. The clinic that we went to for pre-natal appointments doesn’t really do anything to check up after the birth on the mother or helping in finding a family doctor for the baby. it really is once that baby comes out you are kind of on your own. Needless to say I will be able to go back to my Family doctor in Nova Scotia and things we assume will be far easier than they were here.

As you can see these are pretty big things for someone not to enjoy Quebec. I’m sure that there are things that we have enjoyed. Like Krispy Kreme or things along that way of food. However with issues like this along the way, even though my boyfriend is from Quebec, we both are anxiously awaiting the call or message telling us we will be moving back home. To a simpler place!

-StaySeeJ08