Love-filled Fashion – A Valentine’s Day Lookbook

Get your Valentine’s Day fix post-love-day.

By Julia Lawrence

Valentine's Day is when lovey-dovey eyes exchange between partners and friends—it's also when you can show off the pink, red and overall fashion-forward pieces you have in your closet.

CanCulture’s 2024 Valentine’s Day lookbook showcases different fashion styles encapsulating the love holiday’s aesthetic. Scroll down to fill your heart with love, joy and fashion inspiration.

Mikayla Trainor (@meekeela_) pairs a bright pink skirt with a pale pink sweatshirt. (Julia Lawrence/CanCulture)

Parker Theis (R) (@_jurassicparker_) and Michael Karant (L) (@michaelkarant) dress to impress for their dinner date. (Julia Lawrence/CanCulture)

Minori Peters (@minori.peters) wears thrifted heart-shaped earmuffs alongside a simple red and black outfit. (Julia Lawrence/CanCulture)

Lama Alshami (@lama.alshxmi) dons a full pink look with nails to match. (Julia Lawrence/CanCulture)

Debeshi (@_debeshi_228) (Julia Lawrence/CanCulture)

Yllana Williams (@yllanawilliams) layers white on white for a textured look paired with heart-eyed makeup and pink heels. (Julia Lawrence/CanCulture)

Rachel (@booperdontcrossthelinedooper) layers a heart-filled vest over a red sweater. (Julia Lawrence/CanCulture)

Daniella Lopez (@lopez_daniella_) contrasts dark brown pants with a light pink sweater and cream cardigan. Julia Lawrence/CanCulture)

Prescela Jeeves (@prescelaaa) matches her pink rose with a bright pink sweater draped over a white long sleeve. (Julia Lawrence/CanCulture)

What did you wear this past Valentine’s Day? Email (cancultureinfo@gmail.com) a photo of your outfit for a chance to be featured on @canculturemag’s Instagram.

Valentine’s Day date ideas for music lovers

Whether you stay in or go out with your boo, let music take the lead.

By Isabella Soares

A romantic occasion made special with a curated playlist. (Isabella Soares/CanCulture)

February is here, meaning that the clock is ticking when it comes to planning a romantic hangout with your partner for Valentine’s Day. Although going to the movies or eating a three-course meal at a bougie restaurant seems like the way to go, there is more in store for couples that want to add music to this special occasion. From pairs that want to keep it casual to love birds that want to enjoy an epic night out, the list below has several music-centred ideas to help you find the perfect way to celebrate.

Go Record Shopping

If there is one place that music lovers can’t help but swing by from time to time, it’s a record store. There is something about roaming through the aisles filled with albums from a variety of genres that is appealing to any music enthusiast. In the case you and your significant other share the same desire to purchase vinyl or CDs, what better way to enjoy Valentine’s Day than shopping together? Maybe once you get past the cashier, you can give each other a record as a gift.

See a musical at a local theatre

Musicals aren’t for everybody, since they often have more singing and dancing than wordy dialogues. Yet, for those couples that do enjoy a dramatic story accompanied by upbeat tunes, attending a musical production at a local theatre is a must. You’ll laugh at the occasional jokes, hold hands when the characters fall in love, and will surely have a new repertoire to sing together after the curtains close.

Attend a Candlelight concert

You have probably seen ads promoting a Candlelight concert on your Instagram feed, but never actually purchased a ticket to experience one in person. Well, Valentine’s Day seems like an ideal occasion to give it a try. After all, there is nothing more romantic than being in a dimly lit room next to your soulmate, listening to orchestral versions of your favourite songs.

Enjoy a meal to the sound of a curated playlist

With so many people making reservations in advance to eat out, enjoying a meal together at home might be a cozy way to go. To make the night even more intimate, come up with a playlist filled with tunes that you both enjoy—or remind you of each other—and listen to it while having dinner. Once a ballad begins to play, you can always seize the opportunity to slow dance with your partner in the living room.

Sing at a karaoke bar

Listening to music 24/7 means you probably know several songs by heart and sing them in the shower. Why not get out of your comfort zone and belt out the lyrics with your significant other at a karaoke bar? The whole point of karaoke is to have fun and let go of the pressure of sounding good to a picky crowd. Putting your names on the list and hitting the stage will make the night nothing short of exciting!

Watch an artist or band perform live

If an artist or band that you and your partner love is planning a concert on Valentine’s Day (or maybe during that week), then purchasing a ticket to see them live should be a given. Yet, in the case that they aren’t performing in your hometown anytime soon, why not see a local band or a cover group instead. They might not seem as exciting as the person on your concert bucket list, but you might leave their show with a new local talent to add to your playlist afterward.

No matter the date idea you and your boo settle on, the truth is that music has the power to make a special occasion even more significant. After all, songs can evoke emotions and remind us of a moment in our lives better than words can. When the right tune plays at the right time, magic happens and a simple get-together with the person that you love becomes an everlasting memory.

Epitaphs Of The Heart: A Lover’s Anthology

This poetry collection is not only a celebration of love, but an embrace of what has once been and what will come again

SHAMROCK SUN

By: Miranda Kanter

@miranda.kanter

I think of you as the colour yellow.

Those specs and spatters of dust suspended in light; hushed yellow as it breaks through your window. Your window, which keeps its back to the sun, so sunrise for us only happens at noon. A midday sunrise – you are a morning delayed; seeping through the Irish flag that covers your window, washing that yellow light green.

I think of you as the colour red.

As your rouge-streaked cheeks toning mine, untempered. By September, you’ll be well back in Belfast; I turn my head to the side and stick out my tongue to scrape it clean of the words I and love and you. Without time to wonder whether I really yet mean the words stuck to the tips of my nails, I tuck them into the hair that I brush back behind your ear, for you to take back home.

Back home, I eat as you fall asleep; fall asleep just when you wake. When I wake, it’s with the sun at noon, your time.

I think of you still as a midday sunrise.

---

POCKET MEMORIES: HOLDING ON

By: Ella Morale

@pocket.elfie

it feels so special to hold your

book with your pencil marks

scratched through it

i want you to mark my skin

i want you to fold my corners in

at the parts that feel most

important to you

---

TANGIBLE LOVE

By: Eri Dixon

@eri.ecdc

Hold the fire until it burns your hands then keep holding.

---

UNTITLED MUSING ON DAY #103

By: Florence Syed

@sleepyy.pixie

I had to learn the hard way that love should not be unconditional. 

An honourable notion

But one that is dishonest

The way that I love is through devotion

I will spend day after day running my fingers through the knots of your hair and awakening early to place honey and bread at your feet and I will clutch your hand and kiss at your flesh in attempts to soothe when your eyes are wet

I will devote my flesh, time, blood, bones and anything you’d wish from me all that I pray is that you ask me to 

All that I pray is that you desire me to 

recognize my yearning to love you, to need you, to want you, to take you 

But love without conditions is one that neglects the self

It is one that leaves the giver with empty hands and tired knuckles

One that gives and gives and gives but the reciprocation can never be of equal footing

Not when I deify you into a god and lie on my knees before you

Worshipping and praying in a manner that many would argue is unbecoming 

But devotion has made me reckless and simultaneously weak 

Weak knees, weak ankles and weakened restraints 

and by placing you so high it leaves you in no other position but to look down at me 

And that is not the way that I desire to be looked at by any lover. 

---

EVERYONE

By: Annie Chantraine

@goo_g1rl

I want to be in love with everyone in the world.

My physical body is only capable of such a limited expression of love compared to the sheer scope of love I feel shoot through me like sun arrows.

I want to feel every heartbreak, every tender cheek graze, every tear hitting every casket, every kiss planted on the lips for the first time.

I want to feel it all and I want to make everyone feel it too. 

I want to follow the thread that weaves us together. 

I want to start at beginnings and cross boundaries of space and time and body and world

I want to return to you and start again, forever, differently each time.

