Don't let winter ruin romance: have an all-day date without leaving the +15

Jan 18 2017, 5:49 am

As the cold has set in and date nights have turned into hibernation nights you need to get out more! After a summer of hiking, swimming, and city-street-walking, the couch looked like a perfect place to spend the winter.

Together, the television provided all the romantic glow you needed, and the quality of Netflix shows were irrelevant. But it’s been months.

You’ve binge-watched everything there is to binge, and there are only so ways you can canoodle on the couch without feeling like you’ve done it all before. You feel like it’s time to go outside – but it’s just so cold.

That’s where the +15 comes in.

Calgary’s undercover skywalk keeps you warm and dry as you go from building to building downtown. It’s a boon to business people and pedestrians – and is also a boost up for your love life, getting you out of the house without taking you outside.

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To prove it, we’ve planned an all-day date that only happens on the +15. And it starts with brunch.

Brunch at Cora’s

The day begins with you and your lover making your way over to Bow Valley Square for brunch at Cora’s. The restaurant is known for it’s colourful and elaborate breakfasts, focusing on fruit options and unusual mains like the brunch burger, asparagus and Swiss eggs Ben et Dictine, and poutine dejeuner. The lineups can get pretty lengthy on weekends, so if you and your significant other want more time to enjoy your food, it’s better to come on a weekday.

Conversation in Jamieson Place’s winter garden

After your massive brunch, you’ll want to take a walk over to Jamieson Place‘s winter garden. The indoor space features 20,000 different plant varieties, a living wall, and tons of seating spots. The garden is a secluded spot where you two can talk about your dreams and ambitions – or the latest season of The Walking Dead. The winter garden is only open to the public Monday to Friday, 6 am to 6 pm. The +15 leading to Jamieson Place is open from 7 am to 9 pm on weekdays.

Lunch and games at The Core’s Recreation World

You’re probably still full from your brunch, but it’s going to be a long while before dinner. That’s where the +15 is ideal – you can grab a sandwich or soup at a place like Sunterra or Holy Grill and then take it along as you head over to Recreation World. This room in The Core is made for couples on a budget.  Video games, pool tables, fooseball, and shuffle board are all available for people over 18 for free, so you and your S.O. can spend a couple hours in friendly competition.

Visit the public library

The library isn’t just for studying. Public libraries often hold community events that can make perfect date activities. The Central Library is host to beginner chess tournaments, interesting lectures, TedXCalgary meetups, and the Baconfest Urban Planning Film Festival. If none of those strike your fancy, you and your beau can always wander the bookshelves, looking for the most entertaining titles and reading passages in hushed voices. The +15 leading to the Central Library is open from 7 am to 9 pm on weekdays.

Dinner and drinks at Fionn MacCool’s Irish Pub

At the end of your date, it’s time to wend your way through the many walkways of the +15 to get a relaxed pub dinner. Fionn MacCool’s Irish Pub offers a number of different drink specials and a ton of dinner options, from classic pub food to curries and salads. The pub has live music on Wednesday and Saturday nights – it calls Wednesday its “East Coast Kitchen Party” – so don’t be surprised if the night goes longer than you intended.

Sleep over at the Sheraton Eau Claire

After spending all day inside, and enjoying a number of alcoholic beverages, the last thing you’ll want to do is stumble back out into the cold. Fionn MacCool’s Pub is located in the corner of the Sheraton Eau Claire, which means it’s easy to keep your date night indoors and extend it through the night. After all, what’s more romantic than a foot rub in a warm hotel room?


This date takes place on the longest section of the +15, centering on the commercial core of downtown Calgary. But it’s definitely not the only part of the +15 where you can secure romance.

In the South East section of the +15, you can catch a show at Theatre Calgary, visit the observation deck at Calgary Tower, and take a stroll through Glenbow Museum.. This section is also open until midnight every day, which makes it a perfect spot for a weekend date.

You can also take the gradual route, getting coffee with a potential date, then moving up to dinner, drinks, and maybe a spontaneous hotel stay.

That’s the beauty of a date on the +15 – you can make it your way, even on the coldest days.

Grace KennedyGrace Kennedy

+ Dating
+ Calgarians
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