Comox Valley Coffees #2
Hello Beautiful Community,
Welcome back to Comox Valley Connections—our monthly update on the people, conversations, and stories shaping this social experiment(*).
(*) Social Experiment: What if meeting 10 local strangers was one of the best investments you could make in your community?
We just want to take a second of gratitude (with you all) how wonderfully weird and beautiful this whole thing has become. As we write this, we've facilitated more than 240 Coffee & Conversations, are averaging between 3 and 12 coffees every single day, and attracted 50+ new locals to the waitlist.
Somewhere around coffee number 200 we had a ridiculous thought…
What would have to happen for Comox Valley to become the most connected community in Canada?
We laughed. Then we stopped laughing. Because…why couldn't we? One coffee doesn't change a community, but thousands might.
In this month's update, we're going to:
- ☕ Celebrate crossing 240 coffees
- 🧠 Share what we're seeing from the data
- 👋 Introduce the 19 newest members who joined
- 🌟 Share some of our favourite coffee reflections
- 🛠 Update you on the newest features we added
- 🎉 Invite you to our first group gathering in September
- ☕ Share some closing thoughts
Whether you are a member who has already completed six coffees… whether you are a member who is waiting to go on their first coffee… or whether you're someone on the waitlist wondering if you should join,we're so glad you're here.
We hope this blog gives you a little #bts glimpse into the magic that is quietly unfolding because a bunch of strangers in the Valley collectively decided to say yes to meeting 10 locals for a simple coffee & conversation.
Let's dive in.
Join the waitlist to get matched with 10 interesting Comox Valley locals for a simple coffee & conversation.
Join the waitlistThe Numbers
We will admit it… one of our favourite things to do is log into the dashboard each morning and see what happened while we were sleeping. Who met yesterday? Who sent a reflection? Who found time to book a new coffee? Every number tells a little story.
Here's what July looked like:
Not bad for a wonderfully weird little social experiment.
Another one of our favourite unexpected outcomes has been watching local coffee shops quietly become places where people go to meet strangers.
Here's where everyone met up in July:
What We're Seeing
The coffees are only part of the story. The conversations that happen before and after inside the app are becoming just as interesting.
Some chats are wonderfully efficient… "Tuesday at 10?" "Perfect." Others? Let's just say some of us seem to become pen pals before we even meet.
Our most active conversationalists exchange between 23 and 46 messages each before they even meet up. There is nothing like building some rapport before meeting up with a stranger.
Another milestone that feels significant; 26 people have completed 4 coffees already.
After 4 coffees, this starts to feel less like something you tried…and more like something you do.
Which is exactly what we hoped would happen.
This month we quietly tested a new coffee reflection question:
"Would you like to meet the person we matched you with again?"
We added this question because if we're going to build this community for years to come, we want to know whether the matches and introductions we're making are good enough that people genuinely want to see each other again.
One coffee only gives us a glimpse into someone's world. Two, three, or four conversations are where friendships begin, ideas evolve, collaborations emerge, and relationships have the chance to deepen.
Guess what? Nearly 8 out of every 10 coffees end with someone saying, "I'd love to be matched with this person again."
We'd say that's a pretty wonderful statistic and a testament to the people who live here and in our ability to match y'all.
In June, most coffee & conversation topics revolved around the Valley itself - life on the Island, how we found our way here, what we love about the Valley.
By July…something shifted. More people started talking about:
Our hypothesis? The first few coffees were spent discovering how we all found ourselves here. And the next few were spent talking about what we're up to here.
When we asked everyone how their coffee & conversation make them feel, people said:
At the end of the day, our goal is simple:
We want to create more moments where someone walks away thinking, "Wow... I feel a little more connected to this place and the people in it than I did an hour ago."
Favourite Reflections
Every reflection you write gets read. Some make us laugh. Some make us cry. Some make us stop and immediately send them to each other saying, "Read this one."
Below are a few favourite July Reflections:
What stood out to me was that she worked with my sister years ago in a coffee shop in Vancouver and was extremely happy to meet me in hope of reconnecting with my sister — and my sister is my next door neighbour. I have connected both of them and they have met in person already.
She embodies the feminine in a way that is rare these days in how she lets the conversation flow, is open to others, is in good spirits, and is willing to let others lead. She is grounded, naturally as a Virgo, reminding me of the need to be grounded, and for the three and a half hours we shared, I was also grounded. It was a beautiful time under the sun getting to know someone.
We discovered a wild cruise ship coincidence tracing back to Nova Scotia before winding our way into a conversation about meditation and the Law of Attraction.
A vibrant, nourishing human with quiet leadership which is so lovely to see.
