During the season of romance, local couples in Nanaimo share how they met and what has been their secrets to a happy relationship. Is there a secret to finding love, or does love find you? That warm fuzzy feeling is different to everyone, and is always a happy thing to celebrate finding that special someone. Love may come from unexpected places, and here are some places locals have found their special someone on Vancouver Island.

“We were at Old City and it was country night,” said Lucile Guitard. Guitard’s partner Jack Smith, remembered her name but she couldn’t remember his at the time. Being that this wasn’t their first encounter, Smith recalls his first impression of Guitard.

“The first time I saw Lucile, she was like on a mechanical bull with a lollipop in her mouth, and I thought she was actually #%*@ insane,” says Smith. The lollipop was his main concern. The two came from different places; Guitard was originally from Tulle, France, while Smith is from Nanaimo, B.C. Guitard is currently in her third year of hospitality at VIU, and Smith has graduated from BCIT in aircraft maintenance engineering. The two found a romantic connection at the local Old City Station Pub.

Smith shares that after meeting her that first night, he frequently visited the pub hoping to see her again. They’ve now been dating for s almost eight months. Together, they shared how they keep a happy relationship;

“You do the dishes,” Guitard says, turning to Smith.

“Yes, and you cook,” says Smith

The two together make a perfect match, a cook who hates the dishes and a partner who does the dishes for her.

During the COVID Pandemic in 2020 Alyona Latsinnik and Kraig Lakes didn’t have much to do in their spare time. With a mutual love of long drives the two decided to meet in Port Renfrew for their first date that has since grown into six years of dating.

At the time Latsinnik had relocated from Calgary to Port Renfrew for work, and her partner, Lakes, was living in Cobble Hill. Latsinnik is originally from Rostov-on-Don Russia, while Lakes came from Trail, B.C.

“I actually brought my girlfriend and roommate at that time, Sam, to one of our first dates. Five plus years ago, there was no cell service in Port Renfrew and I wanted to make sure I was safe, as I [didn’t] know him that well,” said Alyona.

It’s been close to six years of dating for this travelling couple. Together, they share their different ways of keeping a happy relationship.

“Communication, being able to laugh together, supporting each others’ goals, supporting each other through the hard times, and remembering that sometimes the hardest times could turn out to be some of the most fun times,” Lakes says .

“Letting little things go, not taking minor arguments too seriously, being open in communication, little acts of love and appreciation, date nights, common goals,” Latsinnik says.

Amanda Hucul and Rick Hucul found love on the island through an online chat: the once popular MSN messenger/Windows Live messenger. Since their messaging days, the pair has been together for 32 years.

Rick Hucul is from Vancouver Island, while Amanda Hucul is from Fort McMurray, Alberta. After 15 years of dating, the two tied the knot in 2009.

“I proposed to her in the summer of 2008, on the beach. I got on one knee and asked her,” Rick Hucul says. They got married in July the following year and have been happily together ever since.

So, what has been the secret to this long and happy relationship?

“Communication is key,” Amanda Hucul says.

“Adventures and love,” Rick Hucul says.

Two unique people who have been together for over three decades, have very different answers to the secret of happiness in their partnership.

Perhaps there isn’t necessarily a secret to love, rather the right partner will come along and accept you as you are. But as Rick ended our discussion, he added, “To sum up, we are so happy and in love.”

These three local couples have shown there are many ways to form connections and keep the spark in relationships.

From doing the dishes for your partner, to supporting each other through life, there are various ways to maintain a happy relationship.