Ehhh, I’m dating here!
American singles looking for a change of political pace — and medical benefits — are swiping right on Canada.
Reportedly frustrated by the state of affairs in the US, unhappy US residents are turning their dating apps due north — hoping to find love, an allegedly less divisive society and a better quality of life.
According to the Toronto Star. south of the border users of the popular matching app Hinge have been updating their profiles to say they live in various Canadian cities — just to see what’s possible.
Ellie Coverdale, a 39-year-old educator in Arizona, switched her location to Toronto just before the 2024 election and hasn’t looked back.
“It’s a breath of fresh air compared to the chaos we’ve got going on in the U.S. now,” she told the paper. “A few friends have moved to Canada recently and they’ve all raved about how great the culture and political scene is. So I thought, ‘Why not check it out for myself?’”
She’s not alone. Since Donald Trump’s re-election, MapleMatch — a dating app created after the 2016 election specifically to pair Americans with Canadians — is said to have seen a fresh surge of interest.
Over 5,500 new users have joined since November, with 1,000 logging on last Election Day, MapleMatch founder Joe Goldman told The Star.
“I get tons of emails from people in the U.S. who are really frustrated and want me to help them find someone who meets their values,” he said.
“They live in a small town in the U.S., they don’t have anybody around, and they’re hoping that maybe somebody in Canada might share their political perspective or view on how lives should be lived,” he continued.
Canadian relationship coach Channa Bromley told the outlet romantic relocation isn’t new — but this politically charged migration sure is.
“When a country feels unstable, so does the dating pool,” Bromley said.
“Choosing a partner who offers access to a different environment isn’t just emotional — It’s evolutionary.”
Bromley said bios like “Looking for love and an exit strategy” and “Will marry for health care and emotional stability” are increasingly common, with her clients targeting population centers like Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal.
And it’s not just young lovers looking to the land of moose and maple syrup, apparently — Chapter 2 Dating Ltd., which specializes in widows and widowers, say requests to be featured in Canadian markets has doubled since the inauguration.
“Over the past two months, we’ve received over 30 inquiries from American widows and widowers expressing a strong interest in connecting with our Canadian members,” founder Nicky Wake told The Star.
Meanwhile, immigration officials warn Canadians to beware of quickie marriages, reminding citizens that “marriages of convenience” are a crime.
The outward-looking trend aligns with what Tinder has seen globally.
As reported by the app in December, Americans have increasingly used the app’s “passport” feature to search for love outside the U.S., with Mexico and Canada topping the list.
According to the dating site, Tinder tourists set their sights on love abroad throughout 2024 — with Gen Z singles passport-swiping to London, Paris and Tokyo in droves.
New York and LA held it down stateside, but internationally, young daters couldn’t resist a British accent, Olympic heat in the City of Love, or a Tokyo romance.
Still, many Americans kept it continental, favoriting Mexico and Canada for a quick cross-border fling.
“Singles are embracing intentionality in their dating lives — being upfront about what they want and refusing to settle,” Tinder CMO Melissa Hobley said in a statement at the time.
“These trends are all about empowering choice.”
Especially if that choice includes universal health care and a new passport.
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