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The Culdesac Journal

Stories about community, loneliness, and belonging in Canada

Half of Canadians Saw Friends Daily in 1986

In 1986, nearly half of Canadians saw a friend on any given day. By 2022, that number had collapsed to one in five. The decline did not happen suddenly. It crept in, one small optimization at a...

Toronto Is Among Canada's Loneliest Cities

37% of Torontonians feel lonely at least three or four days a week, and two thirds know only a few of their neighbours or none at all. What the data actually says.

The Vancouver Freeze Is Real

One in three Metro Vancouver residents say it is difficult to make new friends. The phenomenon has a name, a reputation, and research behind it.

Run Clubs Are the New Nightclubs

Run club participation rose 59% in a single year. Gen Z say they are four times more likely to want to meet people working out than at a bar. Something is shifting.

The Newcomer Loneliness Crisis in Canada

Nearly half a million people arrive in Canada each year. 57% of immigrants report being lonely. Settlement services focus on employment and documents, not friendship.

Loneliness Kills Like 15 Cigarettes a Day

The 2023 U.S. Surgeon General's advisory put poor social connection on a par with smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day. Canada's first clinical guidelines came in 2024.

Canada Is Losing 9,000 Churches This Decade

One-third of Canada's 27,000 faith buildings are expected to close within a decade. With them goes the community infrastructure that held neighbourhoods together.

How Pickleball Became Canada's Fastest-Growing Sport

1.54 million Canadians are playing pickleball, up 57 percent in three years. What the numbers say about how adults find community.

60% of Canadians Feel Disconnected

Six in ten Canadians feel disconnected from their community. Sixteen percent say they never feel a sense of community at all.

Culdesac

Find a group that already meets near you

We list the clubs and recurring events running in seven cities, and every listing links straight to whoever organises it. Browse run clubs, book clubs or hiking clubs now, or leave your email and we will write once, when the app opens in your city.