---

Flame To A Wick

By: Harsh Patankar 

@vantablackcult

Candied words like wisps of smoke

Float between our lips

Filling the room with the sweet hum

Of gods flame to a wick

When I eat the sun

Casting all in my shade 

I’ll leave you the moon

The only jewel in my blade

Slick in my own depths

You refract hands of light

Many colours light a lamp

As I fall from great height

---

SWEAT IT OFF AND THE REST IS JUST A DAY WITH YOU

By: Emmanuelle Toohey-Carignan 

@ithinkthatuh

Moonlight on the open shore

The streetlights glowing door to door 

Your frame reclining on the floor

I don’t think I’ll speak anymore

What if I hurt you? 

Wipe the plasma off your sore

Outside we chase green shining from lighthouses in distant dark

We ran through eyesore streets and dog parks 

Let off our leash

What if I lose you to my longing?

---

(SUCKER PUNCH)

By: Anna-Giselle Funes-Eng

@annagiselle.fe

I think I might’ve loved you

In another life before

I wonder, is it selfish

To maybe ask you for one more?

Stand at the window waiting 

You frost the glass with bated breath 

Thinking as you breathe out the world

With lovely slow, uneven heft

Maybe I did love you once

I never can be sure

I think that if I loved you

I’d still want to. Just one more. 

Feel the ‘need’ to date? TMU students reflect on relationship obsessions

Peer pressure and societal standards are making some students infatuated with love

By: Aliya Karimjee

( CanCulture/Aliya Karimjee)

As we make our landing in the season of love, single people often feel pressured to enter a relationship and conform to society’s expectations of partnership.

With the popularization of heteronormative nuclear-family relationship standards in media, there’s the misconception that you need a significant other to make you feel “complete and happy.”

Some TMU students and staff feel Valentine's Day is an expensive "trap."

Zorianna Zurba, a faculty member in TMU’s professional communications department with expertise in the philosophy of love, recognizes the pressure around finding love keeps people from building a community.

“Traditionally, we think of Valentine’s Day as romantic love and we don’t acknowledge the other forms of love that can exist,” said Zurba.

Because of this, she adds that some people often rely on one person to meet their emotional needs rather than focus on self-love or friendships.

Amulyaa Dwivedi, a first-year journalism student, explains that her friends peer pressure her to get a boyfriend, holding her back from her journey with self-love. The pressure surrounds her through acquaintances, family members and friends, she said.

As an international student, Dwivedi notes that the salient dating politic that asks us to prioritize romantic ventures above all else is more prominent in Canada—leaving her with a culture shock.

Despite these societal pressures, she tries to remember Miley Cyrus’s new song Flowers and the practice of self-love.

Miley Cyrus’ new song wall art advertising single women empowerment near this Valentine’s season. (CanCulture/Aliya Karimjee)

Dwivedi adds that Flowers “is like a self-love song and a good [addition] to Galentine’s Day.”

Galentine’s Day is typically referred to as a “girls’ night” or a day to spend with friends feeling empowered by celebrating self-love, friendship and the enduring love we derive from being in community with one another.

“I feel like there’s a stigma that being with someone [romantically] is better than being by yourself,” said Agnese Verrone, a third-year politics and governance student.

She said she prefers being with someone she likes enough romantically or her friends, rather than going on a date for the sake of companionship.

Anna-Giselle Funes-Eng, a first-year journalism student, is celebrating Galentine’s Day this year with an ABBA sing-along screening at the Ted Rogers Cinema.

She believes it’s important to celebrate her friends and herself on February 14th rather than have a negative outlook on this day.

“The standard of a relationship is so binary and exclusive. Anyone who doesn’t conform is expected to be sad, wallow… And that’s bullshit,” said Funes-Eng.

For those considered “lucky enough” to be dating, they reveal an equal amount of pressure to arrange a “picture-perfect” Valentine’s Day.

There are a lot of grand gestures seen on social media, “so it puts pressure on my boyfriend or me to do something big,” said first-year nursing student Kirat Sandahar.

Whether you are celebrating Galentine’s Day, Valentine’s Day or practicing self-love, it’s essential to recognize who our true soulmates are and the role community and self-love play in our lives.

Together apart: Exploring the reality of long-distance relationships

Take a deep dive into the actuality of being in a long-distance relationship and discover the secret to getting through it all

By: Sia Shete

And in Life's noisiest hour,

There whispers still the ceaseless Love of Thee,

The heart's Self-solace and soliloquy.

The Presence of Love; Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

Being invested in a long-distance relationship translates to being homesick for a person, more so than anything else. It's odd really, how we simple human beings can feel an emotion so complex and so utterly deep as the love that drives us to go to lengths for one another. 

Sometimes the price you pay for wanting someone in your life is the distance. The pain, the nights lying awake cursing time and distance for standing in the way. 

You wish they lived just a few miles closer and wish even more so to have the power to be able to run down and throw your arms around them. Unfortunately, that's a luxury not every one of us can afford.

 Nonetheless, every day is a new chapter in the book. For too many long-distance lovers, distance is just like the grains of sand in an hourglass; waiting to run out. Although long-distance relationships are all about proving whether “your love for one another is stronger than the space between you,” there's more to it than what meets the eye.

Nurturing a long-distance relationship can be tricky and challenging but also rewarding at the same time. It isn't always about having the most perfect relationship—an illusory ideal that will look and be different for everyone— but about finding someone who will stick through the bad times just like they would the good times, by your side.

People don’t essentially go looking for a long-distance partner, the majority of them just happen to turn into one. A 2019 survey showed that 68 per cent of people had a “limit” for distance within the state lines or closer, opting to look for romantic relationships in proximity. 

It also showed that most couples that end up adapting to long-distance meet either on dating apps or sites. Another reason behind the birth of a long-distance relationship is either moving away to a new region and/or country for further education or work. There comes at least one point in a couple’s life when they have no other option but to lead lives away from one another for a specific period of time. Although this is inevitable in certain situations, some couples move borders just so they don't have to deal with the problem of “distance” altogether. 

Long-distance relationships, however, don’t have to be the worst-case scenario. But only those truly committed—to making a relationship work under tumultuous conditions, and to one another— can make it through.

For centuries, relationships had always contemplated distance. And during the 1800s and a part of the 1900s, there was no technology to keep partners connected over a video call, let alone a phone call. Letters were the sole medium of communication for weeks, even months and yet a good chunk of these relationships resulted in marriages and settling down with one another. Why this example you ask? If they could do it then, you can definitely pull through. But before we get into the “how” to maintain a healthy long-distance relationship, let’s take a look at the difference between trusting the process and knowing when to back out.

People are often confused between setting boundaries for themselves and sticking around for that “special someone.” Making it work in a long-distance relationship does not mean you sacrifice your mental peace, self-respect and stability. While it’s quite a feat to get through the rough patches and arguments in the absence of the other’s physical presence, it’s also important to know where to draw a line for yourself. Long-distance is certainly not for everybody. If it’s with the right person, it’s essential to know that they’ll never put you through a situation where you’re forced to sacrifice your peace. It’s important for you to establish who you are before you establish who “we” are.

Setting boundaries, increasing communication and your level of understanding becomes vital. Without communication, any relationship, especially long-distance ones, would cease to exist. Even the most seemingly mundane piece of information like what the sky looked like to you today or the small snail you passed by that brought a smile to your face needs to be communicated. If your corporeal selves can’t be connected, make sure your emotional selves are wholly attached.

Counseling Psychologist and life coach Pranjul Somani talks about how long-distance is not about “having time,” it's about “making time.” While sometimes it’s impossible to find time between busy schedules, it’s equally important to prioritize your partner and find some time for them during the day. And when that’s not doable, communicate that.  Let them know beforehand and update them about your day over a text if calling seems difficult. All you need to remember is it’s the same person you longed for, the same person you waited for, the same person you have fond memories with and that you do not want to let go. Choose them over the distance, fight for them and trust one another. no matter what.

Here are a few ideas that you can get to know your partner deeper (yes, over video calls!) and spend some quality time together this Valentine’s Day away from one another:

Play the “We’re not Really Strangers” card game: Couple’s Version!

The infamous Instagram page called “We’re Not Really Strangers” came up with a personal game just for couples to not just help you get closer to your loved one but also get to know them better as a person. With over three different levels of “intimacy,” this game will surely make your day a lot better, even though you are away from your valentine.

