Tim Hortons confirms it will end vaccine certificate system on March 1

By Richard Southern

Premier Doug Ford announced on Monday that restaurants no longer have to ask customers for proof of vaccines starting on March 1, and Tim Hortons is at least one chain planning to follow that guidance.

Ford and his government left the option open for restaurants to continue asking for the certificates if they so choose. When asked what his company will do, the chief operating officer of Tim Hortons’ parent company, Restaurant Brands International Duncan Fulton, told CityNews the intent is to allow patrons to enter without asking for proof of vaccination.

“Throughout the pandemic, we have followed local public health requirements and guidance to keep our guests and team members safe,” Fulton said. “Safety is our top priority, and we will continue to work with our restaurant owners to appropriately adapt as local public health requirements change.

“When public health authorities end the requirement for vaccine passports, we will follow that guidance,” Fulton added.

Fulton initially had said it was too early to tell if Tim Hortons would scrap a vaccine certificate come March 1.


The government intends to fully lift capacity limits on businesses and social gatherings on that date. Its vaccine certificate policy — which requires that certain companies only admit vaccinated patrons — is set to end the same day.

Fulton admits that scanning vaccine passports and additional steps “add pressure on our team members.”

“So the government now believes it’s safe to lift that we’re fully behind that,” he says.

Ford said Tuesday that he was “never sold” on the proof-of-vaccination policy but that he introduced it on the advice of the province’s chief medical officer, Dr. Kieran Moore.

Restaurant Brands International reported that sales rose 10.3 per cent — a rise credited primarily to Canadian pop singer Justin Bieber.

Tim Hortons saw an uptick in business in the quarter thanks partly to a promotional campaign involving Bieber that saw the chains sell merchandise and Bieber branded Timbits, labelled “Timbiebs.”

Asked by CityNews if there will be further collaboration between Tim Hortons and Bieber, the chief operating officer didn’t rule it out.

“There might be something next. I’ll leave it at that.”


With files from Lucas Casaletto and The Canadian Press

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