Dating is dating, right? You meet someone — in real life (remember that? lol) or on the apps — and you see whether or not you click. On paper, it shouldn't be all that different depending on what city, or even what part of Canada, you live in. But... that's not always the case.
Dating in Ontario can be very different from dating in the Maritimes. The setting is different. The people are different. Even the expectations can be different. The vibe is just... different.
After experiencing both, I noticed a few things that completely changed the way I looked at dating in different parts of the country.
There are more single people in Ontario
This is not only a statistical fact — but you can actually feel that difference.
Ontario, specifically Toronto, feels like a place where you can meet single working professionals in your age range, whether you're freshly out of university or in your 30s or beyond. It always felt like there were new people to meet.
Whereas in the Maritimes, it feels like there aren't as many fish in the dating pool. The swipes are fewer and farther between, and you start seeing the same people over and over again. It also feels like more people are already settled down, so sometimes being single can feel a little isolating.
Men are more career-driven in Ontario
This is not to say men in the Maritimes aren't ambitious, because they definitely are. But because there seems to be more of a focus on family and settling down earlier, the men I met in the Maritimes seemed to prioritize those values more.
Meanwhile, the men I met in Ontario — especially in Toronto and the GTA, both in real life and on the apps — seemed much more focused on their careers. Which might explain their avoidance of relationships!
It felt like men in the Maritimes were more willing to explore a relationship sooner, whereas men in Ontario seemed more risk-averse when it came to committing.
That doesn't mean those relationships were necessarily more successful just because someone wanted one more. Wanting a relationship and having a good relationship are two very different things.
The dating app profiles differences are wild
In Toronto, a lot of the profile photos seem to follow the same formula: condo pictures, shirtless gym selfies, professional headshots (lol), and at least one photo that is supposed to make them look a little dangerous, but in a good way. There's definitely a vibe of "this is my lifestyle, this is my career, this is the version of myself I want you to see."
In the Maritimes, yes, there are still plenty of gym selfies (because apparently men everywhere love those even if we don't), but the photos feel a lot more personal. There are more pictures of nature, fishing, farming, pets, and lots of family photos. Instead of the Toronto profiles where it feels like the bros are the main event, Maritime profiles feel more like you're getting a glimpse into someone's actual life.
Ontario profiles felt a little more curated, while Maritime profiles felt more like, “Here's me, here's my dog, here's a fish I caught.”
Everyone will know your dating business in the Maritimes
This depends on where you live (obviously P.E.I. is smaller than Nova Scotia), but the Maritimes are all pretty small compared to Ontario, especially the GTA. People know you. And if they don't know you (like in my case, being "from away"), they'll probably know the person you're dating.
Translation: there's a pretty good chance complete strangers know exactly who your date is. You might even run into someone you know — or someone your date knows — while you're out together. It definitely makes dating feel a little less anonymous.
In Ontario, that almost never happened to me. I could go on a date without worrying about who might see us or report back to someone I knew. My dating life stayed between me, my date and (of course) — the group chat.
First dates are more stressful in Ontario
Everyone follows a schedule in Ontario. You have to catch this GO Train or this TTC streetcar at a very specific time to meet up, and not to mention everyone just seems so busy all the time. And let's not even get me started on the driving.
What happens when you match with someone who lives in Bowmanville and you live in Scarborough? Yikes. Suddenly your casual first date requires planning around traffic, commuting, and whether or not either of you actually wants to make that drive.
In the Maritimes, there feels like there's less urgency and more of a laid-back vibe. Plans tend to be more low-key and spontaneous. It's less about fitting a date into your already packed schedule and more about just hanging out and seeing what happens.
You're more likely to meet someone through friends in the Maritimes
People tend to be more family-oriented in the Maritimes, which means weekends are usually reserved for spending time with family or very close friends. There's less time for random, casual hangouts, which means a lot of people tend to meet others through friends, family, or social functions.
Of course, you can meet people in Ontario this way too, but it feels like more people have resigned themselves to the fact that dating mostly comes from apps. People also don't seem as keen to set up their friends or family members as much as Maritimers are.
It's almost like Maritimers are like, "Come meet my family and become part of my world," whereas Ontarians are more like, "Nah, just download the app."
Dating feels less anonymous in Ontario
Bad dates happen! But at least in Ontario, especially in larger areas like the GTA, it feels like you can have a bad date and not worry that you're going to run into that person ever again.
In the Maritimes, those chances feel a lot slimmer. Depending on where you live, there are only so many places you can go for a date, whether it's a certain restaurant, bar, coffee shop, or local spot. So there's always a chance you'll end up back at the same place where you had a date and bump into each other.
It's not just about everyone knowing your business — it's also about not always having that same freedom to start fresh. In Ontario, you can go on a date, decide it wasn't for you, and move on to a completely different neighbourhood, restaurant, or group of people if you wanted to.
In the Maritimes…not so much.
The opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.
