The word “romance” may not be the first thing you think about when you hear the words Grande Prairie, but, according to Amazon Canada, the Swan City knows a thing or two about love.
Using sales data released from Amazon Canada, with purchases of romance novels (both print and Kindle editions), romantic comedies, relationship books, jewellery, and sexual wellness products all being taken into account, Grande Prairie has been named as the 7th most romantic city in Canada.
Grande Prairie Regional Tourism Boardchair Johnathan Clarkson jokes that some of the employment in the area may have helped Grande Prairie in getting such a high ranking.
“When you go out to work in camp, I think you come back and you need to get some brownie points with your significant other, and I think that attributes to flower purchases, chocolates and that sort of thing.”
Clarkson says it’s not all about fancy gifts, however, as the Peace Country as a whole has several locations that seem like a perfect setting for a romance novel.
“Somewhere that I went just this summer, and I hadn’t been there in 20 years, was out to Klusken Hills. Just sitting up on some of those areas, talking and enjoying time together with your significant other is great.”
He adds in the end, it’s the company and not the destination that can make Grande Prairie such a romantic place.
“One of my other staff here says she and her husband celebrated their anniversary by going Mucho Burrito, so it’s not necessarily where you go to spend those romantic times, it’s who you are with.”
Fort McMurray, Toronto, and Yellowknife were named as the top three most romantic cities in Canada.