The Act for Alberta billboard truck made a pit stop at Tim Hortons this week with a message that hit harder than a double-double when you're under-caffeinated: “Tim Hortons should not be a pathway to citizenship.”
The truck rolled through a Tim’s drive-thru plastered with criticism of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program and the company’s reliance on it, highlighting growing frustration from Albertans who feel locked out of entry-level jobs that used to belong to students and young workers.
And the numbers are ugly.
Youth unemployment for Canadians aged 15 to 19 is hovering around 20%, according to recent labour market data. That means one in five Canadian teenagers looking for work can’t find it.
Meanwhile, major fast-food chains continue bringing in temporary foreign workers for jobs that generations of Canadian kids once used to get their start in the workforce.
The TFW program was intended for true TEMPORARY labour shortages, not as a permanent staffing model for multinational corporations.
Act For Alberta is a registered third-party advertiser promoting Alberta independence.
Act For Alberta says Tim Hortons has become one of the most visible symbols of the problem: a Canadian icon increasingly staffed through immigration streams while young Canadians struggle to land basic part-time work.
The stunt drew plenty of attention from customers in the drive-thru, many honking and taking photos of the truck as it made its coffee run.