Construction is well underway on what Mayor Alan MacNevin calls “the biggest extravaganza of the century.”

Contractors broke ground on Little Current’s future Tim Hortons operation, which is located on Manitowaning Road (Highway 6) and Draper Street, three weeks ago and as of mid-July, they are still on schedule for a mid- to late-October opening.

Two years ago, when rumours started swirling that Tim Hortons was looking to establish a franchise location on Manitoulin Island, there was a flurry of excitement on social media that had some folks voicing their support and others their concern.

The Tim Hortons would be Manitoulin Island’s first national fast-food franchise operation.

“We haven’t received any direct complaints to the municipality, but there have been a lot of people voicing opinions on social media. Some people are saying that it will change Manitoulin forever by having an impact on mom and pop shops and on local tourism,” said MacNevin, mayor of Northeastern Manitoulin and the Islands (NEMI).

“Some people are really in favour of it, too, for many reasons. A lot of our stores close early, except during peak season, and anyone commuting back and forth to the Island would like to have some place to go after hours. People are also looking forward to the employment opportunities that it would bring.”

It’s been a long road for franchisee Denis Lefebvre, who also own store locations in Espanola, McKerrow, and Blind River, but he is excited to finally get the project off the ground.

“It’s going to be really special for us to be in Little Current. We are very honoured and happy to be in that community,” he said.

“Personally, I have 100 acres in Gore Bay, so I know what Manitoulin is all about, and I know how people are feeling.”

Originally, Lefebvre had plans to establish the franchise location at a different site. He had a tentative deal with a different developer, but the deal fell through.

“As we were getting further into the project, the Ministry of Transportation was asking us to change a few things, which added substantial cost to the project and it just wasn’t financially feasible,” he said.

“We negotiated with our new developer, and it took a year and a half, but here we are. We started. It’s official.”

In terms of the controversy surrounding opening a franchise like Tim Hortons on the Island, Lefebvre is sympathetic.

“I’ve heard a little rumbling about it. People have been approaching me and commenting on some things, and I actually understand what they are saying and where they are coming from,” he said.

“I think Manitoulin Island is a very beautiful place, and we plan to do our part in Little Current and on the Island as a whole. We’ve got a lot of projects already in the works so that we can give back to the community.”

Lefebvre, who has owned Tim Hortons franchises since 1996, is experienced with the franchise’s community initiatives, including Timbit’s hockey and soccer programs, summer camp for kids, Smile Cookie campaigns, etc.

“We’re going to do the things that we do in every community across Canada. We are going to raise money for the hospital and food banks, support different community events, raise awareness about littering. We have always done these things,” he said.

The new location is expected to create more than 30 full- and part-time jobs, according to Lefebvre.

MacNevin added that he believes having a Tim Hortons location will be a good addition to Little Current.

“I think people are worried that the smaller coffee shops in the community would be damaged in some way, but I believe that there are different types of customers. There are people who are traveling and who want to grab a quick bite or a coffee, and there are coffee connoisseurs that like to go to a specialty shop and order some kind of marvelous latte that’s got 10 different words in front of it,” he said.

“Our council is in support of it, although we weren’t involved in bringing the project forward, but we did support the creation of a commercial zone as the years went by, looking to attract businesses there, so we’re happy about that.”

In a couple weeks, Lefebvre will also be starting a project to open another Tim Horton’s location in Thessalon.

Although the COVID-19 pandemic has been difficult for business, Lefebvre is looking forward to a busy fall season.

“Tim Hortons is a good, big brand. We take all the precautionary measures to ensure the safety of our guests and team members,” he said.

“We really hope that we get through this quickly and that we can get everybody back sitting in our stores. We look forward to that. We miss a lot of our regulars who come in and chit chat with us.”

- Colleen Romaniuk, Local Journalism Initiative, Sudbury Star