Love comes in all shapes and sizes. And for one Regina couple, it comes in bulk.
What started out as a joke turned into a life-changing shopping trip for Tim Bamford and Amanda Anderson, after he asked her to marry him at a Regina Costco this week.
The reason for the public proposal beside the checkout lanes: it is the only place friends and family could legally gather at a distance to share the special moment with the couple.
After Tim called ahead to give the membership-only retail box store a courtesy warning, the store’s manager was nice enough to shut down the three lanes closest to the spot where Tim dropped to a knee and proposed.
In doing so, they kept things safely distanced and avoided congestion.
“It turned out that most of our friends and family all have Costco cards so it just kind of seemed fitting. We go to Costco quite a bit so I was just like this is where we are doing it,” Bamford said.
But for Bamford and Anderson, a respiratory therapist with the Saskatchewan Health Authority, this wasn’t about a viral video.
It was about a moment of positivity and joy during a time that has seemed to lack a lot of those feelings.
“This moment is for Amanda and myself, and our family, but it’s brought a lot of joy into a lot of people’s lives,” said Bamford.
“The comments that I see online and the messages that I’ve received over text messaging, and phone calls from friends and family — it’s remarkable that this has been able to bring so much joy to other people, too.”
Anderson said the moment made her realize how many connections the couple has made in Regina in a short period of time.
“I’ve always considered Edmonton my home but I’m pretty sure Regina is my new home,” she said.
“Since COVID-19 hit last March, I’ve been working on the front lines and in the heat of all of it. This moment was extremely special for me because I haven’t really seen a whole lot of positivity.
“This made my year.”