We roast your personality based on one of three Tim Hortons drinks

No, you aren’t legally Canadian if you choose Starbucks over Tims, so just skip this article in that case.

By: Jennifer Nguyen

(Erik Mclean/Unsplash)

O, Canada. Practically everybody across our country loves some Tims goodness: doesn’t a double-double every workday morning sound heavenly? 

Wait — you don’t like that? Sorry to exaggerate, but what kind of Canadian are you then?!? 

Actually, let us at CanCulture show you. Go ahead and choose from one of these three absolutely random drinks: iced capp, dark roast coffee or unsweetened brewed iced tea. Then sit back and prepare to feel very seen by our psychic crystal ball.

Iced Capp

You think you chose the iced capp life, but truth is, the iced capp life chose you. It’s a little basic, yes, but aren’t you too? We feel like you’re a happy-go-lucky and friendly person that’s popular in your circle. Though, the phrase “easy come, easy go” could apply, don’t you think? You also stand a good chance of owning a small white dog. If you’re over 27, then you’re a certified kid at heart — seriously, try coffee sometime. You can’t ask for added mocha whenever your friends judge you for not being able to hold caffeine forever.

Dark roast coffee

We could say you’re one predictable individual, but that’s what makes you so trusted. You like having your agenda and bullet journal in your black bag. But you’re also to be feared, lowkey. Like, not even a double-double or an americano will do? Because if you’re into dark roast, your wallet will thank you for just starting to make it at home. Unless there’s magic in the water at Tims, then we won’t judge. We really don’t want to mess with you. Maybe you can take our advice and take yourself less seriously sometimes. Then you’ll see how fun it could be to just live and let live. 

Unsweetened brewed iced tea

Oh, you’re DIFFERENT. That’s why you go with one of the few zero-calorie items on the menu. Plus, a tea — iced yet sugar-free — at Tim Hortons, which is famous for coffee… are you like British with a twist, then? Either way, you like floating your own boat like that. If you have godsent willpower like we’re sensing, we hope you allow yourself some guilty-pleasure sugar every once in a while. It’s okay to like regular sweetened iced tea like the rest of us. We promise it won’t make you any less cool!

Are we looking at Tim Hortons’ fall from grace?

A timeline of highs and lows for the beloved Canadian symbol.

By: Kaitlyn Stock

(Tyler Farmer/Unsplash)

Whether you live in the bustling city of Toronto or go east to Charlottetown, everyone in Canada knows the name Tim Hortons and its significance to Canadians. 

While the words “double double,” “Timmy’s” and “Timbits” are present in most Canadians’ vocabulary, how much do you know about the company’s history? 

Since 1964, this fast food restaurant has had its share of ups and downs, prompting Canadians to have mixed opinions about its hype. 

1964:

Tim Hortons was established by Toronto Maple Leafs player Tim Horton, along with Montreal-born businessman Jim Charade, in April 1964. A long-lived desire for entering the restaurant industry and searching for a career to pursue outside of the NHL hockey season led Horton to open Tim Hortons. Its first location was located in Hamilton, Ont., and only doughnuts and coffee were on sale here.

Tim Horton in his Toronto Maple Leafs uniform.  (Louis Jaques/Library and Archives Canada)

The very first Tim Hortons location in Hamilton, Ont. (Designecologist/Unsplash)

1966:

Jim Charade leaves the company due to personal financial difficulties. Hamilton police officer Ron Joyce became Horton’s new partner after buying out Lori Horton’s half in the company. 

1974:

10 years after founding Tim Hortons, Tim Horton died on Feb. 21, 1974, at 44. He was involved in a single-vehicle car crash in St. Catharines, Ont., and an autopsy revealed that Horton had been drinking and driving. At the time of his death, Tim Horton had co-founded 35 stores across southern Ontario.

1975:

Joyce became the sole owner of the company.

1976:

Tim Hortons introduces into the menu Timbits, a bite-sized doughnut hole, also known as munchkins in the U.S.

A box of Timbits next to a Tim Hortons drink. (Conor Samuel/Unsplash)

Throughout the 1980s:

Tim Hortons adds muffins, cookies, soup and chili to its menu.

1984:

Tim Hortons expands into the United States, with its first location being located in Tonawanda, N.Y.

1986:

The “Roll Up The Rim” contest was introduced.

1987:

Lori Horton sued Joyce and the lawyer that represented her in the 1975 sale of Tim Hortons, claiming that she was mentally incompetent at the time of the sale due to her addiction to amphetamine and alcohol. Horton wanted her half of the company back for $10 million; however, her lawsuit failed in 1993.

1995:

Joyce sold Tim Hortons in a merger with Wendy’s, an American fast-food company.

1999:

The iconic Iced Capp, a blended iced coffee, is added to Tim Hortons’ menu. 

2000:

Tim Hortons’ 2,000th restaurant opens in downtown Toronto.

2004:

“Double Double” makes its way into the Canadian Oxford dictionary.

2009:

Tim Hortons surpasses 3,000 stores in Canada, with 600 in the U.S.

The chain also had to defend its use of foreign labour over concerns about Canada’s temporary foreign worker programs. Despite being a Canadian brand, only a small number of Canadians were actually being employed by Tim Hortons.

