For those looking for an alternative to the dating bar scene, there are a few options -- set-ups through friends, the internet or speed dating.
Single in the City runs regular speed dating events in locations across Durham Region. The most recent event took place at Jukebox Live in Pickering at the end of March. Nine ladies and nine gentlemen attended, hoping to make a love connection, or at the very least meet someone new.
Kevin Brown organized the event that evening. He says even with its growing popularity, speed dating is still a mystery to many people.
"There's a fascination about it," he says. "People have heard about it, seen it on TV, but never done it."
The premise is really quite simple. As each participant arrives they are asked to fill out a registration form and then the men are assigned a number and the woman are assigned a letter. Each participant is given a name tag with just their first name and their identifying letter or number on it. They are also given a score sheet.
The way speed dating works is a man will mark on his sheet which women he would like to see again and the women will do the same on their sheets. Within 24 hours each participant will be contacted and given the contact information for each of his or her matches. If a man picks someone who doesn't pick him, he won't be given her contact information, and the same goes for the women.
Once the basics are explained, the women get comfortable in their designated spots (it is the men who go from woman to woman) with their first date of the evening.
"Ladies and gentlemen, start dating," Mr. Brown says with a smile.
Each date lasts just a couple of minutes -- at this particular event five minutes, but at events with more participants, each date could be just three minutes.
"Speed dating is fun, harmless. There's no attitude. You can tell very quickly if there is a connection or not," Mr. Brown says. "Or it could be a new friendship or networking (that comes out of the night)."
Halfway through the evening there is a break, giving participants a chance to grab a drink or munch on some provided appetizers.
During half time Paul Pancham talks about the experience so far.
"(Speed dating) is a good way of meeting people you wouldn't normally meet through work or friends," he says. "If you just show up at a bar, you don't know who's looking or who's not. When you show up at an event like this everyone is in the same boat."
Cindy Jackson says she thought she'd be nervous, but she isn't so far.
"I just moved to the area and I don't really know anyone here," she says. "This is one of the things I am doing to get out of the house and meet people."
With several dates still ahead of her, Ms. Jackson says she's already checked off some "yes-es" on her score sheet. She says even if she doesn't find a love match, the evening is giving her a fun story to tell her friends.
Speed dating events have been hosted in Oshawa, Ajax, Whitby and Pickering. The events are geared towards different age groups. For more information about Single in the City events, visit www.singleinthecity.ca.