Hit the gym together

Yes! You heard that right. A virtual date at the gym. Workout together on this special day, hit the same muscle groups, coordinate your workouts and do some cardio (in the gym only please!) Who cares if people think it’s weird or too cheesy? Stretch your boundaries (and muscles!) for the person you love.

Send them hand-written letters via post

Too 1800s for you? Do it anyway. Handwritten letters are more personal and show that you care a lot more than you can verbally communicate. Take it up a notch and add a little bit of your scent on the piece of paper, some of their favorite candy in the envelope or something that’s personal to the two of you. 

Netflix and… sorry, just that

As much as we all would LOVE the option of “chilling” with our partners, maybe next time? Either get all romantic and watch Notting Hill, The Proposal and You’ve Got Mail or change the plantotally by binging some Tarantino flicks, it’s up to you. Grab some popcorn, make some desserts or order in. Either way bond with one another over a few couple movies on Teleparty!

Listen to your favorite music and have a dance party

Be it Apple Music or Spotify, make collaborative playlists together and add some of your songs or discover new songs together. Have one another on video call, stare at each other for hours, work while listening to the playlist or just talk, for hours. Music does half the magic. 

Remember that years from now the past will be a story. The pain you went through will seem worth it, the memories you made will sit framed on the fireplace, you’ll appreciate every second you spend together but most importantly, you’ll be reminded that you fell in love with a person for the little things. It’s not always about the physical touch. Although it sucked that you couldn’t hold their hand when you wanted to, or couldn't give them a hug when they needed it, you made it through space and time and that’s exactly why everything will seem worth so much more; in every universe and in every world, your love knows no bounds.

This V-Day, the stars are aligned

By: Lynette George

Can’t figure out what to do for Valentine’s Day this year? Are you scouring the internet, hunting for the perfect plan? Well, look no further! I have your back. Here’s a comprehensive list of potential date ideas based on the 12 widely contrasting zodiac signs.

ARIES

As the first astrological sign of the zodiac and the fieriest of them all, this Valentine’s Day is for the Aries in your life to let loose. Book a spot at your local rage room and let them have at it. With the perfect way to channel that good old Aries anger, this date will be fun, memorable and the perfect mid-week de-stresser. As the totally real, super famous quote goes, “Break plates, not hearts.” 

TAURUS

Not feeling ready for a kid? Or even a pet? Go out and adopt a plant together! No one loves the environment more than a Taurus so this couldn’t be more perfect. Head over to your local nursery, take a romantic stroll amongst all the greenery and surround yourself with nature. From little peperomias to giant spider plants, feel free to go as big or as small as your heart desires.

Note: Spend some quality time together after, naming the new addition to your life!

GEMINI

With an unrivaled affinity for contests and an almost painful need to win, the perfect date for a Gemini must involve some sort of competition. So this Valentine’s Day, stay inside for a little game night with all the classics - Monopoly, UNO, and Codenames! If you’re not up for the stress of putting it together, go out to a bar and join a community trivia night. Ensure they feel challenged and watch as they take on that winning glow!

CANCER

Cancers love a low-key, low-maintenance date above all else. They’re above fancy frills and instead, prefer to find happiness in the mundane. Give them just that! Set up an incredibly comfortable pillow fort at home, prop up your laptop and watch a movie or show you both love. Ensure you have some snacks ready to go and enjoy staying in together. It’s simple and easy to plan but with Cancers, a little effort goes a long way!

LEO

No one you know is as highly wound up as the Leo in your life. It’s a fact. If you’re shocked by it, you’re probably a Leo! For all the stress your fire sign shoulders each day, you need to ensure that the date you plan is the epitome of relaxation. For V-Day this year, I recommend a spa getaway to take away all that pressure. Feel the peace sink in and bask in the tranquility that follows!

Note: If you’re on a budget, you could head over to a student massage clinic instead!

VIRGO

Virgos love the limelight. They’re social beings with a love for elegance and grace. To top it off, they’re also just a tad bit basic (I’m a Virgo…I’m allowed to say that). So this time, ensure that they feel extra special with a classic dinner date that is just as fancy and luxurious as them! Whether it’s at a restaurant with tiny plates or at home with a scrumptious meal, put in that extra bit of planning and see the absolute joy on their face!

LIBRA

With a strong intellect and a love for learning, the perfect date for a Libra would have to widen their horizons. The stagnancy of a sit-down movie night would simply fail to tickle their fancy! So for Libras, I recommend spending your V-Day at a museum or art gallery around town. This date would result in amazing photos and some phenomenal memories. More importantly, hand-in-hand, you can explore the past as you cement your future! 

SCORPIO

Let’s be honest: all Scorpios are at least a little bit witchy and supernatural on the inside. It’s unique, fun and only a tad bit creepy (I mean this in the most flattering of ways so don’t hex me). So why look elsewhere for date ideas? I say that you should fully lean into it! Find a local metaphysical store, go shopping for healing crystals together and book a tarot card reading. Watch as the sorcery unfolds and have the experience of a lifetime!

SAGITTARIUS

A thrill-seeker through and through, a Sagittarius will not stand for a date that isn’t as energetic as they are! So for this one, I recommend multiple parts to your date night! Plan a scavenger hunt with stops around the city that are meaningful to your relationship. Schedule breaks in between to drop by eclectic cafes or clubs even! Ensure they’re discovering new spots and you have yourself the perfect Saggi date night!

CAPRICORN

It’s midterm season and Capricorns aren’t here to mess around. There’s no world in which they’re stepping out to do anything around this time. Want to find a way to have a Valentine’s Day plan that they’ll actually show up to? A cute study date is the way to go! Get all their favorite snacks, a nice warm drink, along with a pack of their favorite highlighters and enjoy each other's company. 

AQUARIUS

For your innovative, eccentric and rebellious Aquarius, a laid-back approach might be the way to go! This Valentine’s Day, set up the supplies and spend the day painting canvases, cloth bags, vases and more. Crack open a bottle of wine or sparkling cider and you have the most chill date night an Aquarius could ask for. Work on projects separately but come together to create a few pieces as a couple. With no boundaries at all, let your creativity run wild.

PISCES

Ever wondered which zodiac sign was most likely to be a saint? Yeah, it’s Pisces. They’re kind, gentle, compassionate and generous beyond comparison. The soothing water sign loves to help out in any way, so combine it all and head over to a local pet shelter! Volunteer with some amazing little animals and spend your day working for a good cause. Find happiness in the pure joy that is a pet and have the most memorable date together!

Note: If you feel like you found what you’ve been looking for, adopt a pet!

Canadian love songs to add to your Valentine’s playlists this month

A list of lovely valen-tunes to play for your sweetheart this snowy season

By: Nalyn Tindall

Tune into love this Valentine’s Day (pixelheart via pixabay)

Nothing is more romantic than singing a love song to your partner. A carefully curated playlist, however, is the ideal alternative for those of us who lack musical talent. So whether you want to enhance your own Valentine's Day playlist or are looking for the perfect tune for that special someone, here are some ideal love songs from Canadian artists.

Only The People That Love - Rufus Wainwright

The two-time Juno Award winner and eight-time nominee is no stranger to themes of love, often writing about heartbreak, family and short-lived love. “Only The People That Love” highlights the importance of love in our lives, despite its complexities, reminding us of its significance.

(Everything I Do) I Do It For You - Bryan Adams

This ‘90s classic is sure to bring not only swoons but nostalgia. Best-selling artist Bryan Adams is best known for “Summer Of ‘69”, but don't let that stop you from blasting his music from your boombox this winter. This slow jam will surely win your partner over with its themes of commitment and loyalty.

Head Over Feet- Alanis Morisette

Another ‘90s classic from the renowned album Jagged Little Pill, “Head Over Feet” details falling in love with a friend. Alanis Morissette admires not only her confidant’s care and devotion, but also their friendship. She discusses the complicated dynamic of being both friends and lovers. If your partner is also your best friend, this might be the song for you.