Within the first few minutes, we discovered we have very similar dreams for retreat spaces, facilitation and community connection. We spent our conversation exploring possible areas for collaboration. A very sweet moment at the end of our chat was when her mother and daughter walked by, and there was a lovely three-generation exchange.
Honestly…thank you for taking the time to write these. They've become one of the richest parts of this experiment and help us understand what's happening far beyond the numbers.
Meet Our 19 Newest Members
This month, we welcomed 19 new members into the experiment.
One of our favourite rituals is reading every new member's profile from beginning to end. Every story. Every passion. Every quirky fact. Every answer. Every person they'd love to meet.
By the time we're finished, we're usually grinning from ear to ear. Not just because we attracted another group of fascinating people living here in the Valley, but because we can't stop imagining the conversations they're about to have with one another.
Introducing 19 of our newest members:
Special Note:
Reading this list, one thing has become abundantly clear: there is no such thing as a "typical" Comox Coffee member. And honestly… we think that's exactly why this experiment works.
The magic isn't in matching people who are alike. It's in thoughtfully introducing people who may never have crossed paths, but who share an energy, curiosity, season of life, challenge, value, dream, or desire that makes for a memorable connection & conversation.
Eco-fantasy author from Bermuda via Colorado, deep into writing book four in a climate-science-meets-magic series.
Would love to meet: Fellow writers, book lovers, and anyone who thinks magic is all around us.
Relational ecology facilitator and trauma-informed listener who drinks her morning coffee from a bowl and dreams of sharing land with others.
Would love to meet: Deep thinkers, healers, and women carrying lived experience in care work or ancestry.
Forestry office manager, master gardener, VI MusicFest volunteer of 10 years, and self-declared flower girl learning pickleball, golf, and mah jong.
Would love to meet: Retirees, gardeners, and curious humans up for a chat.
Somatic therapist, poet, gardener, emerging clown, and self-described Typewriter Oracle who writes live poems for strangers.
Would love to meet: Creatives, big dreamers, and other therapists or healers.
National champion, cancer thriver, and restorative conflict facilitator who says connection is the strongest currency.
Would love to meet: Community builders, adventurers, and folks up for camping, hiking, or a good road trip.
29 years in the Navy, 17 years as a publisher, amateur radio operator, expert navigator, three great-grandkids and a huge smile.
Would love to meet: Fellow travellers, adventurers, and creative curious humans.
Environmental scientist and engineer who moved for the ocean, tired of snow. Fuelled by road cycling, espresso, and dogs.
Would love to meet: Immigrants and newcomers, adventurers, foodies — ideally someone a bit younger with similar passions.
Mental-health RN, tea aficionado, and knows her past lives. Big smile, big Danielle Steel energy.
Would love to meet: People in healthcare, book lovers, and anyone up for a road-trip conversation.
29-year-old entrepreneur helping immigrants land corporate jobs in Canada, on a one-year experiment to see if she likes the slow Valley life.
Would love to meet: Fellow entrepreneurs, coaches, and other newcomers.
Creative strategist and agency partner working remotely, looking for a new board or volunteer seat in food, arts, tech, or business.
Would love to meet: People deeply involved in community, other creatives, and newcomers-turned-locals.
Acupuncturist and craniosacral practitioner, sourdough obsessive, lived in Japan for two years, once danced with Danny DeVito.
Would love to meet: Fellow queer folks, somatic-experiencing practitioners, and other small-business owners in mind-body work.
Ex-CFL football player turned BC-government IT support, now converting to golf, pickleball, and Joe-go. Gives the world's best bear hugs.
Would love to meet: Active women 28–35 open to starting a family, athletes, and other newcomers.
Elementary teacher taking a break to serve, 15 years teaching grades 1 and 2, always joked the Valley needs a "dating app for friends."
Would love to meet: Active-living introverts, book lovers, and someone slightly extroverted to draw her out.
Runs Amara Farm, consults on food security, speaks five languages, and has a puzzle addiction that requires clearing her whole calendar.
Would love to meet: Anyone with an interesting backstory — politics, environment, and community welcome.
Retired medical lab assistant, former off-grid Chilcotin resort co-owner and beekeeper, plays rock music and dances in the kitchen while cleaning.
Would love to meet: Nature lovers, book-club regulars, and other introverts on a similar wavelength.
Small-scale farmer for 10 years, now an electrical apprentice, novice hide tanner, did stand-up comedy once and keeps thinking about doing it again.
Would love to meet: Other queers, tradespeople, farmers, and community-connected folks who love a low-stakes real conversation.
Health-care support worker drawn to the island for the climate and quality of life, looking for enjoyable people and long-term connections.
Would love to meet: Thoughtful, outdoorsy people, especially open to meeting women for a lasting connection.
Product Updates
One of our favourite parts of building this project is that it genuinely feels like we’re building it with you, not just for you.
