A true Canadian landmark — well, actually, landmarks. Tim Hortons stands on the corner of virtually every other intersection in most of Canada, but that is stating the obvious.

Not only is Tim Hortons a Canadian tradition, but in a poll of 400 students from Fanshawe and Western that I conducted, 287 of them said that they must have Tim Hortons every day, adding they usually grab a coffee. Fifty students said they have Tim Hortons at least four times a week, 59 said at least twice a week, and a mere four said they rarely ever have Time Hortons.

Emma Robinson, an avid "Timmies" fan, said she cannot start her day until she has a coffee. But not just any coffee — a Tim Hortons' large double-double. Robinson said, "I get a headache about midday if I don't have a coffee in the morning." But why Timmies? "I like it, it's cheap, the flavour is always consistent, and it's a Canadian thing."

Timmies has multiple purposes besides providing flavourful coffee. Robinson said she uses it for directions. "There are so many of them, and everyone knows the Tim Hortons logo. You can use them as landmarks to describe where to take a turn."

Steph Brydges, a former Tim Hortons employee noticed a trend regarding the chain's main seller. "When I was working at Tim Hortons, there was a typical daily pattern. Between about 6 a.m. and 10 a.m., coffee was the major item, along with bagels and breakfast sandwiches, of course. After 10 a.m. until close coffee was still the highest seller from what I noticed, so coffee always remained our most consistent menu item," she said.

Why is Tim Hortons such a beloved tradition? Is it the cost? The flavour? Or is it purely because of the Canadian culture it holds in its name? Customers love all of those things collectively, but if one aspect were to be sacrificed, would we all still feel the same? One customer is sure of the spot Timmies has in her heart: "It doesn't matter if the price goes up. I'm not price loyal, I'm quality loyal," said Robinson.

Another poll question was: what would happen if prices increased? An impressive 368 people said that they like the price but they are more focused on the quality of taste and that it is Canadian. A notso- surprising 32 people said they like it because it's cheap, otherwise they would go to Starbucks or Second Cup.

So there it is: it's a combination of Tim Hortons truly delicious flavour and the way it defines Canadian culture that makes this landmark so loved by Canadians. After all, Canada is a very patriotic country.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.