I'm Yours- Joel Plaskett Emergency

Let celebrated songwriter and Nova Scotian, Joel Plaskett take you away with this acoustic serenade as he tries to convince the one he loves to love him too. Recounting a relationship of true love, Plaskett reminds us that soulmates might exist after all.

Put Your Head On My Shoulder- Paul Anka

Time travel back to the ‘60s with Canadian crooner Paul Anka and one of his biggest hits, “Put Your Head On My Shoulder.” The hit regained popularity online in 2017, circulating on social media, igniting a love for similar music in many young people. If you're looking for a sweet, simple serenade, this is the song for you.

Love Always- Said The Whale

The Vancouver-based indie-rock band reminds us that “the answer is love, always” with this upbeat and optimistic tune. If you’re ever in doubt, don't hesitate to turn on this song and remind yourself of all that love can do.

Slip Into Your Skin- Patrick Watson

This intimate and gentle song is a personal favourite. Watson's soft singing, accompanied by twinkling piano, sets the mood for a quiet night in. The song expresses the joy and intimacy of being with someone else, holding them and calling them yours.

The Power Of Love- Celine Dion 

Canada’s sweetheart Celine Dion is known for her vocal chops and love songs — and “The Power Of Love” is a prime example of one. Originally written and recorded by Jennifer Rush, the song has been covered numerous times and has become one of Dion’s biggest hits. This song has everything you could hope for from Dion, with soul, emotion, riffs and belts galore. 

Less Than Love- Bahamas

Raised in Barrie, Ont., singer-songwriter Afie Jurvanen — better known by his stage name Bahamas — details his love life, the struggles that come with relationships, and the perseverance that’s needed to make romance last. True love is about more than just the easy times; in the end, those who truly love are the ones who can endure the challenges.

I Can Feel It- Sloan

Originally from Halifax, the Toronto-based rock quartet Sloan has delivered a chill yet joyous account of love with “I Can Feel It.” Infatuation is at the heart of this song. Crushes without conditions and the hope for mutual admiration carries the melody forward. 

Now that you have 10 love songs to impress that special someone, invite them out of the cold to cuddle up and listen together this Valentine’s Day. You can find our carefully curated Valentine’s Day playlist on Spotify or Apple Music.

The loveless truth behind the ‘five love languages’

Gary Chapman's love theory turns out to be very controversial

By: Krishika Jethani

(Sama Nemat Allah/CanCulture)

Content Warning: Homophobia

By now many have heard about the supposed five love languages and without knowing anything about its origin, we’ve begun categorizing ourselves, our partners and the ways we show love using the now-omnipresent classifications.

The five languages are known as acts of service, receiving gifts, quality time, words of affirmation and physical touch. But at the heart of these frameworks of love? A homophobic Baptist pastor in the early 90s.

Gary Chapman published his book, The 5 Love Languages, in 1992 and it was directly dedicated to Christian couples in his church. Prior to his authorship, Chapman was a pastor at Calvary Baptist Church in North Carolina where he taught couples the importance of love languages. This was before he published his book that platformed his theory to the whole world and not just to the couples he was counseling.

Through his experience working with different couples as a marriage counselor, he denominated these love languages as the only possible ways in which a couple could function. But his theory was grounded in misogyny, notions of the nuclear family, heterosexism and a score of gender norms.

When Chapman’s book was released, not many knew about his homophobic beliefs. In a 2021 article, writer Kristen Mae enumerated the various oppressive statements and beliefs disseminated by Chapman that somehow she had never seen. 

A 2013 comment found on Chapman’s website saw a mother seeking out advice from him after finding out her son was gay to which he said the following: “Disappointment is a common emotion when a parent hears one of their children indicate that he/she is gay. Men and women are made for each other–it is God’s design. Anything other than that is outside the primary design of God.”

Although Mae has found the concept of love languages useful, she is enraged by the thoughts he shared online. Chapman's beliefs seemed to be undercover for many years but she now describes it as the most “insidious form of homophobia.”

When working in the church, Chapman was clear on his beliefs and the couples he counseled looked up to him. A couple was considered compatible, for example, only if their partner knew how to communicate in certain love languages. The only difference was that this theory only accounted for heterosexual couples, according to Chapman.

Although he was never considered a reliable counselor or source, romantic relationships are now being dictated by these five ubiquitous love languages. 

It’s very common to see people base their whole relationship on their love language compatibility. The question is why are we letting a sexist and homophobic pastor’s pseudo-scientific ideologies systematically define the ways in which we should classify and affix validity to our personal relationships. Not only this, but why are we allowing this to measure the compatibility between our partners, romantic or otherwise? 

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Every relationship is different and it shouldn’t be judged by how you give or take love. Linda Carroll, a marriage and family therapist, wrote, “While Chapman’s theory helps explain how to best make a relationship thrive, they are just one part of what makes a successful relationship overall.”

When Chapman released his book, relationships began to depend on the idea as a determinant of romantic success (or probability of failure). 

Carroll describes how a couple, who are now separated, were confused as to why their relationship wasn’t working even though they follow all of their partner’s love languages. They believed the five love languages were going to fix their relationship’s foundational problems because that’s what Chapman so much as guaranteed in his book.

Carroll agrees that love languages can be an important factor in a relationship but she describes how they can always “change.”

“Our love language can change over time and in specific life situations. If we don’t know how to not just speak to each other but also how to really listen to each other, we may be engaging in behaviors that no longer say “I love you” but now irritate instead,” she wrote. If there is already a lack of communication within the relationship, following these love languages will not make these issues disappear. 

Psychologists, such as Dr. Julie Gottman, question Chapman’s theory of love. Dr. Gottman describes the categories as “superficial and rigid” and wonders why there are such narrow boxes when people can easily be more open to different concepts of love. Dr. Gottman uses physical touch as an example. Physical touch does not have to be a love language you immediately want but can rather be something you grow into. At the beginning of a relationship, you might not feel comfortable being touched by your partner but may grow to crave it more in the future. 

Additionally, the touch needs of queer, ace or neurodivergent folks, whose relationships with physical touch are fluid, might change depending on the day, the person or how over/under stimulated they are. 

This doesn't mean you do not fall under the “physical touch” category but rather that a relationship is an inherently ever changing dynamic, so its facets must also be treated as such. These love languages force you to settle into rigid patterns that disallow growth from both you and your partners. 

Love languages don’t just hurt those in love, but those seeking it, namely in the ways the framework has invaded dating app spaces. On services such as Tinder and Bumble, you can share what your love languages are on your profile. In enabling this theory to be taken as gospel, we’ve also assumed a uniformity of experiences among lovers and strangers alike. The person you meet on a dating app is more nuanced than a denomination as one-dimensional as a “gift-giver,” but love languages rob people of their layers before we’ve even had the chance to make their acquaintance.  

Dating app users are apt to use this as a way to analyze whether the person reflected on their screen is compatible enough to swipe on. Using these types of apps hinders your ability to deeply know someone. If you immediately associate them with being a person of “quality time” or of “words of affirmation”, you may not learn a dynamic and modulating way of communicating love.

Chapman’s theory also influences people to believe they should adjust to their partner’s feelings and react in a certain way to fulfill their needs. All partners should have a say in how they feel and how they want to be treated. It’s about learning what makes the other feel good in a genuine way rather than superficially.

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Romantic relationships are not meant to be centered around arbitrary criteria. The beauty of love is seen through various different stages and growth is a very important part of it. If you want to recognize the type of love you crave, you may start with the five love languages as long as you don't get sucked into a vacuum of pseudoscience and let it define you. 

Don't force yourself to stay within five categories because there is so much more to expand from; and there’s also so much more to you and your community. Just because you are not falling under two or three categories, doesn’t mean your relationship will fatalistically come to an end.

Instead of “becoming myopically focused on speaking your partner’s love language,” says Brigitt Earley, “think of the love languages as a starting point for tending to your relationship with a sense of generosity and goodwill.”

3 Delicious Valentine’s day food gifts to win their hearts and stomachs

These cute ideas will definitely make a loved one feel special

By: Kavya Puvanapaskaran

The easiest way to someone’s heart is through food! (Yonko Kilasi/Unsplash)

With the winter days slowly getting longer, Valentine’s Day is also approaching us. Now, having a partner or not, this holiday is definitely something that should be celebrated with the people you love. What better way to spend it than munching on some delicious food?

