"Tim Hortons coming to Ohsweken"

OHSWEKEN - Last night Dakota Brant taught elected band council how to say, "what is your name?" in Mohawk. When the proposed Tim Hortons opens up, she may be teaching them how to say, "I'd like a double-double, please."

Franchisee Landon Miller, has been trying to establish a Tim Hortons fast food restaurant in the heart of Ohsweken for a number of years. Having received funding for the project last year, he came to elected band council's general meeting last night to officially announce his project, his progress and to request a Band Council Resolution (BCR) signed by the Six Nations Elected Council.

Miller needs to give the Bank of Montreal permission to come onto Six Nations and repossess equipment and supplies that were purchased with the loan, if the business doesn't succeed.

"Basically it means that they can come get the ovens, panini presses and the toasters if I default on my loan," said Miller.

This will be Canada's first stand-alone, native owned Tim Hortons on native territory and Miller said that parking and traffic should not be an issue with where the restaurant is going, based on location.

Miller said that there are already a few Tim Hortons on reserves in Canada, but they are either non-native owned, owned by a non-native corporation, or if it is native owned then it is just a small shop attached to a gas station.

"This is the first full store," he said. Meaning that it will offer everything that Tim Hortons' do in nearby cities.

"We've been working probably six years on it," said Miller. "It was technically approved six years ago - we're just crossing the t's and dotting the i's now."

Miller passed around digital renderings of the future Tim Hortons. He said that his business colleagues at Tim Hortons approved representations of the Tree of Peace and the Hiawatha Wampum to be showcased on the outside of the building.

Elected council carried, or approved, Miller's request for the BCR and Miller said that there should be a lot more progress done before the end of this summer.