The Northern Bruce Peninsula Community Support Advisory Action Committee, NBPCSAAC has received a community grant from Help/Age Canada to expand the NBP Senior Centre Without Walls’ NBPSCWWs’ program to include teleconference, zoom and face-to-face meetings for the implementation of a Men’s Shed.
The NBPCSAAC and the NBP Senior Centre Without Walls have been asked for more programs and projects that would interest men. It is recognized in the research that men connect and socialize during specific mutual projects such as small scale model building, woodworking, craft building and listening to speakers related to men’s health and wellbeing, especially in retirement.
The NBP SCWWs’ team presented two pilot projects that might interest men in November and December that were successful. These pilot projects included four Saturday morning workshop sessions that were held at the Lion’s Head Legion north of Ferndale on highway 6. The sessions were to build a model from scale according to directions and specific scale modelling equipment. The second pilot project included two sessions of Mindfulness/Meditation led by a male facilitator.
Men’s Shed programs for men began in Australia and the UK, to encourage men to socialize and connect with other men for self-care and wellness.
These programs have expanded to British Columbia, Canada and now Ontario, especially in the Ottawa and Arnprior areas.
The Centre for Excellence for Rural Health located in Goderich, Ontario is promoting a program entitled S.H.E.D.S. for the rural farm community in Perth and Huron counties to bring farmers in contact with other farmers to connect, socialize and share farming ideas and concerns.
Now is the time for a Northern Bruce Peninsula Men’s Shed, NBPMS, to bring interested men together to plan and implement a program and projects that are of interest to men. This is a program in addition to the already established monthly Men’s Breakfast program held in Tobermory.
The first face-to-face meeting will be held at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 202, Lion’s Head on Saturday morning at 9:00 a.m. on February 25, 2023. There will be a light breakfast with coffee, tea and/or juice available by donation.
If you are interested in learning more or reserving a place at the meeting, contact Don Colter by phone at 519-793-3473 or by e-mail at dshcolter@cabletv.on.ca before February 17, 2023.
The breakfast meeting will discuss the future plans to implement a NBP Men’s Shed. A preliminary informational Zoom Meeting is planned for Wednesday February 22nd at 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. Call Don for the zoom link or the zoom phone number before February 21, 2023 to attend.
For further information check the following websites:
1. Men’s Shed Canada (2023) – Working Together https://mensshed.ca/
2. Men’s Shed Ontario (2022) www.mensshedontario.ca/
3. Northern Bruce Peninsula Community Support Advisory Action Committee – – www.nbpcsaac.ca