I’m sure you have walked into many stores and have already seen generic boxed chocolates countless times. Sure, those taste great, but why not make things a little more fun and do something different?

Gifting food is never a bad idea, and that lucky person would most definitely appreciate it. Let’s take a look at some delicious ideas.

Breakable hearts

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Breakable chocolate hearts are a great way to put a spin on gifting chocolate. This fun and interactive gift calls for smashing the heart into small, sharable pieces with a collection of goodies inside to enjoy as well. It’s a win-win situation! It’s also customizable with different colours, toppings and contents inside. Break My Cake is a local business in Toronto where they make these yummy creations, offering both delivery and pick up at their location on Queen St. West & Lisgar Street.

Minimalistic cake

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You know what they say – less is always more! These cute and simple cakes boast a minimal design while also being aesthetically pleasing. Have it say any message you’d like, from the traditional “Happy Valentine’s Day” to a personal inside joke. You can customize it to their liking, making this a unique, one-of-a-kind gift. @whipped_to on Instagram does an amazing job at creating these cakes. They have an endless number of pictures of all the work they have done so far. The best part? They’re a small business located in the city– so you’ll be supporting a local business while also putting a smile on people’s faces.

Heart-shaped pizza

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Not everyone has a sweet tooth. For the savoury treat lovers out there, how about a pizza? But this is not just any pizza; it’s a heart-shaped pizza! Load it up with all of your boo’s favourite toppings, and bon appetit! This can be bought at a pizza store nearby like Pizza Pizza or Papa John’s, or you could take to your kitchen to try it out yourself. Take a look at this recipe by Food Network. Again, choose any toppings and cater them to your special someone’s taste!

Everyone deserves a happily ever after: Canada’s first romance bookstore

A look into Canada’s first bookshop catered exclusively to the romantic

By Zoie Karagiannis 

Jenny Pool, owner of Happily Ever After Books, hosts a pop-up bookshop at The Word On The Street Toronto book festival on June 11 and 12, 2022. (@happilyeverafterbks via Instagram)

What’s not to love about romance novels? From love-at-first-glance to enemies-to-lovers, there’s a trope out there for everyone. The suspenseful plots have readers captivated and swooning, and above all, it has them rooting for characters to fall in love and find their happy ending.

According to BookNet Canada, romance fiction book sales in Canada saw a 44 per cent increase from June 2020 to June 2021, but up until this year, Canada had no dedicated shop for lovers of the genre.

Luckily for romance fans, Canada was gifted with its first romance-only bookstore, Happily Ever After Books, in May of this year – and we have Jenny Pool to thank.

The online bookstore sells everything from bestsellers, LGBTQ reads, to BIPOC love stories and historical and fantasy books, while also highlighting novels written by Canadian authors. It’s very important to Pool to have diversity in the bookstore.

She makes it her job to try and pick up any romance books people have been talking about online (she’s constantly scrolling through Twitter, Instagram and TikTok) or through word of mouth from other readers. Pool welcomes anyone to contact her if there is a book they want her to order that isn’t currently in stock.

Pool always wanted to own a bookstore and after the pandemic, where she worked from home for a construction company, she finally put the wheels in motion. Happily Ever After Books has hosted many pop-ups, which have allowed her to connect with readers face-to-face. “I wanted to interact with the public in a way I can’t in my day job, I love talking to people about romance books. It’s a sickness in the best way!”

While she has a couple of people who work for her on a by-the-gig basis to help sell books at her pop-ups and some who graciously volunteer their time, Pool is the store’s only employee. In the seven months the online bookstore has been running, it has gathered a dedicated fanbase.

“We have a group of amazing supporters and I see so many at our pop-up events every month because they so desperately want to be in-person at a romance bookstore and I want that for them too,” Pool said.

She's had multiple people thank her for bringing Happily Ever After Books into existence and giving them a space where they can come in and not be shamed for buying a romance novel.

Love is everything. I can’t imagine a world without it

Although the romance genre is immensely popular, there’s a stigma surrounding the works of love and heartbreak. A 2015 study in the Gender and Society journal described the extent some readers have gone to conceal the fact that they are reading romance, such as hiding the books from their family, regularly defending themselves and their capacity to distinguish reality from fantasy and even using book covers in public. The disdain for the romance genre can also be attributed to underlying misogyny, including any contempt some people feel toward its readers. 

But there should be no shame in reading stories you enjoy. “Everyone deserves a happily ever after. That’s our unofficial motto,” Pool declared.

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Jacquelyn Middleton, a Canadian romance and contemporary fiction author, loves love. With her own romance books published, such as The Certainty of Chance and Say Hello, Kiss Goodbye, she said that there is nothing more enchanting than a love story with a happy ending. 

“Love is everything. I can’t imagine a world without it,” she said. “With all the scary stuff in the world, we need something that celebrates love, hope and so much more. The romance genre does that.”

She noticed that the romance-only bookstore is incredibly well-received and long overdue.

“Seeing Jenny start this up was a breath of fresh air, and so exciting. To have someone out there that loves romance like we do makes it feel like we are in this together,” Middleton said. “She can’t help but be successful, because she has so many people behind her who want her to succeed. She also celebrates the authors along with romance readers, and to have someone like this in your corner is so amazing.” 

Middleton enjoys all kinds of love stories. She says that romance is a genre that takes the time to have diverse characters and provides a platform for different voices and their experiences.

“We also see things being discussed such as consent or birth control. Romance is so progressive and that too is a real treat because it is always changing and always improving.” she said.

The pop-up bookstores for Happily Ever After Books have been sought-after and in demand. The store garnered huge success at the Word on the Street Toronto book and magazine festival as well as at smaller scale pop-ups at Evergreen Brick Works, Happy Soul and Little Ghost Bookstore and Cafe.

In August, the Society Clubhouse held an event with Happily Ever After Books to celebrate Bookstore Romance Day. Erica Campbell, one of the organizers, said many people were walking by the College Street patio and checking the books out.

She hopes that for every romantic, there is a novel out there that can be their perfect match

The Society Clubhouse is a multi-purpose community space run by women. As such, it was natural for Pool and the organization to collaborate and hold the event. Pool even teamed up with them to create a beer called, “Hoppily Ever After,” nodding to the hops used to brew the pale ale. Her husband helped them design the custom label and the drink was a hit with many at the event.

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Pool hopes to have more pop-ups outside of Toronto soon to reach more Canadians who have been waiting for a shop like this. She wants to allow more readers in this community to get the chance to experience a romance-only bookstore. 

Pool has been able to see the romance community in the GTA continue to build and grow in real time at these events. “It’s nice that other people just appreciate being able to shop and connect with other readers, and even with myself to be able to talk about romance and find books you wouldn’t be able to find easily.”

She hopes that for every romantic, there is a novel out there that can be their perfect match.

“One of my biggest things is that I want anyone who walks into Happily Ever After Books, wherever we are, to be able to find a romance novel that’s for them. It doesn’t matter what you are looking for, and I don’t care if it’s a Duke, a seven-foot-tall alien or an aromantic baker – I’ll find it for you,” she said.

While Pool hopes to open a physical bookstore one day in the upcoming year, she is setting her sights on pop-ups, different subgenres of romance and other ways people can enjoy them. She plans to create more book-related merch and is considering starting an online book club, with the possibility of some smaller book club meetings in-person.

To all the singles, keep your head up this Valentine’s Day

Is anticipating the upcoming doom of Valentine’s Day leaving you extra sad and lonely? We’ve got some remedies for your woes

By: Yanika Saluja

(Sama Nemat Allah/CanCulture)

The new year is not usually great for us singles, especially by the time the dreaded month of February comes around. Our “self-growth” and “focusing on ourselves” resolutions are not even enacted until Valentine’s Day comes to haunt us. I mean, who wants to see their social media flooded with couples who are going out of their way to tell their partner how much they love them (I’m secretly crying inside as I ponder)? 

