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Couple tells of their chance meeting at Toronto airport after flights cancelled

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It was the morning of April 4, 2003, and Jennifer Lowther was crying in the corner of a Toronto Airport lounge because she was going to miss her best friend’s wedding.

It was early spring but a sudden snowstorm had plunged Toronto back into winter. Departures had stalled, the airport was buzzing with stressed travelers and staff dealing with the fallout.

Jennifer had been set to catch a domestic flight west to her hometown of Winnipeg. Her original flight was canceled and later planes seemed to be going the same way. It was too late to make the 24-hour road trip.

Whichever way she looked at the situation, it seemed like Jennifer wouldn’t make the wedding. She recalls being “devastated” at the thought.

She was supposed to be master of ceremonies.

Chris Powell approached Jennifer in an airport lounge in Toronto. Here they are pictured later that day in 2003. Credit: Jennifer Powell/Supplied

Plus, Jennifer, then 29, had moved to Toronto just a year before and had been struggling with loneliness. She’d been longing for this special weekend back home surrounded by loved ones.

Across the airport lounge, Chris Powell was chatting with fellow stranded passengers.

Toronto-based Powell regularly flew to Vancouver for work and was used to disruptions.

Lounge act

He knew the snow would lead to costlier-to-cancel international flights being prioritized and so rebooked on the first leg of an evening flight to Hong Kong via Vancouver.

Now all Chris had to do was wait eight hours for that flight to roll around.

“And I have a corporate credit card, so into the lounge I went,” he recalls told.

Chris Powell and Jennifer Lowther met by chance when their flights were canceled at Toronto Airport in April 2003 due to a snowstorm.
Chris Powell and Jennifer Lowther met by chance when their flights were canceled at Toronto Airport in April 2003 due to a snowstorm. Credit: Jennifer Powell/Supplied

Chris, naturally outgoing, had been chatting with other travelers in the lounge for about an hour when he noticed Jennifer, whom he jokingly describes today as a “sad state of a girl crying into a plate of eggs over in the corner”.

Chris called her over and asked what was going on.

“You’re really killing our buzz,” he deadpanned.

Travel tales

Jennifer was taken back, but from Chris’ sympathetic expression and smile, she realized right away he was joking.

His sarcasm made her feel better almost instantly, despite it all.

“I thought it was kind of entertaining,” Jennifer says now.

She pulled up a chair and told her story. In turn, the other stranded travelers shared their tales.

Unexpected connection

Right away, when Jennifer sat down at his table, Chris had felt connected to her. Jennifer felt it too.

They were soon at the center of this spontaneous airport gathering, holding court as other travelers came and went.

“We sort of became these party hosts,” says Jennifer today.

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‘…sad state of a girl crying into a plate of eggs over in the corner..’

At one point, a new addition to the group turned to the two and asked “How long have you guys been together?”

“About 48 minutes,” joked Chris in response.

This soon became a pattern – other travelers picked up on something, and assumed Chris and Jennifer were a couple.

“There was an interesting connection,” says Jennifer today.


It was the morning of April 4, 2003, and Jennifer Lowther was crying in the corner of a Toronto Airport lounge because she was going to miss her best friend’s wedding.

It was early spring but a sudden snowstorm had plunged Toronto back into winter. Departures had stalled, the airport was buzzing with stressed travelers and staff dealing with the fallout.

Jennifer had been set to catch a domestic flight west to her hometown of Winnipeg. Her original flight was canceled and later planes seemed to be going the same way. It was too late to make the 24-hour road trip.

Whichever way she looked at the situation, it seemed like Jennifer wouldn’t make the wedding. She recalls being “devastated” at the thought.

She was supposed to be master of ceremonies.

Chris Powell approached Jennifer in an airport lounge in Toronto. Here they are pictured later that day in 2003.
Chris Powell approached Jennifer in an airport lounge in Toronto. Here they are pictured later that day in 2003. Credit: Jennifer Powell/Supplied

Plus, Jennifer, then 29, had moved to Toronto just a year before and had been struggling with loneliness. She’d been longing for this special weekend back home surrounded by loved ones.

Across the airport lounge, Chris Powell was chatting with fellow stranded passengers.

Toronto-based Powell regularly flew to Vancouver for work and was used to disruptions.

Lounge act

He knew the snow would lead to costlier-to-cancel international flights being prioritized and so rebooked on the first leg of an evening flight to Hong Kong via Vancouver.

Now all Chris had to do was wait eight hours for that flight to roll around.

“And I have a corporate credit card, so into the lounge I went,” he recalls told.

Chris Powell and Jennifer Lowther met by chance when their flights were canceled at Toronto Airport in April 2003 due to a snowstorm.
Chris Powell and Jennifer Lowther met by chance when their flights were canceled at Toronto Airport in April 2003 due to a snowstorm. Credit: Jennifer Powell/Supplied

Chris, naturally outgoing, had been chatting with other travelers in the lounge for about an hour when he noticed Jennifer, whom he jokingly describes today as a “sad state of a girl crying into a plate of eggs over in the corner”.

Chris called her over and asked what was going on.

“You’re really killing our buzz,” he deadpanned.

Travel tales

Jennifer was taken back, but from Chris’ sympathetic expression and smile, she realized right away he was joking.

His sarcasm made her feel better almost instantly, despite it all.

“I thought it was kind of entertaining,” Jennifer says now.

She pulled up a chair and told her story. In turn, the other stranded travelers shared their tales.

Unexpected connection

Right away, when Jennifer sat down at his table, Chris had felt connected to her. Jennifer felt it too.

They were soon at the center of this spontaneous airport gathering, holding court as other travelers came and went.

“We sort of became these party hosts,” says Jennifer today.

Chevron Right Icon

‘…sad state of a girl crying into a plate of eggs over in the corner..’

At one point, a new addition to the group turned to the two and asked “How long have you guys been together?”

“About 48 minutes,” joked Chris in response.

This soon became a pattern – other travelers picked up on something, and assumed Chris and Jennifer were a couple.

“There was an interesting connection,” says Jennifer today.

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