‘All good intentions:’Tim Hortons poppy doughnut causes social media stir

By: The Canadian Press Posted: 12:40 PM CST Thursday, Nov. 9, 2017 Last Modified: 9:06 AM CST Friday, Nov. 10, 2017

CALGARY - The general manager of the Calgary Poppy Fund and Veterans' Food Bank says he hopes no one gets in big trouble over poppy-emblazoned doughnuts that were sold at a local Tim Hortons.

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CALGARY - The general manager of the Calgary Poppy Fund and Veterans' Food Bank says he hopes no one gets in big trouble over poppy-emblazoned doughnuts that were sold at a local Tim Hortons.

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This article was published 09/11/2017 (3257 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

CALGARY – The general manager of the Calgary Poppy Fund and Veterans’ Food Bank says he hopes no one gets in big trouble over poppy-emblazoned doughnuts that were sold at a local Tim Hortons.

“It was all good intentions, I understand. Nobody was out to hurt anybody,” John Rathwell said Thursday.

The doughnuts, with petals made from red sprinkles surrounding a circle of what appears to be jelly, caused a social media stir after an image of them was posted on the popular Calgary Twitter account @Crackmacs.

A poppy donut is seen at a Tim Hortons in Calgary in this undated handout photo. The head of the Calgary Poppy Fund and Veterans' Food Bank says he hopes no one gets in big trouble over a poppy-emblazoned doughnut sold at a local Tim Hortons. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO, Twitter, @crackmacs *MANDATORY CREDIT*

“How incredibly insensitive and short-sighted,” one Twitter user responded.

Others chimed in to say the move did not sit well and it was not appropriate to cash in on Remembrance Day.

Rathwell said he would have preferred it if the business had reached out to his group before Remembrance Day about partnering to raise funds for veterans.

“The poppy symbol is a registered trademark and permission should be asked,” he said, noting many consider the symbol sacred.

“But at the same time, I thought somebody taking that initiative during this time of remembrance is an admirable thing.”

The southeast Calgary Tim Hortons franchise where the doughnuts were sold declined to comment.

“As a proud Canadian brand, we have the utmost respect and honour for our veterans,” the chain’s head office said in a statement.

“The restaurant owner, who independently owns and operates this restaurant in Calgary, will be matching and donating 100 per cent of the poppy donut proceeds to the Royal Canadian Legion.”