Is it really that hard to make friends in Vancouver?
This is a digital story exploring a possible solution to the loneliness problem in Vancouver, Canada.
Begin
It all started with a cup of coffee and a dream.
Image Credits: Screenshots from Google, YouTube and CBC News
“Why can’t we be friends?”:
Vancouver’s loneliness problem and the rise of local young adult meet-up groups
By Emi Namoro
The Loneliness Epidemic in Vancouver
Whether you were born and raised in Vancouver or moved recently in the last few years, it is possible that you may have experienced the inevitable loneliness and social isolation that most young adults face living in the city.
I have lived in Canada for 18 years now. My family and I immigrated to Canada from the Philippines back in 2007. Since living here, I have experienced my fair share of making and losing friends throughout the years. It didn't bother me because that was normal.
However, as I grew older and started post-secondary, something changed.
It became so hard to make and keep friends as a young adult. I didn't know why. People weren’t as open in letting you in their circles, especially if they already had established friend groups. The friends that I was fortunate enough to make tend to stay within the bounds where I met them. Work friends stayed at the office. School friends stayed on campus. It was so rare to meet a new friend who was open to a deeper connection.
I wondered if I was the problem, but a quick Google search on Vancouver and loneliness revealed that I was not the only one who felt deep social isolation in my city.
"Young adults, between 25 and 35 are the hardest hit by social isolation in Metro Vancouver, according to the Vancouver Foundation's Connections and Engagement report, released in December 2017." (CBC News, 2018)
Graphic Credit: Elena Kalinicheva from Canva
There was so many people online who were sharing about their challenges of making friends in the city. From people who were born and raised here to people who moved years ago, it seemed that so many people were having the same problem.
Why were we all so lonely and why was no one talking about it?
Vancouver is one of the most expensive cities in Canada. According to the Vancouver Sun, Vancouver has the "highest housing costs and household debt in Canada". These high housing costs and inflation rates would drive anyone sane out of the province! (Business Intelligence for B.C., 2025)
Who has time for friends when you're too busy trying to keep a roof over your head?
Cost of Living
Cost of living
Image Credit: Luke Lawreszuk from Pexels
Friend Groups
Cost of living
With how difficult it is to find community in Vancouver, it's understandable why people tend to stay within their circles. But what happens when you don't have one already?
How can you make new friends if no one is open to making a new connection?
Established Friend Groups
Image Credit: Philipp Aleev from Pexels
"B.c. Bail"
Cost of living
Simply put, "B.C. bail" is when someone cancels a plan last minute due to the weather and/or they found a better occasion to go to.
This is a brand new term that I stumbled upon while researching about this topic. Isn't it so fascinating that Vancouverites have the reputation of being flakey and yet, so many people in the city are feeling social isolation?
"B.C. Bail"
Image Credit: Christian Clado from Pexels
Weather
Cost of living
"Raincouver" is a term used by Vancouverites to describe the common rainy weather here.
Let's be honest. When the weather is always so gloomy and uninviting, who wouldn't want to just stay home with book and a cup of cocoa?
However, would it be worth missing out an event just because of a little drops of rain?
Weather
Image Credit: Sam Willis from Pexels
What are possible causes of Vancouver's loneliness problem?
- Esme
Esme is in her mid-20s and was born and raised in Vancouver. She shared her experience and theories of how difficult it is to make friends as a local.
- Angelo
Angelo is in his late 20s and moved to Vancouver 4 years ago. He shared his experience from finding friends in Vancouver through a Facebook post, to now, leading a young adult group.
"So, what's it like to make friends in Vancouver?"
I was curious if my own friends had trouble finding their own community in Vancouver, so I interviewed them to hear about their respective experiences.
"People are living paycheque to paycheque. We're already exhausted from that, and then, having to put in the effort to make a new friend. It doesn't feel secondary, it's at the bottom of the list."
"I remember being, admittedly, rather lonely for the first three to four months living in Vancouver."
- Esme
Esme is in her mid-20s and was born and raised in Vancouver. She shared her experience and theories of why it's difficult to make friends as a local.
- Angelo
Angelo is in his late 20s and moved to Vancouver 4 years ago. He shared his experience from finding friends in Vancouver through a Facebook post, to now, leading a young adult group.