Every partner-less person handles Valentine’s Day differently. Some might love being single and thank God that they can focus on finishing their assignment when others are out spending money. Some might wish they had someone to celebrate the love-struck day with them, but, with a sigh of acceptance, move about their day. And some people might be like me, screaming into pillows to sounds of.

Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) students have their own opinions on being single this Feb. 14.

Eisha Mueed, a second-year student at TMU, feels great about being single on Valentine’s Day because for her, it’s a choice.

“I think it’s how you look at it; yeah, it’s great when you have two people who have an allocated day where they celebrate love, but it should be more normalized to [celebrate] life every day,” said Mueed.

While we often associate solitude during Valentine’s day with a hatred for all things amour, some, like TMU student Virgil Andre,  simply like seeing love in the air.. He feels really happy for his friends in relationships and is glad that they found someone who understands them during a time as difficult as our adolescent years.

“I think love is a beautiful thing you can see in people,” said Andre.

“Every single person, from the guy you’re working with to a woman you’re seeing on the train ride home to a teenager you see at a grocery store; everyone has someone in mind that they love. And it is nice that on a day filled with love, you get to see love everywhere.”

For TMU journalism student Kyana Alvarez, some single people still manage to enjoy Valentine’s Day.

“I think even if you are single, you can enjoy the holiday as it depends on the type of person. So yeah, I know some of my single friends who like to celebrate Valentine’s in a different way than just romantic love,” said Alvarez

And it is nice that on a day filled with love, you get to see love everywhere.

To all my lovely singles out there who don’t want to spend this day of love moping around waiting for their soulmate to climb through their window like Marcus Baker, I got you covered.

Go on a shopping spree

I believe this is the perfect way to spend Valentine’s Day. Instead of spending money on your partner, spend it on yourself. Pamper yourself. Buy the most random things you’ve always wanted. Discover new stores and go thrifting. Who doesn’t love treasure hunting?

Do something spontaneous

If I went this route, my first stop would be a tattoo shop and then getting scolded by my parents would be tomorrow's problem. Point being, go out and be rebellious. If you wanted that purple hair colour, now is the time my friend. You wanted that piercing? Go and get two of them. Let yourself free and enjoy that adrenaline.

Go on a solo date

Okay, now I know it sounds like something a loner with no friends would do but trust me it’s so much more than that. I prefer dates with myself where I can get a cup of coffee and read my book or watch Netflix to force myself to do something I don’t want with someone else. So, pick out the restaurant or café or even a park you always wanted to go to and don’t wait for someone to take you there. Dress up in your best clothes, and fly solo. Learn to be comfortable with yourself and your company.

Buy yourself flowers

If you have heard the song Flowers by Miley Cyrus, you know what I mean. Now I am sure you must have all wondered what it felt like to get flowers from someone. Even though flowers can be super cliché, but in some sense, it is kind of cute when you get them. You know the best part about flower shops? You don’t need a second person to buy them for you. Pick out the most extraordinary flowers that you see and tap that credit card. You deserve it.

Beat your friends at bowling

Go on a group date with your friends to a bowling alley and show off those skills that say “I might be single, but I can still strike.” Go out and have a fun day with your friends and then go have a nice dinner with everyone or watch a movie together.

To my single, but totally amazing humans out there, try not to be gloomy or feel disheartened if you haven’t found love yet. It will come to you when it’s meant to. Until then, enjoy and cherish the time you have with yourself. So, take a second and wish yourself a very happy Valentine’s day.

Sweep them off their sweet: A Valentine's Day gift guide for everyone and anyone

Who said you had to be dating to celebrate Valentine's Day and give gifts? 

By: Samreen Maqsood

A COVID-19 and conversation candy hearts Valentine’s card (Via Etsy Canada)

The COVID-19 virus still may be in the air, but so is love! CanCulture rounded up some of the best gifts for our Valentine’s Day gift guide, but with a twist. This year, we wanted to emphasize self-love and romanticize platonic relationships, while featuring local Toronto businesses you can support.

Gifts for Yourself

Likely General

Likely General is a Toronto-based shop and community space. In late 2014, they opened up Likely General Gallery, a community-minded gallery that showcases new exhibits once a month. They offer everything from clothes and accessories to art and puzzles. Their jewelry ranges from $14 to $625. Treat yourself to a pair of Anishinaabe hand-beaded earrings that come in a range of colours and styles!

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How much love can you candle?

2022 is the year of self-care and what better way to relax than with some aromatherapy candles? Logan and Finley is an eco-friendly Toronto shop that offers both an online and in-person shopping experience. Their products are sustainable, useful and pretty to look at! Along with personal care, home supplies and specialty food, they offer aromatherapy candles for $14 in five different scents: lavender and eucalyptus, bergamot and bay, peppermint, fir balsam and cedar and lavender.

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Gifts for friends and family

Good Neighbour

You can never go wrong with a cute and cheesy Valentine’s Day greeting card. Good Neighbour is a local Leslieville fashion curator, offering clothes, jewelry, footwear, magic beans and potions. They offer a wide variety of greeting cards perfect for a day of love and sharing, ranging from $6.99 for a single card to $35 for a set of six. Put a smile on a friend or family member’s face with their assorted pun-related cards!

“You’re worth the wait” Valentine’s Day greeting card. (Via goodnbr.com)

Brodawka & Friends

Brodawka & Friends is a Toronto-based gift shop that specializes in Mexican and Portuguese footwear. Founded by a couple who graduated from OCAD University in industrial design, the shop also offers accessories, kitchen supplies and baby goods. They offer cute jewelry holders and trinket dishes ranging from $18 to $24 — the perfect gift for anyone who loves jewelry and needs more storage space!

Mango wood bowl mini solstice trinket dish. (Via brodawkaandfriends.com)

Gifts for a Special Someone

Slow Poke Soap

Slow Poke Soap offers handmade cold process soaps in different shapes and scents. Their Valentine’s Day gift offerings include a one soap gift box for $12 or a two soap gift box for $22 — and you can even add in a cute towel for $8. You can customize your soap bars in the shape of a heart envelope or XOXO!

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Northside of the Map (NSOTM)

Valentine’s Day gifts for that special guy can seem hard. But we got you covered with NSOTM. This Toronto-based streetwear and lifestyle company founded in 2012 centres their mascot, Nanuk, a polar bear found only in the Northern regions of the world. They offer a wide range of clothes; hoodies, shirts, beanies, socks and more! Treat your partner to one of their waffle knit hats for $28 — they come in 14 different colours.

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Things to do in Toronto for Valentine's Day

By Tina Makuto

Regardless of what your ideal Valentine’s Day looks like, Toronto is a large city and there are a number of activities to get up to — no matter your relationship status. If you’ve been in a bit of a panic trying to figure out what to get up to this coming Valentine’s Day, worry no more.

If you want something classic and romantic…

For the couples: Ripley’s Aquarium “Deep Sea Soiree”

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"We enjoyed the aquarium so much. It was out first time in Toronto and getting to go to the aquarium was one of our highlights! I’m happy we captured this photo because it’s one I’ll cherish forever of one of our many memorable moments in Canada!" -@shelbytaryn #FeaturedFanPhoto

A post shared by Ripley's Aquarium of Canada (@ripleysaquaca) on Dec 18, 2019 at 10:37am PST

Photo: Shelby Taryn via ripleysaquaca on Instagram

On Feb. 14th, Ripley’s Aquarium will be opening its doors after hours from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m. and invites you and yours for a romantic dinner. 

The event is 19+ and tickets sales are online through the Ripley’s Aquarium website. They are priced at $60+HST per person. This includes food and access to the venue. With a cash bar, live local music and a variety of food options who would want to pass up this experience?

For the singles: Wine and Chocolate Night

To all the wine sommeliers out there, New World Wine Tours and Sapori, invite you to a wine and chocolate night. Yeah, you read that right — a wine and chocolate night. On Feb 14th, join them at 1588 Dundas Street West for a night of tasting five different types of wines paired with unique chocolate dishes. 

The event is 19+ and tickets are sold online, message a friend and get out on February 14th for some chocolate and wine!

