BECKY ZIMMER
Opinions Writer

This past fall, the 5,756 person city of Humboldt got its first Tim Hortons.

This had been the talk around the small city for the last four years, so when it finally happened, people jumped at the chance to visit Tim’s. Previously, they had been forced to drive all the way to Saskatoon for their double-double fix.

I visited Humboldt over the Christmas break and experienced the most depressing feeling I’ve ever had. When I lived in Humboldt, I worked in a coffee shop in the middle of town. We brewed an awesome cup of coffee, (besides our lattes and mochas), and made amazing bowls of soup and fresh sandwiches. It was a locally owned and operated shop and there wasn’t a single re-creation of it anywhere else in Canada. It had a homey quality to it, stemming from the handwritten chalk menus and couches in the corner where you could sit and have a conversation for hours with a long lost friend or a stranger you’d just met.

My two bosses were the friendliest people you could ever work for and they put their hearts and souls into making the business work because it was their own and no one else’s. They didn’t have to listen to a head office located thousands of miles away or give up a portion of their profits to franchise-licensing fees. What they made was theirs and that made them work all the harder for it. We tried new recipes and made different drinks all the time instead of offering the same menu day after day.

This is what small towns in Saskatchewan are losing: small, locally-owned businesses that have character, history and charm. They are disappearing in favour of big box stores and franchise restaurants. When these businesses are gone, the community loses not only the friendly atmosphere and the hard working staff, but the economic benefits which come with local business ownership and operation.

Comparing the Tim Hortons in Humboldt to the many that exist in Saskatoon, there is little to no difference in appearance or atmosphere. It’s the same brown colour scheme with the same table and chair set where you order the same double-double from bored 17-year-olds who don’t want to be there.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mean to bash Tim Hortons, per se, but franchise restaurants detract from the individuality of these small towns. How else do they distinguish themselves from the next 5,000-person town down the road? There are over 500 such towns in Saskatchewan, each with their own unique history, flair, and hopefully businesses.

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image: Flickr