Maybe the Government Can Save Us!

Can Tim's stay Canadian?

Oh, Good God!

Oooh shame on Tim Horton's for wanting to expand and be successful in the American market! Naughty Canadians aspiring to be a greater company than they should be, because of course we know that Canadian companies are second-rate and need protection from the big nasty beast next door! Stay home where it's safe! Grrrrr!

But McLean now worries the company's decision to expand south and roast its coffee beans in the U.S. will strip Tim Hortons of the things that made it distinctly Canadian.

-- No McLean's now worried that she's lost money because she thought she'd automatically pick up the U.S. business as well...Why would Tim's want the hassle of shipping coffee across the border when you can roast it and distribute it more efficiently there without border hassles...

Wendy's announced that the U.S. division of Tim Hortons posted its first annual profit, and that Tim's now amounts to 30 to 35 per cent of Wendy's total revenue. Thanks to a menu that's evolved to include specialty coffees, bagels, sandwiches and soups, the Big Mac is under attack."

-- McDonald's has problems: the market for greaseburgers is saturated. People want something healthy: or at least something they can pretend is healthy - The can put a "Mc" in front of anything they want: "McPizza" "McSalad" "McSushi" - but it's been ingrained in us for a generation that McDonalds=Big Mac. People expect grease when you walk through the golden arches. They've spent billions over the years convincing us of this. Is it any wonder I can recite two all beef patties special sauce lettuce cheese pickles onions on a sesame seed bun without thinking twice about it? And now they're trying to sell me Veggie burgers? I don't think so...

It find it irritating that any time a "CANADIAN ICON" wants to establish itself south of the border and reach MORE customers, there's always some yokel who wants to circle the wagons and scream about the influence of the "BIG BAD AMERICANS" and how that will make the "CANADIAN ICON" less Canadian.

Is Wayne Gretzky less Canadian because he played the latter half of his career in L.A. St.Louis and New York?

Face it: The Canadian dream is all about making it big in the US (actor, sports, rock star etc.) and then coming home and lording it over the losers who said you'd never leave Moose Jaw, then jetting back to your massive house in Bel-Air (or wherever...)

There are PLENTY of Canadian companies that can do well in the US without abandoning the core values that made them good companies here.

The world is a much smaller place and we can't afford to hide behind "Canadian Content" rules forever...