2011:

Tim Hortons opened its first location in Dubai.

A Tim Hortons inside The Dubai Mall in Dubai, U.A.E., photographed in 2014. (Mostafameraji/Wikimedia Commons)

2012:

Tim Hortons was targeted by the Humane Society of America for getting its pork products from pigs raised in confining gestation crates.

2014:

Tim Hortons removed the short-lived Cold Stone Creamery from its locations after the idea failed to meet the company’s expectations.

A Tim Hortons-Cold Stone Creamery location on 42nd St. in New York City, photographed in 2013. (Hans-Jürgen Hübner/Wikimedia Commons)

Also in 2014, 3G Capital, a Brazilian private equity firm who also owns Burger King, gained ownership over Tim Hortons. Despite the company no longer being Canadian-owned, Tim Hortons’ reputation as a beloved Canadian fast-food chain didn’t seem to suffer. 

2017:

Tim Hortons opens its first location in Spain, along with launching restaurants in the U.K., marking its expansion into Europe.

A Tim Hortons in Madrid, the capital of Spain, photographed in 2019. (Jon Kolbert/Wikimedia Commons)

2018:

After the minimum wage in Ontario increased to $14 per hour from $11.60, some Ontario Tim Hortons locations were discovered to be removing employee benefits, paid breaks and tips. 

2019:

Tim Hortons opened its first restaurant in China. 

A Tim Hortons inside Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station in China, photographed in 2021. (Shwangtianyuan/Wikimedia Commons)

2021:

According to Yahoo! Finance, Tim Hortons’ sales declined by 15.7 per cent in 2020. While this decrease could be excused by COVID-19 pandemic, I personally believe that the company has experienced a downfall since merging with Burger King and focusing less on its coffee and baked goods. 

I have converted to McDonald’s coffee over the years. This is mainly due to Tim Hortons’ coffee being inconsistent with its taste, plus the fact that it’s no longer being supplied by family-owned tea and coffee company Mother Parker’s — who now supplies McDonald’s. I believe that Tim Hortons should stick to what it knows best — coffee and doughnuts, instead of attempting to compete with McDonald’s by putting burgers and sandwiches on its menu. 

On TikTok, many Canadians have shared the same sentiment, expressing their concerns regarding Tim Hortons’ downfall and criticizing the company’s changes. One user expresses her displeasure with Tim Hortons’ current lids and how she misses the old ones:

This is not the only TikTok posted about how people prefer old Tim Hortons' goods, suggesting its downfall over the years:

From removing some fan-favourite flavours to altering the presentation of its products, Tim Hortons has definitely changed since 1964 — for better or worse. Despite its transformation, however, the company will likely always have a major impact on Canada’s national identity to many.

Review: Timbiebs bring me feelings of Canadian nostalgia

Justin Bieber’s collaboration with Tim Hortons is as Canadian as it gets.

By: Aru Kaul

(Ronald Chen/CanCulture)

When I found out that Timbiebs were coming out on Nov. 29, I did what any Belieber would do and walked in the snow to the nearest Tim Hortons on the day of.

For me, Tim Hortons has always been more than just a coffee shop. As someone who moved to Canada very young and had trouble adjusting to new norms, Tim Hortons was a way for me to embrace being Canadian. This was one of the things that made me so eager to try Timbiebs; and my unrequited love for Justin Bieber, of course.

In the days leading up to the Timbiebs launch, I saw creators on TikTok coming up with new names for the snack. Some of the new names are “Biebits,” “Justims” and my personal favourite – “Bieberballs,” but that’s probably just my inner 12-year-old talking.

@timhortons

Ever dream of being fed our new delicious Timbiebs by Justin Bieber? Canada and US only.

♬ original sound - Tim Hortons

As I waited in line for my turn to get the Timbiebs, I practiced the order in my head, trying out each funny name. Then, when I got to the cashier, they almost instinctively said: “You want Timbiebs right?” I was a little disappointed that I didn’t get to make the joke, but I was still excited to try them.

I always get a white hot chocolate to drink with my Timbits. I did the same for my Timbiebs, but this time, I tried one of each flavour first. The three flavours are called birthday cake waffle, chocolate white fudge, and sour cream chocolate chip, which sounded especially interesting. It might seem like sour cream and chocolate won’t go well together, but in reality, it’s the perfect blend of sweet and sour!

Just like the name suggests, birthday cake waffle was kind of like eating a cake, but smaller. The sprinkles made it even more convincing! As for chocolate white fudge, the white chocolate pieces perfectly complemented its chocolatey centre. I found that the sour cream chocolate chip tasted the best with the white hot chocolate.

The flavours were made by Bieber himself. According to a press release, Bieber worked with Tallis Voakes, the director of culinary innovations at Tim Hortons, to come up with the flavours. This made me want to try Timbiebs even more because I knew they were more than just Bieber’s name attached to them. 

The entire experience was enough to remind me of my preteen and teenage years, when I would spend all of my money on Justin Bieber merchandise. All I’m saying is, if Timbiebs had come out back then, I definitely would have spent all of my money on them — something that my present self completely wouldn’t mind.