With loneliness on the rise, local spaces are creating opportunities for connection – one conversation at a time

Theoretically Brewing patrons bridge the loneliness gap at the Platonic Speed Dating event January 20. Photo by Prom Zeppeli.

Soft lights glow within a local brewery in Lethbridge and conversations hum throughout the room. Glasses clink against wooden tables and laughter rises warmly over idle conversation. This is the moment when strangers slowly become familiar faces.

Michelle Boivin Carriere steps inside the small brewery and for a moment, they hesitate.

It is not the cold January air that makes them pause, it is due to the vulnerability of walking into a room full of strangers. For a moment, Carriere considers scrolling on their phone; a safe way to keep some distance, but instead they take a breath and remember why they are here.

Theoretically Brewing is hosting Platonic Speed Dating – an event which allows for people to meet new friends in a low-pressure, non-commitment way. After a brief pause, Carriere walks to an already bustling table full of conversation and sits down with a tentative smile.

“I just want to make more connections. I want to make more friends,” says Carriere, explaining the reason that brought them to the event.

That simple reason reflects a much bigger concern. Across Canada, more people are struggling to find and build meaningful connections and relationships. The rise of loneliness among individuals is often linked to the COVID-19 pandemic, though research shows the issue existed long before and has only become more visible since.

A YMCA Canada survey titled, Six in Ten Canadians Surveyed Have Little or No Sense of Community, published in September 2024 by Oliver Lam found 60 per cent of participants feel disconnected from their communities in which they live. Younger Canadians (ages 18-43) reported heightened feelings of isolation due to the use of technology. Many younger Canadians spend an average of three hours on their phones scrolling social media and many of them reporting that social media use increases feelings of loneliness and isolation, rather than reducing them.

As social interaction moves online, the opportunity for organic, in-person connection continues to shrink. Within smaller communities like Lethbridge, the challenge becomes more noticeable. Work schedules, transportation, financial means and social anxiety often limit opportunities for individuals to meet new people outside of their daily routine.

Loneliness is not just about being alone, it is about feeling disconnected.

U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy describes loneliness as a subjective and distressing experience cause by actual or perceived isolation.

At a local level, Kelti Baird, co-owner of Theoretically Brewing says the pattern of isolation is something she has seen first hand.

“We were noticing that there’s kind of a loneliness epidemic in society where a lot of people are feeling disconnected [from] their community and don’t have groups of friends that aren’t on the internet,” says Baird.

In recognizing the signs of growing loneliness and isolation, Baird has started hosting community-focused events like Platonic Speed Dating. Her goal is to create an open, welcoming space with the opportunity for meaningful connection.

The structure of Platonic Speed Dating is simple: short conversations with low-pressure and no commitments. People who are interested in meeting new people come to talk, rotate tables and leave whenever they want.

For Carriere, this structure is what makes connection feel possible.

“[Making friends] is something that I really want. It makes me happy, and I’m not looking for a relationship at the moment. It’s not something that I need.”

              While community-focused events such as Platonic Speed Dating aim to reduce the effects of loneliness, Rama Kemal, a registered psychologist and mental health advisor at Lethbridge Polytechnic, explains that prolonged periods of isolation can lead to physical and mental consequences.

              “It’s going to affect sleep and eating, which is going to affect your body in general,” says Kemal, “Everything is connected.”

              Loneliness has been linked to increased stress, anxiety, depression and memory issues. Physical symptoms can show in the form of fatigue, headaches and unnatural sleep disturbances. While Kemal says social media can offer connection, she says it often worsen the feelings of isolation and loneliness.

“You’re part of this community that’s on a screen; that’s not real interaction. In many cases, it can make the feelings worse,” says Kemal.

Kemal’s advice is to start small.

Kemal suggests volunteering, attending local events, joining clubs and finding a “third space” – a place outside of work and home. She also suggests setting boundaries, participating in self-care and choosing manageable social settings.

“If there’s somebody that you trust, do it with a buddy,” says Kemal.

At Theoretically Brewing, the focus is not on outcomes – it is about accessibility. The events at Theoretically Brewing are free, open to everyone and with no pressure to stay for the entire event. Baird says that Platonic Speed Dating is only one of the many types of interaction-based events they hold.

For Baird, the ultimate success is in seeing familiar faces return to the brewery.

“As long as they had a good couple of minutes, that’s worth it,” says Baird.

As the evening continues within Theoretically Brewing, conversations rise and fall as participants continue to swap tables and meet new faces. Some of the conversations are light. Some are personal. But just like Carriere, the goal for many in the room is small – it’s about being apart of something meaningful.

Sometimes connection does not end with friendship, it is simply about showing up.