We met when we truly least expected it- in the midst of a global pandemic, in a hotel lobby in Thunder Bay on June 19, 2021. We were both working for Operation Remote Immunity (ORI) to give Covid-19 vaccines to Indigenous communities in Northern Ontario. We had a brief introduction in the lobby of the Hampton Inn, but Nicole first saw Ricky's sense of humour when he had to do her Covid swab. That night, we continued to hit it off at a bonfire at Ricky's old house. We spent as much time together as possible that week, and quickly made plans to see each other again.

This was the beginning of our long distance relationship- Nicole in Ottawa, and Ricky in Chatham - almost 700km apart! Long distance came to an end in June 2022, when Ricky got a position with Ornge in Ottawa. We bought our first house together one month later, and Ricky officially made the move to Ottawa in October 2022.

On a trip to Calgary, Ricky surprised Nicole with a last minute stay in Canmore. On March 31, 2024, after a long winter hike to Castle Mountain lookout, Ricky proposed. Of course, Nicole said yes, and we celebrated our engagement at Emerald Lake Lodge in Yoho National Park- a day we will never forget.

We can't wait to get married and are so excited to celebrate our wedding with everyone and make new memories as husband and wife!