London deemed 'Cougar Capital' of Canada

Marlo Jordan, winner of the Miss CougarLife.com contest, is shown in this image from CougarLife.com.

London has been given a new title – the 'Cougar Capital of Canada.'

Research from dating website CougarLife.com, which connects eligible older women with younger men, says London has earned the honours with 5,110 cougars in the city.

The website say the national cougar to cub ratio is 50/50, but in London there seems to be a surplus of cougars. London is also the city boasting the fastest growth in cougar sign-ups.

“If I can give a tip to the young cubs of London, it’s to not be intimidated by an older woman,” spokesperson Marlo Jordan, winner of the Miss CougarLife.com contest, said in a statement. “She’s most likely not looking for anything serious so just have fun and enjoy the ride.”

Here’s CougarLife’s breakdown of Canadian cities:

1. London, ON – 60 per cent (5,110 cougars)

2. Richmond, BC – 58 per cent (591)

3. Ottawa, ON – 57 per cent (8,280)

4. Winnipeg, MB – 57 per cent (6,855)

5. Halifax, NS – 57 per cent (3,339)

6. Saskatoon, SK – 56 per cent (2,984)

7. Windsor, ON – 56 per cent (2,955)

8. Victoria, BC – 55 per cent (2,264)

9. Waterloo, ON – 54 per cent (1,075)

10. Moncton, NB – 53 per cent (2,241)

The site has more than four-million members worldwide. CougarLife says it experienced a surge of new member sign-ups in the past year, particularly near university campuses such as Western University, where many of the young male students consider the cougar-cub dynamic very attractive.

'Cougars' part of shift in relationships

While the term 'cougar' can sometimes have a negative connotation, one relationship expert says it's part of the constantly shifting state of relationships in today's society.

Psychologist Dr. Guy Grenier says "We're seeing more women unabashedly express their sexual interests throughout their lifespan, as opposed to capitulating to these gender expectations that's been forced upon them."

And what many self-proclaimed cougars like Jordan want is to alleviate the stigma that comes with the word, "It's been okay for a really long time to see an older man with a younger woman, I don't think it's necessarily the same mentality for a woman, but the older woman dating a younger man, I definitely think it brings the youth out in us."

She believes a shift in thinking has begun and hopes women who enjoy dating younger men will simply be confident in themselves and their relationship preferences.

Grenier notes that relationship trends are constantly changing, progressing and becoming more acceptable, and this is simply one of them.

"As we progress as a society and move towards something that is a more egalitarian society, we're seeing women assert what men have asserted all along."