Every conversation, email, bug report, suggestion, and piece of feedback teaches us something. We take your ideas, look for the underlying need, and turn them into features that make the experience better for everyone.
This month, we’re excited to share 3 new product updates, all inspired by your feedback and shaped by what you’ve told us you want.
Coffee will always be our first love. But great conversations don’t have to end at 4 p.m.
This month, we’re running a little experiment of our own.
We’re adding one local pub in each community as an optional meeting place, giving members the opportunity to meet over an after-work beer, a glass of wine, or a non-alcoholic drink instead of a morning coffee.
We also love the idea of our local pubs becoming part of this community-building experiment.
Will this add to the experience? We honestly don’t know, that’s why we’re testing it. As always, we’ll be listening closely to your feedback and deciding together whether pubs become a permanent part of Comox Coffee & Conversations.
If you want to add a pub as a place you’d be open to meet a match, simply update your profile.
If you don’t and if meeting up for coffee is more your thing, nothing changes.
One of the biggest things we've learned is that everyone moves at a different pace. Some of you are flying through matches; others are intentionally taking their time. There isn't one perfect speed so we're testing a feature that gives everyone more control.
If you want more matches, simply click "Request a New Match" at the bottom of your Matches page. If someone compatible is available, we'll work on sending you another match right away.
Sometimes it's nice to have 3 or 4 matches on the go because of timing and life.
After every coffee, we ask:
1. Tell us about your match?
2. How did this person make you feel?
3. What did you talk about?
This month, we're adding 3 new reflection questions to go a bit deeper:
4. Would you like us to match you with this person again in the future?
As we mentioned above, this helps us understand whether we're creating introductions that people genuinely want to continue beyond a single conversation.
Remember one coffee gives us a glimpse into someone's world. And a second, third, or fourth conversation can lead to a relationship with someone's world.
5. What did this person do that helped you feel comfortable, connected, understood, or safe?
Most feedback systems focus on what people could improve. We're taking a different approach. Instead of looking for criticism, we're looking for strengths.
We believe this question could create a beautiful mirror that reflects back what people naturally do that makes others enjoy being around them. Given that most of us have no idea which of our qualities leave a lasting impression on others.
Imagine completing 10 conversations and receiving a reflection that says:
People consistently said you:
For many of us, it might be the very first time they've ever seen themselves through the eyes of 10 strangers.
6. Is there anything you'd like to share privately with our team about this experience to help us keep the community safe, welcoming, and high quality?
Whether it's a no-show, repeated cancellations, behaviour that made you uncomfortable, or simply something you think we should know, these insights help us maintain the quality, trust, and integrity of the community as it grows.
This feedback that will remain completely confidential and will never be shared with your match.
In summary, our hope is that these new questions don't just help us make better matches but also help all of us become better conversationalists, better listeners, and ultimately, better neighbours.
Photos
Look at those SMILES! (Yes…we're absolutely going to make a giant collage one day.)
We received 7 photos this month, and hope we receive 10 next month. Please keep sending them in.
They help us celebrate and show off the incredible humans participating in this little social experiment.
Something New Is Coming…
For the past two months, we've been introducing incredible people to one another one coffee at a time and don't worry, that's still the heart of this experiment.
But lately, we've found ourselves asking another question:
What if we occasionally brought and invited members together around shared industries, interests, experiences, or curiosities?
Example.
What if we invited all the self identifying local farmers to a potluck. Or gathered all the self identifying entrepreneurs and builders to share what they're working on. Or hosted an evening for everyone on the waitlist to meet, ask questions, and hear what this social experiment is all about.
We're not entirely sure what these gatherings will become yet… but that's exactly why we're excited to try.
This September, we'll match and host our very first group gathering and see what we learn. If people love it, we'll keep experimenting. If not, we'll try something else.
One thing we've learned already is that there isn't just one way to build a connected community.
More details coming soon. ☕
Closing Thoughts
What if it became normal to meet 10 local strangers for a simple Coffee & Conversation every year?
What would happen after five years? After ten?
Would we become more familiar with one another?
Would trust grow?
Would more friendships, collaborations, and opportunities emerge?
Would we become known as the community where people genuinely know—and care about—one another?
Maybe.
We're in the middle of finding out.
If these first 240 Coffee & Conversations have taught us anything, it's this:
Communities aren't built all at once. They're built one conversation, one relationship, and one act of curiosity at a time.
And together, that's exactly what we're doing.
So thank you again. Thank you for saying yes. Thank you for trusting us. Thank you for taking the time to meet one another. Thank you for writing thoughtful reflections, sending photos, sharing ideas, reporting bugs, and helping us shape this experiment together.
You're FULLY part of this story now. And we're only just getting started.
