Guest Author - Kazia Mullin

Canada is a vast country stretching across diverse geographies and cultures. Each of Canada’s provinces and territories boasts its own unique culture and approach to the world. Despite its differences though, there are touchstones that truly unite Canada and its peoples, unifying them as Canadians. Among these cultural icons are beer, hockey, tolerance, and Tim Hortons.

In 1964, NHL Hockey player Tim Horton opened his first coffee and donut shop in Hamilton, Ontario. There was no hint then that his little neighbourhood coffeeshop would become a Canadian cultural icon. Once a strictly coffee and donut small business, Tim Hortons has become a billion dollar chain serving soup, sandwiches, and a wide variety of baked goodies, with locations across Canada and the eastern United States.

Known across Canada as “Tims” or “Timmies”, Tim Hortons has found a place in Canadian life that no other food place has. It is our beloved Tim Hortons that has earned Canada the dubious honour of having the most donut shops per capita than any other country in the world. MacDonalds may have played a part in turning the United States into a fast food nation, but for Canada, it is “Timmies” that has had a hand in turning Canada into a nation of coffee and donuters.

Tim Hortons has become such a part of Canadian culture that even the way one orders at their local “Tims” has sparked its own lingo. Experienced “Tims” customers know exactly what their friend is saying when they ask, “Do you want to go get some timbits and a double-double?”

Now an entry in the Canadian Oxford English Dictionary, a “double-double” refers to a brewed coffee with two creams and two sugars. The small ball of donut dough sold individually as a “timbit” is a term that any Canadian child is very familiar with.

That “double-double” has earned the prestige of a dictionary entry is a testament to the love of the sweet and creamy coffee, and how well it pairs with an equally sweet donut. But what does it say about Canadian culture that the way we order our coffee is dictionary worthy? No one’s submitting their Starbucks latte order for dictionary review.

Tim Hortons tapped into a part of Canadian culture that runs throughout the diversity of the entire country. Whether it’s those rushing about the country’s metropolitan cities, or those enjoying the smaller towns, Canadians identify themselves as uncomplicated, hardworking, and straightforward, and as having a bit of a sweet tooth. Tim Hortons, with its simple menu and complete lack of pretence seems to suit Canadians and fit right into Canadian culture.