"So, what's it like to make friends in Vancouver?"
I was curious if my friends had trouble finding their own community in Vancouver, so I interviewed them to hear about their respective experiences.
"People are living paycheque to paycheque. We're already exhausted from that, and then, having to put in the effort to make a new friend. It doesn't feel secondary, it's at the bottom of the list."
"I remember being, admittedly, rather lonely for the first three to four months living in Vancouver."
“There’s a lot of good people in this city, but we just don’t have the time, or make the effort to connect outside of our bubble.”
- Winston Yuen, dubbed “The Loneliest Man in Vancouver”
It is devastating to see that the ache of being lonely can be felt from people who were raised in Vancouver and those who have recently moved to the city.
However, not all hope is lost.
Some brave souls decided that everyone deserves community.
Enter ... Meet-up Groups
A meet-up group consists of a host who organizes meetings for people to partake in new hobbies or activities that they are interested in. It is a fun, low-pressure way to meet new people and make friends!
What is a Meet-Up Group?
Graphic Credit: Trendify from Canva
Click below to learn more about some local meet-up groups in Vancouver!
Vancouver Meet-Up Groups
We should be friends vancouver
“I knew that people were feeling the same way that I have in the past, and I know from the comments in the TikTok that people were experiencing that same loneliness, but I didn’t really expect such a strong positive response,” said founder Katrina Martin (Vancouver CityNews, 2021).
We Should Be Friends Vancouver is a meet-up group created by Martin, who moved to Vancouver from Ontario. After sharing her challenges of making friends in the city, she promoted her events through TikTok and it gathered hundreds of attendees. They host a variety of different events from paint nights, book clubs, cake socials, and more!
A chance to try new hobbies while possibly meeting new local friends? Where do I sign up?!
We Should Be
Friends Vancouver
Follow them on Instagram
Image Credit: We Should Be Friends Vancouver
Let's adventure vancouver
“Why not create a group where I bring people together and they can create their own groups or meet other people with similar interests?” said group founder, Sebastian Breuninger on a CBC interview.
Breuninger, a German expat living in Vancouver, created this meet-up group for those with an adventurous spirit. They host anything "from paddle boarding, casual bar hangouts to cold plunges and photography events. There's something for everyone!"
Embarking on new adventures while making new connections? What more could you ask for?
Let's Adventure Vancouver
Follow them on Instagram
Image Credit: Let's Adventure Vancouver
No pressure cookbook club
Unlike the other two meet-up groups on this list, this group is created by a local Vancouverite Rebekah Ho! No Pressure Cookbook Club is "laid-back, potluck style gathering for food lovers of all levels" (Vita Magazine, 2025).
For each quarterly gathering, they pick out a cookbook to cook or bake recipes from, and then, meet at a location to share.
Fun, friends, and food? Sign me up!
No Pressure Cookbook Club
Follow them on Instagram
Image Credit: No Pressure Cookbook Club
What I learned from hosting a meet-up group
The best part of hosting a meet-up group is, well, the people themselves!
Despite my initial fear and hesitation, I don't ever regret putting myself out there and helping others, just like me, find community.
Yes, hosting a meet-up group will have its challenges. It's not easy to coordinate regular events on top of your normal responsibilities. But I think that's the point. It was never meant to be easy. Like someone once said, "If it was easy, everyone else would do it."
Though The Immaculatte was a short-lived group (that sadly ended due to the Covid-19 pandemic), it holds such a special place in my heart. It reminded me that I was never alone. There are people who are willing to be part of your community, if you're open to it.
It was such a gift to find so many wonderful new friends through this experience, and I can't recommend it enough!
"The best part of hosting a meet-up group is, well, the people themselves!"
- Emi Namoro, The Immaculatte co-founder
The best part of hosting a meet-up group is the people themselves!
Despite my initial fear and hesitation, I don't ever regret putting myself out there and helping others, just like me, find community.
Yes, hosting a meet-up group will have its challenges. It's not easy to coordinate regular events on top of your normal responsibilities.
Though The Immaculatte was a short-lived group (that ended due to the Covid-19 pandemic), it holds such a special place in my heart. It reminded me that I was never alone. There are people who are willing to be part of your community, if you're open to it.
