5 THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT S’TOON’S LOVE LIFE
1 . Love for Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day gets more love than hate in Saskatchewan, according to an Insightrix survey released Thursday.
Only five per cent of people polled, including 176 in Saskatoon, said they are adamantly opposed to the occasion.
The online survey touched on several aspects of the annual love-fest. It found 71 per cent of the province celebrates the day. Appropriately, 72 per cent of respondents said they are in some sort of relationship.
There could be a lot of gifts from secret admirers, as only 11 per cent said they won’t give any gifts this year, a much lower percentage than the 28 per cent who said they were single.
Despite all the gifts and celebration, some people aren’t taking getting lucky for granted. When asked if they expect to have sex on Valentine’s Day, only 32 per cent chose the “Chances are lookin’ good” response.
Marysa Radke, an employee at For Lover’s Only in Saskatoon, thinks that number is way too low.
“I definitely think people try harder on Valentine’s Day. I think they kind of expect it. Just like birthday sex,” she said.
Then again, respondents could be keeping their plans under the covers — another 29 per cent chose not to say.
2 . Paying for it
The Lion’s Den, an “adult services studio” in Saskatoon, expects to see an increase in business this weekend. Holidays and special occasions such as Valentine’s Day can be busy times for massage parlours.
“It’s a lonely time of year for people,” said studio owner Trish Fisher. “New Year’s Eve, Valentine’s Day, even Family Day are busier times for us.”
Fisher said Saskatoon is “old school romantic” because of its puritan roots, but some curious men aren’t shy about exploring alternatives to dating.
“We’ll probably get a fair number of walk-ins,” she said. “Valentine’s is usually a good day for business. Maybe it’s because singles are left on the sidelines while couples are out.”
Blue Bay Massage declined to comment.
3 . Trying new things
Saskatoon’s citizens have shown some willingness to mix it up in the bedroom, according to an online sex-toy retailer.
Earlier this month, Pink Cherry Adult Toys released a per-capita look at which Canadian cities were purchasing the most of their merchandise.
Saskatoon ranked 14th on the list, just one spot behind Regina.
Radke thinks that spot sells us short.
“Just seeing the amount of stuff we order, and how much we sell and are restocking, I’m quite surprised we’re that low on the list,” she said.
“Since I’ve been working here, I’ve had way more people happy and proud to be coming in than those who say, ‘Can you wrap it super tight in a big black bag so no one can see I’m buying stuff from here?’ ” Radke said.
Victoria, B.C. topped the list, followed by Grande Prairie, Alta. and Fredericton, N.B.
4 . Is romance dying?
Saskatoon continues to slide in an annual ranking of Canada’s most romantic cities.
The city placed sixth in 2013 after topping the list in 2010, according to Amazon. ca, the online retailer that compiled the rankings released earlier this month. Regina ranked 10th in 2013, while Victoria, B.C. topped the list.
The results are based on sales data collected between Jan. 1, 2013 and Jan. 3, 2014. The company compares per capita sales of items including romance novels and music from artists such as Barry White and Michael Buble.
5 . Status updates
The latest national census gives some insight into the romantic status of Saskatoon residents.
The 2011 census said there were 69,990 families in the metropolitan area of Saskatoon. Statistics Canada defines a “census family” as being comprised of a married or commonlaw couple, including those with children, or of a lone parent living with at least one child in the same household.
Of those families, 71.4 per cent were married couples — both with and without children — the same number as in 2006.
There were 370 same-sex marriages listed in the census, up from 55 in 2006.
Of the locals aged 15 and over, 55.8 per cent were either married ( 47.8 per cent) or living with a common-law partner (eight per cent).