If you want something fun and exciting… 

For the couples and singles: ROM After Dark 

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New decade. New experience. Announcing #ROMAfterDark 🎉 Expect the unexpected at an exciting new monthly after hours event where art, culture, and nature collide to offer a curated evening of music, visual arts and immersive experiences. Check out the upcoming dates in our bio link. 📷: @graymattervisuals

A post shared by Royal Ontario Museum (@romtoronto) on Jan 9, 2020 at 11:55am PST

Photo: graymattervisuals via romtoronto on Instagram

The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), has decided to open its doors after dark for an exciting, new event. The event runs from 7 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. and will showcase curated music, visual arts and immersive experiences. 

A student ticket costs $30.12, and includes entry to the event along with one complimentary food or drink item. Get your bae or bestie and go enjoy some art!

If you want something budget friendly…

For the couples: Toronto Light Festival

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Kukulkan’s Portal by @liquidpxl is composed of two geometric shapes 🔳 An acrylic merkaba enclosed in an aluminium cube frame. Kukulkan is a Mayan serpent that is the portal between the physical world and the spiritual world 🐍 (pic: @atallasianguy) #tolightfest

A post shared by Toronto Light Festival (@tolightfest) on Feb 9, 2020 at 3:06pm PST

Photo: Nicholas Wong (atallasianguy) via tolightfest on Instagram

The Toronto Light Festival at the Distillery District is a visual event displaying different artists from around the world and their light-work. 

If you’re on a bit of a budget this V-day, don't fret! Toronto Light Festival is free and it’s sure to impress whoever you’re bringing. So message your partner — I’d recommend incorporating some lightbulb emojis — and bring them along for a night of views.

For the singles: Treat Yo’self!

Nothing beats the most classic, simple and easy to do V-Day tradition, treating yourself! Get some chocolate, invite your friends over, bake some cookies, order a heart-shaped pizza, watch some cheesy romantic comedies (check out this list of rom-coms you can find on Netflix Canada) and just relax. 

If you want to go all out… 

For the couples: Helicopter Tour Around Toronto

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🚁 Ending The Week On A High Note 🚁 #sundayvibes

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Photo: helitours on Instagram

If you’re looking for something exceptionally special (and expensive), to woo your date this V-day, you’re in luck. Helitours Toronto is offering 7-minute tours of this lovely city at the sweet price of $279 per couple. Tickets can be bought online and on Feb 14th there are available time slots from 12 p.m. to 3:47 p.m. 

For the singles and couples: Valentines Day Dinner & Ball

If you and your friends are looking for something incredibly extra to get up to this Valentine’s Day, this is the event for you. The Guild Inn Estate is hosting a Valentine’s Day Ball, which includes dinner, dancing and all the fun you could ever want out of Valentine’s Day. 

Ticket sales are completely online and are priced at $79.04 for general admission. The event is all ages and open to singles and couples alike. Get dressed up in your most appropriate ball attire and have fun!

Valentine’s Day in the city: How creative do your gifts get?

By Lauren Kaminski

Photo: Johnny Brown/Unsplash

As Feb. 14 rolls around in Toronto, for some, this celebration of love can become a matter of what gift will best show your gratitude or affection for your significant other.

With this added pressure, some find Valentine’s Day to be just to be another “money-grab” — a capitalist holiday invented to empty the pockets of those in meaningful relationships and insisting that love comes with a price tag. 

The idea of spending copious amounts on a gift can seem unattainable for those that are young, broke and in love. Yet, much like the holiday season and birthday celebrations, giving the perfect DIY gift, or planning the perfect night, can be how some couples prefer to show their gratitude. 

For Michael Taglioni, the day doesn’t differ from any other, as he finds it’s “just another day to appreciate your significant other,” he explained.

Taglioni plans to make his girlfriend an “exploding box.” This project features a greeting card in a box, and when the lid is lifted, the walls of the box fall down with pictures, notes, and mementos lining the sides. When opened, it reveals 4 different layers that ‘explode.’

While Taglioni wants to maintain a DIY approach to the holiday, he also plans to surprise his girlfriend with flowers and a necklace enclosed in the box. 

“I was thinking about doing just dinner with Emma, but I decided that I want to make her something she’d really remember,” he said.

The new couple has still made plans for the 14th at La Bettola Di Terroni for dinner, a Toronto Southern Italian restaurant where they met for the first time, as well as a hotel room. Recognizing the corporation-driven nature of the holiday, the 25-year-old still acknowledges the value of showing devotion to one’s partner.

“It’s nice to shower someone with love and gifts,” he said.

This creative outlook on Valentine’s Day doesn’t differ for those in long-term relationships.

Cyreena Prasad met her boyfriend of three years, Joshua Gordon-Hinds, in high school, and after a couple of years of friendship, they made it official. 

After finding crafty inspiration on Pinterest, Prasad decided to make a little box of her boyfriend’s favourite things including candy, socks, and video games.

“It lets me get him gifts with an excuse,” she said.

As for Prasad, being in a long-term relationship has not changed her idea of Valentine's Day as “he treats me so well every day of the year so it doesn’t really make a whole difference,” she said.

Prasad explained that she still enjoys celebrating Valentine’s Day for the quality time together.

“I just love spending time with him and doing fun things.”

Despite being in a relationship or not, in recent years it seems that the day of love has shifted meaning to a broader appreciation of all the ways we can experience love.  

“Galentine’s Day”, a nonofficial holiday first dubbed by character Leslie Knope in the television series Parks and Recreation, acknowledges love outside of romantic partners.

For Dini Bryant, a 29-year-old nurse and Brock University graduate, every Valentine’s Day her and a group of single friends head to downtown Toronto and go out drinking, usually on the hunt for some good live music.

“When you’re single, your friends are your makeshift boyfriend,” said Bryant. 

Bryant’s group would do fun eyeshadow looks fitting the holiday, and dress up in pink and red outfits. They would only settle for bars with live music, accompanied by the perfect decorations like strung up heart lights and cupid cut-outs. 

Bryant sees the value in celebrating the holiday with those you love, regardless of being romantically involved.

“Friends are your support system, the people who are always there for you and that should be recognized on Valentine’s Day too,” she said.

Valentine’s Day poetry event at Union Station intrigues local commuters

By Alexander Sowa

‘Poetry in Union: Railway Lines and Valentines’ lets travellers get a personalized love poem written by one of nine professional Toronto poets

Union Station passersby were encouraged to engage in early Valentine’s Day festivities by allowing Toronto poets to personalize a poem for them.

Commuters and visitors were invited to sit down, enjoy a free cup of hot chocolate and doughnuts while the poets did their work.

“You sit with a person in an intimate space, at a desk. Not across the desk, but together. And you just ask them questions. What’s on your mind? What’s on your heart? What do you think of when you think of train travel?” said Kate Marshall Flaherty, organizer of the event.

Kate Marshall Flaherty at ‘Poetry in Union.’ (CanCulture/Alexander Sowa)

Flaherty continued to explain what the participants could expect at the end of their session with their Toronto poet.

“Eventually, as any poet will tell you, you get an image or a spark or an idea, and then you write for a minute or two. And then you read it to the traveller. Even amongst ourselves when we did it, it was very powerful. I can only imagine what it must be like for an unsuspecting traveller,” she said.

Hannah Martin, a marketing company owner, said that it was interesting to have someone attentively listen to what they had to say, as well having questions posed to them that people would not normally ask.

“(The poets) ask you questions … like ‘What is it in your life that’s going on that you need this for?’ And then you have to think about it,” said Martin.

Hannah Martin, left, with her company co-owner Shannon Litt, right, posing with their poems at the event. (CanCulture/Alexander Sowa)

Dominique Bernier-Cormier, one of the poets, described the writing process as wonderful and intimate.

“It feels like you create a space very quickly where people aren’t strangers anymore, very fast. But it’s tough because with only a couple of questions, you have to get a whole bunch of images to put in the poem,” he said.

Dominique Bernier-Cormier, Toronto poet, smiling while on a break from poem-writing. (CanCulture/Alexander Sowa)

Chloe Catan, the public art program manager for Waterfront Toronto, said that she gained a great admiration for the poets.

