Starbucks Canada vows to hire at least 1,000 refugees

Starbucks Canada says it will hire at least 1,000 refugees over the next five years.

The announcement Wednesday follows a statement in January by Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz that the company would hire 10,000 refugees around the world in the next half-decade.

"Given the critical role Canada plays in welcoming refugees, we are resolute in our commitment to provide opportunities for employment so that these newcomers can successfully integrate and create a better future for themselves and their families,"  Rossann Williams, the president of Starbucks Canada, said in a statement.

The company said it will begin actively hiring in many of the cities where recent newcomers to Canada have settled, with an initial focus on the Greater Toronto Area, Greater Vancouver Area, Montreal, Ottawa, Calgary, and Edmonton.

Schultz's January announcement apparently had some repercussions for the company. Some supporters of President Donald Trump called for a boycott of the coffee chain, and a firm that tracks consumer attitudes reported a dip in sentiment toward Starbucks.