Notice Board

The Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs (SACPA) presents a session with Sandra Juell as she discusses the return of old fashioned matchmaking in our technological world.

Dating and Relationships have Evolved, but is Matchmaking back in Style?

Date:                    Thursday, February 14, 2019
Time:                    Doors open 11:30 a.m., Presentation 12 p.m., buffet lunch 12:30 p.m., Q&A 1 – 1:30 p.m.
Location:              Royal Canadian Legion (north door) 324 Mayor Magrath Dr. S. Lethbridge
Cost:                    $14 buffet lunch with dessert/coffee/tea/juice or $2 coffee/tea/juice. RSVP not required

In today’s world, matchmaking tends to refer to apps and internet sites we use to do the dirty work of sorting out candidates for relationships, but for much of human history, the matchmaker was a person. Choosing a life partner was often viewed as far too complicated a decision for young people to make on their own, and from the Aztec civilization to ancient Greece and China, their elders (often women) intervened to make sure they had the "right" kind of suitor.

The matchmaker as a figure appears often in popular culture; think of the Fiddler On The Roof song Matchmaker, Make Me A Match or Mulan's disastrous encounter with a snooty matchmaker who declares she'll never bring her family honour. It also remains an important part of several societies; in Japan, for example, the process of omiai involves two young people being matched by a matchmaker, or nakōdo, who sets up meetings and sends pictures and messages between prospective families.

If you are looking for love, today's matchmaking may involve dating sites rather than in-person interviews, but it might also be a good idea to go back to more traditional means. The speaker will talk about her experience with online dating and also explain how modern matchmaking can make use of a personal touch along with technology, to be successful.

Speaker:              Sandra Juell

Sandra Juell was born in Monterrey, Nuevo León México, in 1969. After getting married, she later divorced and raised her two sons while going to law school. She also finished a Master of Education and was a Spanish teacher for over 15 years in Mexico.

Sandra met her Canadian husband online 10 years ago and moved to Lethbridge. She worked as an educational assistant for four years and finished the English as a Second Language (ESL) program at Lethbridge College. She created the Forever Love Agency in 2016 and later opened an office in downtown Lethbridge. Sandra loves what she does, because she wants every single person to find the "Right One".

Moderator:         Mary Shillington

For more information on the Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs, visit the SACPA website.