Over 60s dating in Montreal: easy first dates in a city made for strolling

Montreal is a sociable city, yet it is surprisingly easy to feel alone in it once the children have moved out or a long marriage has ended. You may chat to the cheesemonger every Saturday and still have no idea who in your neighbourhood is single and hoping for company. Plenty of Montrealers in their sixties and seventies are starting again after a divorce or the loss of a husband or wife, and many would love someone to share a gallery visit, a market morning or a walk on the mountain with. Over 60s dating in Montreal can be just that: an easy afternoon in a city where the best places are often free and never far from a metro station.

What is over 60s dating in Montreal like?

Over 60s dating in Montreal tends to happen by daylight. Most people would rather meet for coffee, a museum or a stroll than for a late dinner, and the city has parks, markets and galleries that suit a long conversation. Montreal is bilingual, and so are many of its singles over 60: some prefer to chat in English, some in French, many in both. Forever Match Senior is written in English, so say on your profile which languages you are comfortable in, and the right people will know where they stand.

A dating site takes the guesswork out of it. At a choir, a bridge club or a community centre you seldom know who is unattached, let alone who might like to be asked out. Here, by contrast, each member signed up hoping to meet someone, each profile spells out whether friendship, company or a relationship is the aim, and the suggestions you get each day stay within the distance you set, so people from your own part of the island come first.

Where else can you meet people over 60 in Montreal?

You can meet people over 60 in Montreal through the places that already draw them together: neighbourhood libraries and community centres, walking groups on the mountain, choirs, volunteer work and the many activities Les amis de la montagne runs on Mount Royal through the seasons. The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts keeps Tuesday mornings free for over 65s, so the galleries are a natural place to strike up a conversation about a painting.

Groups like these are lovely for friendship, but they are a hit and miss way to find romance, because few people join a choir to meet a partner. Many Montrealers combine the two: a club or a class for company, and Forever Match Senior for getting to know someone one to one.

Getting around Montreal for a date over 60

Getting to a date costs very little once you turn 65 and live in the agglomeration of Montreal. Load the Free 65+ pass onto a photo OPUS card and you travel free in Zone A, on the metro, buses, the REM and commuter trains, with unlimited trips. To set it up, take photo ID and recent proof of address to the fare booth of any metro station or a metropolitan ticket office; a friend or relative can go for you with a proxy form. If you live outside the island you still pay the reduced senior fare, C$2.75 for a single trip in Zone A. Between 60 and 64 you pay the regular fare, so a meeting place near your own metro line keeps things simple.