Corey Cohen and Samantha Bruzzese-Cohen had their first date nine years ago at Calico Coffee House. They met a few years before that through mutual friends while they were in school in Southern Ontario. After their initial meeting, they spent about five years seeing one another occasionally at social events or outings.
Leading up to their first date, they had reconnected when Corey came to Thunder Bay one Christmas to visit a friend and Samantha was already back home in Thunder Bay attending medical school. The couple dated for eight months long distance after Corey went back down to Southern Ontario after Christmas.
“I was still living and working in Toronto,” says Corey. “But I got tired of that commute to downtown Toronto every day. I decided to go back to university in Thunder Bay so that we didn’t have to do long-distance.”
“Within two weeks, I had uprooted everything and just packed my car up and drove to Thunder Bay.”
Corey was always more suited to the Northwestern Ontario lifestyle rather than that of his metropolitan roots.
“I love to fish, I love to camp, and I love the outdoors,” says Corey. “It was the change I needed – that fast, big city life just wasn’t me and it never really was.”
“I remember him saying that he gets so much of his evening back,” adds Samantha. “He loves that he can put in a full day of work, go to the gym, make a meal, and still have quality time with family rather than spend that time in traffic.”
“I learned a lot living down there and working the job I worked, but it was taking a toll on me, and I was ready to be done with big city living.”
Corey is currently the Sales Manager at Superior Hyundai after spending about seven years in the automotive industry. During Samantha’s residency, Corey worked at several dealerships in Southern Ontario and these experiences allowed him to hone and develop his skills in the industry.
“Now, we’re back here, we’re settled, and we know we are in the city we are comfortable in,” says Corey.
Samantha’s family and support system is all based in Thunder Bay, so the plan was always to return here after Samantha’s residency.
Samantha, an Endocrinology Fellow in London, is currently on maternity leave with their nine-month-old baby.
Corey also enjoys having closer access to the American border to attend various sporting events like football.
After five years of living in Southern Ontario, Corey and Samantha are happy to be settled here in the Northwest.
