Canada in Pop Culture

[Deleted]

Am I a bad Canadian because I don't drink coffee? Maybe I should try. Any Tim's recommendations? When I go there I get a hot chocolate and Timbits. They have pretty good hot chocolate.

[foxfair]

There's a dearth of Timmys in Van? I never noticed that. I live on one of the Gulf Islands (no Timmy's argh!) but I get to Nanaimo a lot and suck down Iced Caps as fast as I can. I've also never heard of the Pay It Forward thing.

I like the Olympic logo/character - I've driven across the country a few times and those little rock inukshuks line the Trans Canada. A lot of people here have little ones in their gardens or at the end of their driveways as well. It's not some godawful cartoon-ish/cutesy character and it definitely says 'Canada' to me without being as obvious as a maple leaf or something.

Snowberry - English Toffee coffee is yummy with lots of cream!

[sasharae]

Just out of curiosity, I opened the phone book and looked up the numbers of Tim Horton's and Starbucks outlets in Vancouver. Tim's: 5 Starbucks: 54. Those numbers are from last year's phone book and don't include the seven Seattle's Best outlets Starbucks owns or the "independent" cafes the company has taken over.

ETA: Pay it Forward is insane.

[Benni]

The Pay it Forward thing is alive and well in Central, Alberta. Last week a morning show was staked out at the Innisfail Tim's. There seem to be alot of Tim Horton's opening up in the smaller towns such as Rocky Mountain House and Lacombe lately - where people also do the Pay it Forward game. I know people also do this in Edmonton because my brother-in-law was caught not paying and will never live it down.

No matter how desperate I am for an Iced Cap I just park wait in line, end up buying donuts I don't need and swear at those people who think Pay it Forward it just the most wonderful thing. People phone into the radio crying saying how it just made their day and how wonderful it is.

[Deleted]

I prefer Starbucks... but Timmies is so much cheaper! People are literally lined out the door at the Bay Street and Eaton Centre stores.

If we're going out of town, it's always so nice to see a Tim Hortons... and they are everywhere! I like their fat free muffins and French Vanilla Cappuccino. Did I mention how cheap it was?

The Tim bits are OK... my kids like them.

[foxfair]

This thread makesme feel warm and fuzzy.

And I have a question about Pay It Forward - do you just buy the person's coffee or are you somehow paying for their whole order? Like, if I buy an Iced Cap and the dude behind me is buying 12 donuts, a pie, a family pack of timbits and 6 large Iced Caps - how much of his order do I have to get?

And is that radio stake-out thing just screaming for some kind of passenger-armed-with-a-cream-pie-to-throw-in-the-DJ's-face thing or is it just me? I mean, I like the sentiment behind the pay-it-forward thing but the sentiment is kinda ruined if there's some authority figure there forcing you to do it, ya know?

42 what, Moldy?

[Deleted]

In Regina there are only 5 or 6 Tim Horton's, but we have only 2 Starbucks, one in Chapters and one at the university (although it goes by a different name, it still sells Starbucks coffee). I don't care much for Starbucks. When I need my hot chocolate fix I go to Tim's or Roca Jack's, which may or may not be local. And now I want hot chocolate....

[underjoyed]

In Vancouver, is there still a Tim Horton's in that little group of shops just past Kits Beach and just before the Burrard Street Bridge?

When I was living in London (UK) they had (still do, I think) the Canada Store near Covent Garden (conveniently close to the Maple Leaf Pub). They imported tins of Tim Horton's coffee, which would sell out almost immediately after their arrival. The clue that the most recent shipment had arrived was usually a little crowd of people standing outside the shop, all dancing around like they had to go to the bathroom, waiting for the shop to open so they could get their coffee.

Good times.

[Benni]

I feel bad now telling you how much I hate the Pay it Forward about Timmy's so now I will tell you about how much I love Timmy's in Alberta.

Every year they have what is called The Tim Horton Tournament of Nations Hocky Tournament for Novice Age hockey players in Edmonton. This is for all across Alberta kids. It starts on a Thursdays and goes all weekend. Each team is assigned a country and you play for your country. We have gone to it 4 times. It is huge. There are about 500 teams if you can imagine of 7 - 8 year olds. Each kid gets a jersey and wins a medal. The parents get go-mugs and cofee and donuts. They parade around the Edmonton Coliseum as their countries just like the Olympics. It is so exciting for the kids. It is so well run and so much fun. Of course all the parents get drunk and the kids run wild around the hotels and get asked never to come back but what the hell. (Oh did I mention the part about the parents having to dress like the country you are playing for and the grass skirts and bikini tops in -40 well never mind)

[MrsOldManBalls]

Am I a bad Canadian because I don't drink coffee?

I'm not alone in this? Thank you Jebus!
Timmy's hot chocolate is okay, but over the years I've perfected my own little recipe. If you ever find yourself in London(ON) Snowberry stop by and I'll mix up a batch for us to sip while we snark.