Data show where to find single people this Valentine’s Day By: Jessica Botelho-Urbanski and Graeme Bruce Posted: 7:00 PM CST Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2019

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Single Manitobans looking for love this Valentine’s Day should head to … Selkirk?

On the eve of a very Hallmark holiday, the Free Press analyzed Manitoba marriage data from the last decade and also found some of the best local spots to pick up dates — statistically speaking.

According to Census 2016 data, Selkirk, Man. (home to about 10,278 people) has more self-declared singles (not married and not common law) per capita than almost any other Canadian city.

Selkirk ranked third-highest among 148 cities in the 2016 census, with about 515 singles per 1,000 people surveyed.

Only Duncan and Victoria, B.C. beat out the Prairie city with about 564 and 551 singles, respectively. Meanwhile Dauphin came in eighth and Winnipeg came in 33rd.

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Selkirk Mayor Larry Johannson wasn’t surprised by his city’s high singles quotient, which he said may be partly due to an abundance of new housing built within the past decade.

"In the last, say, 12 years we’ve really changed the housing situation in Selkirk. When I first came on (council), there was zero vacancy rate here… what we’ve done is we’ve really kicked the door open to investors and developers," Johannson said in an interview Wednesday, noting an influx of affordable apartments and new condominiums.

"We’re a small city, we’re an easy city to get around in. We’ve got the big-city amenities with the small-town feel and we’re only a half an hour away from anything Winnipeg has to offer," he said.

"And we’re really only a half an hour from all the beaches, the golf courses and everything else, so I think that’s part of it."

As for romantic date spots, the mayor, who has been married 45 years, suggested grabbing a bite at Roxi’s Uptown Cafe or The Mighty Kiwi Juice Bar, both on Manitoba Avenue. He also offered some sage advice about the secrets to staying married.

"Sharing everything and not sweating the small stuff," Johannson said. "I think people give up too easy. You know, you’re going to hit speedbumps, you’re going to have pitfalls – you gotta get through them. And believe me, at the end of the day, it’s well worth it."

For Winnipeg people not willing to cruise past the perimeter, the Free Press found the region with the most male and female singles living in Winnipeg is in the vicinity of the St. Boniface Hospital and the Dominion Shopping Centre.

Of 375 census respondents living in the area nestled between Tache Avenue, Marion Street and the Red River, 310 said they were single.

Overall, Manitoba’s marriage rates have been on the decline over the last decade, according to data from Vital Statistics.

From 2007 to 2017, the number of marriage licenses issued and the rate of marriages by population both dipped, with 5,532 issued during the last fiscal year.

This seems to fit with a global culture shift toward more non-traditional relationships, said Susan Wenzel, a Winnipeg-based sex and relationship expert.

"I think there will always be marriage, but marriage is evolving. People are redefining their marriage, from traditional marriage to more maybe non-monogamous relationships, blended families," she said.

"Working with my clients, people are not getting married, not because they don’t want to be in a relationship, but mostly because the traditional marriage is not working for most people," she added, noting divorce rates remain high.

jessica.botelho@freepress.mb.ca

graeme.bruce@freepress.mb.ca