By Joanne Rodgers, Bruce Peninsula Press
On 14 July 2025, Bruce Men’s Shed presented a cheque of $6,100 to Golden Dawn Senior Citizen Home. The monies will be used towards the costs of site feasibility studies for the Golden Dawn’s rebuild.
In December of 2024, the Bruce Men’s Shed launched their first fundraiser effort called “Let’s Get Growing”, producing and selling three sizes of planter boxes, with all proceeds going to the Golden Dawn.
Golden Dawn Board Member Christie Amyot had approached the Bruce Men’s Shed for assisting in a possible fundraiser; they mutually decided on building planter boxes for sale to the community. Amyot says the planter boxes are representative of “planting a seed for redevelopment of Golden Dawn”.
Bruce Men’s Shed member Lee Brown was instrumental in the design, development and production of the planter boxes, however it was a real team effort with over 150 volunteer hours spent on the fundraising effort. Amyot says Gerry Tilmans of the Men’s Shed was vital for the successful marketing of the planter boxes, including learning a graphic design tool to create posters. Tilmans states that the Bruce Men’s Shed is proud to support Golden Dawn and to assist in raising funds to assist in the redevelopment, a facility of much importance to the community.
Amyot says the next stages of the redevelopment involved hiring consultants to “conduct various site feasibility studies such as site planning, architectural, environmental (drainage, water, septic), etc – various regulatory requirements and other “behind the scene” jobs that need to be completed before a shovel is put in the ground.” Amyot also shared the good news that Golden Dawn had their licence renewed for another five years.
Amyot thanked the Bruce Men’s Shed for all their efforts in the production and sale of the planter boxes and the community for their support by their purchases of the planter boxes.
Tilmans thanked the volunteers who helped to pick up materials and deliver planters and those who came out to help assemble planters, put up flyers, and promote sales.
Tilman offered a special thank you to the following persons/donors:
-Geoff Cunliffe, who stuffed his van for Tobermory deliveries a few times;
-Gerry Greig, Tim Wilson, Scott Elliott, Ross Cochrane, Rick Krisko, and Michael Latimer for pick up and or deliveries;
-John Tozer for doing much of the above as well as placing and retrieving samples, organizing a mass mailing and more;
-Dave Barrow and his wife Laureen for allowing use of their garage as a storage area for the last number of months;
-A super special thanks to Lee Brown, whose expertise in making the most out of the material, in time saving manufacturing, picking up materials and mostly for his many, many hours making and assembling many, many planters. Without Lee, the volunteers could not have kept up with the stream of orders; and
-The donors of wood and materials for the planters, including RONA Miller Lake, Wilson Home Building Centre, Meghan Franken of Franken Farm and Chris Amyot of Royal LePage RCR Realty.
Bruce Men’s Shed also volunteers at Golden Dawn, offering interactive programs for the residents, such as putting together birdhouse kits and have hosted BBQs for the residents.