“I decided that I wanted to give my husband a poem for Valentine’s Day. I told Dominique the story of how we met in Mexico City. He listened to me for a few minutes, and then wrote a beautiful poem. I’m really happy,” said Catan.

‘A big first step’

The event, “Poetry in Union: Railway Lines and Valentines” was presented by the League of Canadian Poets.

According to Ayesha Chatterjee, the league’s former president, they are a “non-profit organization whose mandate is to encourage and promote poetry in Canada, as well as Canadian poets.”

This event is the first of its sort to be held by the league. “We usually don’t do events. Usually what we do is we’re in the background, we help to provide funding, we tweet, we use social media, we do stuff like that. We have an annual lecture at a conference, but this is the first time we’ve done anything quite like this. It’s a big first step,” said Chatterjee.

Flaherty emphasized that it was important for the poets involved to be from Toronto and showcase diversity.

“We really tried to have a cross-section of Toronto, which I think is the most multicultural, most diverse population in the world. It’s really important that we covered a microcosm of the world in Toronto,” said Flaherty.

The nine poets involved are all Toronto residents - Lesley Belleau, Dominique Bernier-Cormier, Ronna Bloom, Michael Fraser, Suparna Ghosh, Jessica Hiemstra, Max Layton, Rajinderpal Pal and Kate Marshall Flaherty.

The Right Time

Flaherty said that she was inspired to create the event in 2017 after being sent a video of “The Poet Is In,” a similar event that was held at Grand Central Station in New York.

Since Union Station had just been renovated, she said that they were working hard in order to make it accessible, arts friendly and community wide.

Flaherty said that she hopes to make this an annual event and that they are working with Union Station to make it happen.

If you are interested in more events like this at Union Station, you can view a full calendar of all the free activities they offer at torontounion.ca/event.

5 Canadian films to watch on Valentine’s Day

By Ivonne Flores Kauffman

The Fireflies Are Gone (2018)

This film directed by Sébastien Pilote follows the story of Léonie (Karelle Tremblay), a teenager who is desperate to graduate from high school and leave the industrial town where she lives.

V-day sucks when you are single. However, instead of spending all day feeling miserable for not having a partner, buy a bottle of wine, turn off your phone and watch this entertaining film. It will make you laugh all your problems out. Tremblay’s character is so relatable that by the end of the film you will say, “F**k it” and embrace the fact that you are young, single and living a life full of possibilities.

Kingsway (2018)   

If you hate the idea of celebrating February 14th because you have recently gone through a breakup, do not worry. We have the perfect movie for you: Bruce Sweeney’s newest production Kingsway. This movie, shot in Vancouver, portrays the struggles of life and love in a darkly funny way. According to the movie’s marketing material, “Kingsway is a romantic comedy about suicide, infidelity, and in-laws.” This Valentine’s Day you are allowed to spend all day in pajamas, eating ice cream and watching sad movies. But remember, there are plenty more fish in the sea.

Little Italy (2018)

This romantic comedy by American director Donald Petrie is the perfect film to watch with your significant other on V-Day. Set in Toronto’s Little Italy, the film follows the complicated love story between Nikki (Emma Roberts) and Leo (Hayden Christensen), whose parents hate each other. Nikki, a successful chef, has to relocated to her hometown Toronto, where she reunites with Leo. This Romeo and Juliet inspired movie promises to deliver a chill evening full of cuddles and laughs. Don’t forget to order your favourite Italian food! We swear you will get hungry while watching it.

The New Romantic (2018)

“Romance is dead,” writes Blake Conway (Jessica Barden), an aspiring journalist, who after years of searching for a Hollywood-style romance has given up the idea of finding love. Instead of spending all day crying for being single, Barden’s character decides to face the world and become a sugar baby, so she can finally be debt free and launch her career as a gonzo journalist.

This romantic comedy is the debut film of Canadian filmmaker Carly Stone and the winner of the 2018 SXSW Special Jury Recognition For First Feature award. This movie, full of comedy and cynicism can be enjoyed with your girlfriends, partner or even by yourself. With a super cool cast including Jessica Barden (The End of the F***king World), Brett Dier (Pretty Little Liars), Camila Mendes and Hayley Law (Riverdale)., The New Romantic is a must watch for this Valentine’s Day.

Clara (2018)

This sci-fi love story is a great alternative if you or your significant other are looking for a more serious plot this Valentine’s Day. The movie follows the story of Dr. Isaac Bruno (Patrick J. Adams) who believes there are Earth-like planets in the universe. His new assistant Clara (Troian Bellisario) does more than helping him with his research; the pair spends endless nights debating the meaning of their existence. The connection formed between both of them leads Bruno to discover there are more things in life than numbers. Apart from having an exciting plot, the chemistry between Adams and his wife Bellisario is undeniable, and this movie is proof of it. The film will be available for rent or purchase on iTunes, The Cineplex Store and Google Play on Feb. 12.

Your 2019 Valentine’s Day outfit inspiration

By Regina Dickson

If you’re stuck on what to wear for your Valentine’s Day date this year, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. However, if you’re stuck on trying to find a date… First, you are not alone and second, we unfortunately don’t have you covered there.

As any other outfit, your V-Day look is going to depend on the weather and the setting of your date. Let’s start here.

Feb. 14 is still a couple weeks away, but right now the forecast predicts -5 C and partially cloudy. In terms of the setting of your date, whether it’s a romantic dinner or a wild night at a concert, the following looks are divided into three types of dates. Take a look and be inspired.

Restaurant date

If you ask me, an elegant and, most importantly, warm sweater dress is the ideal choice for a restaurant date.

Left: Photo courtesy of Mytheresa via Pinterest, Top: Photo courtesy of Who What Wear via Pinterest, Bottom: Photo courtesy of Love Street Apparel via Pinterest

Choosing a simple sweater dress like this one will keep you on the current minimalist trend. It will also allow you to make a statement with either earrings, a faux fur coat like this one or maybe a bold purse and a red lip.

Dynamite has a selection of classy sweater dresses which are currently on sale for as low as $30.

Concert/party date

Left: Photo courtesy of Urban Outfitters via Pinterest, Top: Photo courtesy of Etsy.com via Pinterest, Bottom: Photo courtesy of Clothing Clothesmapper via Pinterest

Denim on denim - pretty wild, eh?

Believe it or not, it’s a trend that celebrities such as Selena Gomez and Hailey Bieber have been all over the past few seasons.

Courtesy of Hailey Rhode Bieber (haileybieber) via Instagram

High waisted Levi’s jeans are obviously classic and still very much in style today. So are fleece-lined denim jackets, which go with any casual or more formal look.

With the comeback of 80s fashion, classic rock bands have naturally come back in style as well. Led Zeppelin T-shirts especially seem to have been a hit over the past year.

Lastly, you can’t go wrong with Docs. Do yourself a favour and invest in a nice pair of Dr. Martens - they’ll change your life.

Most, if not all three, of the items above can be found at Urban Outfitters downtown Toronto. H&M usually has a good selection of band T-shirts and Journeys has all the most popular Dr. Martens styles.

Art gallery date

Here’s to hoping you’re going on an art gallery date this Valentine’s Day, because this outfit is my favourite. Corduroy, faux fur, animal print, flare and leather are few of the main trends this fall and winter season. When it comes to animal print, the key is balance. Wearing green booties with a red turtleneck and an animal print coat is probably too much. Choosing somewhat neutral colours with no patterns is a great way to make your look pop with an animal print coat.

Top left: Photo courtesy of ShopStyle via Pinterest, Bottom left: Photo courtesy of & Other Stories via Pinterest, Top right: Photo courtesy of DressLily via Pinterest, Bottom right: Photo courtesy of Topshop via Pinterest

Free People, with a location in the Toronto Eaton Centre, has the most fantastic leopard print faux fur coat, quite literally called the Kate Leopard Coat. Zara is usually my go-to for ankle boots. It always has the widest, trendiest selection with great discounts. H&M and Forever 21 are good places to find a corduroy skirt. As for the cashmere sweater… Aritzia usually has the most warm, soft and high-quality sweaters.

My hope is that you have been inspired and if not, hopefully your date will do a better job at inspiring you than I have this Valentine’s Day.