It was such a gift to find so many new friends through this experience, and I honestly can't recommend it enough!
Images Credit: The Immaculatte Women's Ministry
Do meet-up groups make a difference?
As I was researching the sudden popularity of local young adult meet-up groups in Vancouver, I realized that we usually hear about the group founders' experience but rarely from the participants themselves.
I was curious if meet-up groups made a difference in meeting new people and making new connections. Luckily, I am still in touch with some women who attended The Immaculatte and the subsequent book club that emerged when my meet-up group ended. So, I reached out to a couple friends and asked about their experiences.
- Rachel, a former The Immaculatte participant
Rachel attended a few meet-up events that The Immaculatte back in 2019 and shared her experience of meeting like-minded women from the group.
- Alyssa, a former book club participant
Alyssa and I attended the same Catholic womens' book club together, and she shared her experience of finding community during the pandemic.
"The nice thing about meet-up groups is that you know everyone is going with the same intention."
"In a very lonely time, that was exactly
what I was looking for: people to have good conversations with and get to know."
The Loneliness Epidemic in Vancouver
Will meet-up groups solve Vancouver's loneliness problem?
Honestly, I don't think that meet-up groups are the one and only way to solve the loneliness problem in Vancouver. However, what it proves is that people are trying to make an effort to bridge the problem. It is a huge step towards fostering social connections.
I found it fascinating that as I was researching about social isolation in Vancouver, articles on local meet-up groups kept popping up. It felt like a signal that this is a need that we all have and are craving to satisfy. We really need each other. Humans are social beings, after all.
“When we don’t exercise our social skills, our attitude about social connection changes. We can start to see it as threatening rather than as comforting or therapeutic or restorative. We need each other. We are social to our core."
- Kimberley Brownlee, Expert on Loneliness and Belonging, Canada Research Chair in Ethics at the University of British Columbia (CHEK Media, 2025)
But why does it matter? Why should we care?
As a young adult living in Vancouver, I didn't think deeply about the possible consequences of feeling lonely in the city. Sure, I could feel FOMO (fear of missing out) if I see some friends went out to a party or event without me. But after researching more about this topic, it is scary to think about what may happen if chronic loneliness continues for years to come.
"We are actually hard-wired biologically to be in connection with each other. When we are out of connection, we suffer. And not just the effects of feeling lonely. Social isolation can cause a whole raft of other physical and mental health problems."
"One study found that being socially isolated reduces our lifespan in a way that compares to smoking 15 cigarettes a day."
Not only is deep loneliness going to affect us socially, but it can also impact our mental and physical health. It could also cause depression, anxiety, and worse case scenario, an early death. That is so terrifying to think about.
As Vancouverites, we have the responsibility to take care of ourselves and each other. Let's not leave anyone behind who may be feeling alone.
What can we do, today, to reduce loneliness in our city?
The Loneliness Epidemic in Vancouver
"So, what do I do if I'm looking for friends?"
If you're a young adult who's feeling a little lonely and want to find new friends, why not go to a meet-up event near you?
Click the button below and check out the local meet-up groups that I listed. You never know, you may find one that resonates with you!
If you don't find any groups that you like, try looking for groups on Facebook or Instagram that you may be interested in! There are so many meet-up groups out there and I'm sure one will catch your eye!
Start with the people around you. Maybe you could start a board game club on campus or a French Club at the office? Maybe your fellow coworkers in retail also love bar trivia nights? Give it a try!
Here are a few tips to get you started:
- Start with activity that you like to do or are interested in!
- Think of meet-up places you could go to: a park, cafe, an amenity room or even your place, if you're open to it.
- Start inviting people around you. A new classmate or a co-worker is a good start. Or even an old friend.
- Have fun! This group is for you too, so make the most of it!
Join a meet-up group near you
Make your own meet-up group
Whether you decide to join or create your own meet-up group, the best advice that I could give you is to go outside your comfort zone and give yourself grace. Treat yourself with kindness and patience. Making friends isn't easy, especially in a lonely city like Vancouver.
But I guarantee you that once you give it a try, you'd probably wonder why you didn't start much earlier. There are many people out there who are looking for a friend like you. Take a chance and say hello!
Give yourself grace
Graphic Credit: Trendify from Canva