Creating a Calgirls Club community to help single women

Julia Craig moved to Calgary from Toronto in September 2023 and didn't know anyone, so she started Calgirls to help other women trying to find friendship.

“Calgirls is a community of women who want to make more friends in the city,” she said.

“They can do this through fun and unique events that not only benefit them, but also the small businesses in town.”

Craig says he's been single for at least 10 years.

Even with close relatives and a boyfriend, she knew she had no girlfriends to confide in.

She says the pandemic didn't help, and when she started reaching out to other women on social media about their singleness, she got hundreds of responses.

“Right now, people are the loneliest and the most unhappy,” he said.

“So I want to find a source of light for people.”

Calgirls Club offers social activities for women 19+ in a safe environment.

Data collected from 142 countries in a Meta-Gallup global survey published in October 2023 shows that 24 percent of respondents are very lonely, and 27 percent are somewhat lonely.

“I saw this study and it made me think about it emotionally,” Craig said.

“I know there's a lot of girls out there who just want someone to talk to, they just want a friend and that's the moral of why I want to do this. .

Emily Fortin, owner of The Lodge Kitchen and Bar in Kensington, is a new member of the club.

He's from the Yukon and has lived in Calgary for 10 years, and says most of the people around him aren't close friends.

“I've talked to a lot of women. It's not the first time we've talked about this. People are lonely, and people are hungry for friends, they're hungry for community,” she said.

“Let's support each other in business and stuff, but can we gossip about the cute boy I've been talking to and it seems like we all need a place for that.”

Nicole Leckie is Craig's roommate and, like Craig, has moved here on her own and is struggling to make friends.

“It's very lonely, I've been living alone for a long time and I don't have friends in a new city, it's the scariest thing in the world,” she said.

According to Leckie, the last thing many women want to do is go to a bar to meet people.

“I'm 30 now. It's hard to make new friends,” she said.

“I don't play sports like I used to, I'm not in school like I used to be, the people I work with are a little older than me, so it's very difficult to meet girls my age. “

The Calgirls Club will hold its first event on February 24th at The Lodge and Craig.

“I have team building activities,” he said.

“We're doing a temporary tattoo station, a friendship bracelet station, we're going to have dance competitions and we're going to have best-dressed awards and events that everyone can participate in.”

Leckie says she has an outgoing personality and looks forward to talking.

“I think the best thing about this event is that everyone comes on their own,” he said.

“Everybody's out to make new friends, everybody's a little nervous, a little awkward, a little scared, so I think everyone's on the same playing field when they walk through the door.”

Craig says she wants Calgirls to be more than just about events, but about ongoing connections where members can get the support they need.

“I'm also building an app for direct messaging, and there will be admins who can talk to them,” he said.

“I would also like to get people who specialize in mental health (to attend events).

You can learn more about the Calgirls Club and its events here: https://www.waitlistr.com/lists/657b17aa/calgirls-club-event-updates.