Tim Hortons says it is moving away from its previous calls for expanded access to Canada’s temporary foreign worker programme as it launches a campaign to hire 10,000 new local employees.
In a statement released on Monday, the company said around 4,000 of its 110,000 workers in Canada were hired through the temporary foreign worker programme, representing roughly 3.6 percent of its workforce.
The coffee chain said the number of temporary foreign workers employed in its restaurants has been declining steadily since 2024.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Tim Hortons said it had encouraged the federal government to expand access to the programme due to staffing shortages across the restaurant industry.
However, the company now says conditions have changed.
“Lobbying for expanded access is no longer necessary,” Tim Hortons said, citing rising youth unemployment and shifts in the labour market.
Tim Hortons recently announced plans to open 80 new restaurants and renovate 400 existing locations nationwide.
According to the company, 340 franchise owners are investing $270 million into the expansion effort, while the corporation itself is contributing an additional $130 million.
Around 1,500 franchisees currently operate approximately 4,000 Tim Hortons restaurants across Canada.
