The first time Tom Boeckner and Jaedon Daly met on Tinder in 2023, the timing wasn’t quite right.
Jaedon had come to Thunder Bay from Hamilton on a one-year contract with the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra. When he and Tom first met, he was spending a lot of his spare time between TBSO shows flying to perform at festivals and concerts and visiting his family and friends in the GTA.
Despite travel keeping them from fully investing in getting to know one another straightaway, their first meeting at Calico Coffeehouse went so well that they knew they had to stay in touch.
“We knew there was something special,” Tom tells me.
After their initial meeting in the fall, it wasn’t until the new year that they were able to pursue their connection without life getting in the way.
“We both felt safe with each other right away and had a lot of fun with each other,” says Tom. They started with a foundation of friendship and the “inherent trust building, care, and love that comes from that.”
Jaedon adds, “I didn’t have much luck dating in Thunder Bay and Tom was a constant positive presence - not to mention, he is extremely handsome.
I felt a connection and knew I had feelings for Tom fairly early in our friendship but wasn’t sure if he felt the same way.” By April of 2024, it had progressed from friends to something more.
“We were at Black Pirates Pub, and Tom was acting flirty,” says Jaedon. “He finally made a move and confirmed that he felt the same way I did.”
They spent their first summer together maneuvering bouts of long-distance due to Jaedon’s hectic, off-season musician’s schedule. Despite the obstacles, they still found time to explore Thunder Bay together. Tom, born and raised in Thunder Bay, has been rediscovering all of the local gems and nature spots with Jaedon by his side. They have explored many hiking trails together and they love swimming and being near the water.
“We both brave the cold of Lake Superior for the clear water and soft sandbars,” Tom says. “I spent many years living away from Thunder Bay in my 20s, but it was moving back here that led me to meet Jaedon and we have come to appreciate all that we have here in Thunder Bay together.”
Tom, who is currently working on a Master’s degree at Lakehead, is also an artist who happens to be legally blind. He doesn’t let his lack of sight stop him from creating beautiful, colourful paintings during his free time. Jaedon has been an active supporter of his art and creativity from the start, and in turn, Tom has also come to really enjoy supporting Jaedon by attending more TBSO shows.
Jaedon is a graduate of Wilfrid Laurier’s music faculty and holds a Master’s degree in Violin Performance from the University of Toronto. Jaedon is devoted to fostering accessibility to music education for marginalized communities. Through his performances, he aims to create a positive impact on audiences and promote inclusivity and diversity within the classical music realm as a queer person of colour. He is getting ready for his third season working with the TBSO.
When Tom and Jaedon aren’t exploring the nature of Northwestern Ontario, both enjoy reading and Jaedon particularly enjoys manga (Japanese-style comic books and graphic novels).
They are looking forward to continuing to hike and spend time outdoors where they can take in all the golden sights and sounds of fall.
