Once hailed as a beloved Canadian treasure — the people’s coffee shop, the cozy, friendly pitstop on every block — Tim Hortons is falling off. Hard. And folks from Toronto to Halifax are sounding off loud and clear: “This ain’t the same Timmy’s we grew up with.”
Health officials have issued a serious public warning after a food-handler at a Tim Hortons located at 181 Livingstone Street East in Barrie tested positive for hepatitis A — and yes, this is real.
If you or someone you know ate or drank anything from that Tim Hortons between May 17 and June 3, 2025, you might have been exposed to this virus. That includes all of it — your double-double, your egg sandwich, your honey cruller, everything.
? So, what is hepatitis A?
Hepatitis A is a virus that affects the liver. It spreads when you consume contaminated food or water, or come into contact with an infected person. And before you say, “Oh, it’s probably nothing”—don’t sleep. Symptoms can take up to 50 days to show up and include fever, stomach pain, vomiting, fatigue, dark urine, and jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes).
This isn’t just a “get well soon” situation. This can send people to the hospital.
? The good news? You still have time.
Public health has stepped up — vaccine clinics have been set up in Barrie for people who may have been exposed. But here’s the catch: you must get the hepatitis A vaccine within 14 days of exposure to protect yourself.
If you visited that Tim Hortons on:
- May 30 → get vaccinated by June 13
- May 31 → by June 14
- June 1 → by June 15
- June 3 → by June 17
- The vaccine clinic is located at 15 Sperling Drive, Barrie and it’s FREE. Get there. Bring ID. Bring your kids. Don’t wait.
? Vaccine alert
- Post-exposure vaccination is effective if you get it within 14 days of exposure. Health officials set up a vaccine clinic in Barrie to help.
? Should you be worried?
- The risk is low, but symptoms can take 15–50 days to show up. Watch for fever, nausea, abdominal pain, dark urine, jaundice, etc.
- Immune? If you’ve had two doses of the hepatitis A vaccine already—or had the disease before—you’re in the clear, no need for a booster.
✅ What to do
- Check if you were there between May 17–June 3.
- Vaccinate ASAP if within 14 days of exposure. Clinics run through June 17.
- Monitor until mid-July or early August for any health changes.
Now, if the Hepatitis A exposure at a Barrie location wasn’t enough of a wake-up call, let’s talk about the larger picture that Black Canadians and everyday customers across the diaspora have been noticing for a while: Tim Hortons’ food quality, customer service, and community care have been in a steady decline.
☕ “It Used To Taste Like Home… Now It Tastes Like Disrespect.”
Let’s keep it real — the coffee’s mid, the donuts are stale, and the breakfast sandwiches are microwave-tier trash.There, I said it.
Ask anyone in our community: we remember when grabbing a double-double meant something. Now, you’re lucky if your order is right, your food is fresh, and the staff isn’t acting like you just ruined their day by showing up. Gone are the days when Timmies felt like a cozy neighborhood stop. Now it feels like an understaffed chain trying to pump out profit, not pride.
And let’s not even start on those “baked somewhere else and trucked in”donuts. Because that’s exactly what happened when the brand sold out to a multinational conglomerate. Quality tanked, and customers — especially Black and immigrant communities who helped build their business — were left with the scraps.
?️ “They Don’t Care About Us, Just Our Coins”
Let’s talk service. Or the lack thereof. People from Black communities — especially in urban centers like Scarborough, Jane & Finch, or Peel Region — have shared stories of disrespect, indifference, and just plain bad vibeswhen walking into certain Timmies.
And yet — these are the same communities that line up, spend daily, and show up to support. Why are we being treated like background noise?
It’s giving corporate neglect. It’s giving “you’re just a number.”
?️? Tim Hortons: Pride Flags But No People Power?
They’ll hang up rainbow flags, slap on Orange Shirt Day posters, and serve “community” vibes in commercials. But where is that energy when it’s time to pay fair wages, invest in frontline workers, and actually engage with the diverse communities they claim to serve?
You can’t sprinkle “diversity” on your Instagram and ignore the very real concerns from the people who made you a staple.
? From Heart to Hustle: What Changed?
Here’s what went down:
- In 2014, Tim Hortons was bought by Restaurant Brands International, owned by the same folks behind Burger King. That’s when the love left the kitchen.
- Since then, cost-cutting became the religion. Quality dropped. Staff hours got slashed. And service? Well… we see it.
They started chasing Wall Street profits and forgot about Main Street people.
? My Final Words
Listen, I’m not saying boycott Tim Hortons. But I am saying hold them accountable. We need to stop giving blind loyalty to brands that don’t give a damn about us.
We deserve fresh food. Clean restaurants. Respectful service.
Because Black dollars are powerful, and our voices are even louder.
So if you’re tired of getting handed a lukewarm coffee with a cold attitude — say something.
Post it. Report it. Walk out if you have to.
Because until they feel it in their pocket? They won’t fix it.
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