When Joseph David decided to re-enter the dating scene, it wasn91裸聊视频檛 something he was used to.

The divorced father of two met his former wife when online dating was limited to a handful of matchmaking websites that were often seen as a last resort for the perpetually unattached 91裸聊视频� not the singlehood staples that dating apps are today.

As David, 49, was looking at options to meet new people, he quickly knew he wasn91裸聊视频檛 keen on popular apps that require users to swipe on a photo of a prospective match.

91裸聊视频淚 like to meet people in person. I want that direct interaction. To meet them, to know who they are. I91裸聊视频檇 rather do that than sit on my couch swiping left or right,91裸聊视频� David said.

Family members eventually encouraged David to try speed dating.

Intrigued by the idea, he signed up for an event in Winnipeg.

91裸聊视频淏ecause I was out of the dating market for so long, I wanted to try this at a place that was safe, where everyone is looking for a relationship or someone to meet,91裸聊视频� said David.

While he didn91裸聊视频檛 find a long-term match, he was able to meet someone in person and learn more about them beyond a curated online profile.

Speed dating was developed in Los Angeles around 1998 by a rabbi as a way for young Jewish singles to find a partner. The concept soon spread across the United States then into other countries.

In the 2010s, speed dating took a back seat as smartphones made round-the-clock access to the online world possible. Dating apps like Tinder, Grindr, Hinge and Bumble gave singles an easy way to meet a potential romantic partner.

By 2022, nearly nine per cent of Canadians aged 15 and older had used dating apps, data from Statistics Canada suggests.

Around this time, restrictions from the COVID-19 pandemic began to lift. After being forced to turn online, people had to relearn how to socialize.

That91裸聊视频檚 what led Sabrina Friesen, a mental health counsellor, to create Winnipeg Connect.

91裸聊视频淪peed dating was kind of more about creating safe spaces for people to learn to be together,91裸聊视频� said Friesen.

91裸聊视频淎 lot of us really struggled post-COVID-19 to get back into this idea that people are safe, social connection is safe, being in a new setting is safe.91裸聊视频�

Numbers from ticketing agency Eventbrite show Canadian dating and singles events grew by 76 per cent from 2023 to 2024, up from 47 per cent growth between 2022 and 2023.

Friesen ran speed dating and friending events in Manitoba91裸聊视频檚 capital from 2022 to 2024. Each took place in a social setting, like a brewery. Conversations lasted seven minutes. At the end of the night, participants provided Friesen with their picks, and she sent out matches.

Friesen heard from participants that they liked how the format required people to be locked in with each other for a set time, allowed people to start out on agreed upon terms and didn91裸聊视频檛 require days of emotional labour.

91裸聊视频淭he back and forth on apps and the long gaps between a response and the quality of conversation in apps is something I heard that is lacking. People have said they have the same conversation over and over again,91裸聊视频� she said.

That91裸聊视频檚 partly why Maryana Kravets decided to give speed dating a shot two years ago.

The 37-year-old mostly relied on dating apps to meet people in Winnipeg. Originally from Toronto, she found opportunities to make new friends and socialize were limited.

She found apps lacked real-world connection.

91裸聊视频淪ometimes you91裸聊视频檒l talk to somebody and everything91裸聊视频檚 wonderful, but they don91裸聊视频檛 even bother asking you out,91裸聊视频� she said.

91裸聊视频淭he world that we created with phones, we91裸聊视频檙e not even forced to try and date a person.91裸聊视频�

Despite not securing any romantic leads, Kravets said speed dating was a worthwhile exercise in broadening her social circle, including meeting new female friends.

Speed dating can also appeal to people who don91裸聊视频檛 thrive on spontaneity.

91裸聊视频淭he rigid structure can really set them up for success, especially people in the neurodiverse space,91裸聊视频� said Matt Paoli, founder of Flare Events, a Canadian speed dating and matchmaking service.

91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檝e known people who really don91裸聊视频檛 do well when there are last-minute changes.91裸聊视频�

Paoli91裸聊视频檚 Toronto-based company, launched in 2020, hosts events in Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba and Alberta.

He said he91裸聊视频檚 heard from others who are experiencing 91裸聊视频渟wipe fatigue91裸聊视频� and turn to speed dating events because, outside of dating apps, many don91裸聊视频檛 know how to meet people in romantic settings anymore.

It91裸聊视频檚 not without its downsides. Participants say small dating pools can mean the same people show up to events and checking yes or no on a form can be off-putting.

For David, speed dating gave him the confidence to approach people again.

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 only a matter of time where I do find somebody and I don91裸聊视频檛 necessarily need to buy a ticket to go through that.91裸聊视频