Victoria tops Amazon's list of most romantic cities in Canada

CTV News Channel: Canada's most romantic cities The mayors of Victoria, North Bay, Ont. and Newmarket, Ont. discuss what make their cities so romantic.

There are more dog-eared romance novels and lacy pairs of underwear in Victoria, per capita, than in any other city in the country, according to Amazon's annual list of the most romantic cities in Canada.

The online retailer has declared Victoria the "most romantic city in Canada" for a fifth straight year, based on 2016 sales of various romance-related products online.

Amazon's list is compiled using per-capita sales of romance novels, relationship books, romantic comedies, jewelry and "sexual wellness" products in Canadian cities with more than 80,000 residents.

Of course, one could argue all this is indicative of a lonely population. But that would spoil the romance, wouldn't it?

Victoria ranked tops in all categories, which came as no surprise to the city's mayor, Lisa Helps.

"It's paradise here," she told CTV News Channel on Thursday. Helps touted her community's "gorgeous waterfront" and "amazing downtown," which includes many restaurants, bars and coffee shops. "It lends itself to romance," she said. Seven of the 20 top cities on the list were in B.C., with Abbotsford ranked No. 2 and North Vancouver coming in third in the ranking.

The list includes a wide range of cities, from major hubs such as Calgary and Edmonton, to smaller bergs like North Bay, Ont. and Newmarket, Ont.

Newmarket Mayor Tony Van Bynen says he's thrilled to see his bedroom community make the list at 20th spot.

"We're really excited," Van Bynen told CTV News Channel on Thursday. He said the city has been pushing in recent years to develop more gathering spaces and free WiFi zones to help people get together. "A lot of these things are adding up for us," he said.

Van Bynen also promised the city will be "more romanticker (sic) next year," with several on-screen adaptations of Harlequin romance novels slated to shoot in the city in 2017.

North Bay Mayor Al McDonald said the cold nights in his city do nothing to chill the air of romance in the community. "We really promote a healthy active lifestyle and healthy relationships," he told CTV News Channel.

McDonald also hailed Victoria for placing first on the ranking for a fifth straight year.

"They're absolutely doing something right."

No cities east of Ontario were ranked among the list of 20.

Here is Amazon.ca's full list: