Hayley and Justin met one stormy September evening in 2014. Their paths crossed compliments of Dre, a bartender at e11even, which is a proximal watering hole for Justin and his colleagues. Hayley was sitting at the bar with Ashley studying the wine list. Justin was accompanied by Kyle. Dre decided to pass the decision-making onto Justin, so he picked out a glass of sauvignon blanc for Hayley, her favourite. Ashley and Justin fell into conversation about baseball. Justin then proceeded to order shots of Jameson, after which negotiations were made to take the evening elsewhere. The first stop was Justin's nearby office, where they "borrowed" several Desjardins umbrellas. They then were joined by Syena, who would later become the inhabitant of their King West apartment's guest bedroom, and all future guest bedrooms. The group ventured out in the pouring rain, galavanting around the city, destroying suede dress shoes and heels in their wake. Before calling it a night, Hayley presented Justin with an ultimatum to take her number down or forever regret it. He willingly accepted.
It was October now. Justin got around to asking Hayley out on their first date. They shared their first bites together at Jacobs, which has since set the bar high for future dinner dates. Justin did the ordering and before the waitress left, Hayley requested a side of ketchup. After a good laugh they left Jacob's and headed for the rooftop at Valdez where shots of Reposado ensued. That evening, they discovered their shared passion for cuisine and it became the first of many date nights.
After only a couple short months, Hayley was packing her bags to meet Justin's family, visiting Newfoundland for the first time. She subsequently visited 11 more times and has become an honorary Newf. It was on their first trip to Newfoundland where Justin and Hayley discovered their mutual love for Signal Hill hikes and their favourite spot where Justin would propose 5 years later.
Justin surprised Hayley by proposing to her at their favourite spot on Signal Hill while she was visiting Newfoundland with her parents on August 24th, 2018. Justin's parents, Ken and Joanne, and Hayley's parents, Paddy and Maggie, joined them for a beautiful brunch at Mallards Cottage. Justin's sister Jill hosted a party to celebrate later that evening. It was a day they will never forget.