In the era of technology, even love is found online. However, people have gotten so used to customising their preferences in every part of their lives that even in the aspect of dating, minute details have to be clarified first.These can range from being aligned with the ideal political parties to following a certain music artist like Taylor Swift. However, in a recent turn of events where every political move is making it difficult to survive in the current economy, people are considering more important concerns, such as healthcare.Yes, according to the Toronto Star, more and more single Americans are swiping right on Canadian romantic prospects for reasons different from love. Now, young American individuals are looking for a change of political pace and better medical benefits rather than romance.According to Channa Bromley, a Canadian relationship coach, the relocation to Canada is nothing new, but the aim behind it sure is. “When a country feels unstable, so does the dating pool,” Bromley said to The Star. “Choosing a partner who offers access to a different environment isn’t just emotional — It’s evolutionary”, she added.Bios like “Looking for love and an exit strategy” and “Will marry health care and emotional stability” are very common among people targeting the residents of centres like Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal.

Moving towards Canada

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This trend is commonly seen among the users of the popular dating app Hinge, where users are updating their profiles to mention their residences as various Canadian cities to see if matching with a Canadian is possible.A 39-year-old educator in Arizona, Ellie Coverdale, had switched her location to Toronto prior to the 2024 elections and hasn’t stepped back since. “It’s a breath of fresh air compared to the chaos we’ve got going on in the U.S. now,” she told the Toronto Star. “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 added.For Americans, who are troubled by divisive politics, expensive healthcare, rising costs of living and emotional instability, Canada seems to be the destination where they can seek emotional and political asylum.Not only on Hinge, MapleMatch- an app aimed at matching Americans with Canadians has recently seen a fresh surge of interest. Since November 2024, over 5,000 new users have logged on to the dating app, with 1,000 logging on the last Election Day, told the founder of the dating app, Joe Goldman, to The Star.Even mainstream platforms like Tinder are mirroring the zeitgeist with the app’s report of December 2024 stating that people have been using the “passport” feature on the app to find love outside of the U.S., with Mexico and Canada being the top choices.

Not just young Americans…

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It seems that the wish to find a partner in Canada is not just limited to the tech-savvy young daters but also to match-making-seeking adults. As per Chapter 2 Dating Ltd., which specialises in matching widows and widowers, requests to be featured in the Canadian markets have increased ever since the Trump 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,” said founder Nicky Wake to The Star.

American healthcare system

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While innovative and advanced, the American healthcare system is not affordable to all and thus not the top-choice for many. People can either not access medical professionals or have to wait months to see one. According to The Guardian, America spends more on expensive hospitals and tertiary care than on disease prevention and timely access to healthcare. According to research, it is about $2,300 less expensive for a patient to receive care from a community health centre than at a private clinic.Even for the basic medical needs, one needs to rush to the emergency room at an expensive hospital. Thus, it seems understandable why Americans are looking to change countries to have access to affordable and accessible healthcare.Not only young individuals but even the older strata of society are recognising the tumultuous arena of the American public sphere, which is so unpredictable and happening that it is no longer interesting and bordering on unsafe.In the global sphere, where countries are on the verge of wars and economies have become more insufferable to live in, people are opting to move out to places like Canada that are not politically turbulent and have health systems that don’t empty their pockets. Here, dating trends work as magnifying lenses into reality on a deeper level.