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Leeway from Lloyd: Walnut crunch is food for thought

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ASK THE EXPERTS

ASK THE EXPERTS

STAFF WRITER GEOFF LEE

It’s time for one of my potpourri columns on a couple of timely topics, namely the return of two socalled iconic donuts by Tim Hortons and the construction worker shortage.

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Tims must have been reading one of my columns months ago when I lamented the long-time demise of my favourite donut, the walnut crunch.

The south-end store reminds me of it every day on their wallpaper, listing the walnut crunch as donut #46 on the defunct list.

The company brought back the walnut crunch and the famed cherry stick donut to celebrate National Donut Day on June 2, but these tasty wonders will only stick around for a limited time.

If they are so beloved as Tims notes, then please keep selling these retro flavours forever. It is still the only donut I will eat, so when they are gone, Tims will lose a buyer.

Some online naysayers liken the look of the crunch to a “number 2” but these dark eats are #1 in my donut books. I ate one last week after years of therapy to get over their sudden disappearance from the shelves!

On the topic of a shortage of construction labour, I was chatting with a builder who is recon - structing the exterior of my building and he is down to a skeleton crew.

He told me two guys just quit and a third guy also left, putting the project completion date out the window.

He also told me, most guys prefer to work on residential vs. commercial construction since they don’t like all the safety rules for commercial.

He is hiring some summer students who should at least get home safe and sound wearing a hard hat and fall protection gear, which is the point of safety equipment. From an industry point of view, many experienced workers have retired or left the industry, along with a lack of young people entering the business which creates a labour gap.

Nationally, the number of construction job vacancies is estimated at 93,000.

The lack of workers delays the completion of projects like new housing and drives up the cost for builders, consumers and owners. I don’t have any solutions, but a walnut crunch served to crews during a coffee break might create a better taste for construction work! Retention.

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