Submitted by Gerry Tilmans,
Team Leader
Bruce Men’s Shed is now officially three years old. The constant interest from our members is a great thing to experience, with deepening friendships as well as new friends.
Last week reporter Scott Dunn of Sun Media’s Owen Sound Sun Times was preparing an article on the major growth of Men’s Sheds in the area. He wrote an excellent article after interviewing other locations by phone and by attending our Saturday meeting. To quote Scott, “Saturday morning, men with grey and white hair sat around a long table inside the cozy, wood-paneled legion hall north of Ferndale. It’s along Highway 6, a long and lonely road this time of year, which runs through the Ferndale Flats and on to Tobermory”.
I think he truly captured the essence of what a Shed is in the statement, quoting Wayne Kaufman of Saugeen Shores Men’s Shed “…understands 21 per cent of men in Canada live alone, and mental health and loneliness are universal health problems”, he said. “And Men’s Sheds have been identified as some of the strongest helpers with that.”
We impatiently wait for spring to get rid of the stockpiles of snow – it would mean that my utility trailer will be accessible again and can have some room to set up outside to plane wood and set up an outdoor temporary workshop. Recently our guys met to build a number of boot scrubbers to be installed on Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy properties. They now protect more than 25,000 acres along the Bruce Trail corridor and have more than 80km of public trails, some of which will see these scrubbers added.
Our next monthly Saturday meeting is April 18 from 9am-11am. Every Monday morning we meet for coffee from 9am-11am at Canadian Legion Branch 202, 6 Hellyer Road on Highway 6, 4 km north of Ferndale. Doors open at 8:45. There is also a Bruce Men’s Shed coffee gathering every Wednesday at 10 am in Wiarton at 451 Frank street, Matthew Mutch hosting.
If you would like further information on how to get involved with the Men’s Shed movement, please contact us at brucemensshed@gmail.com or call Gerry at (519) 793–3005.
“Somewhere to Go. Something to Do. Someone to Talk to”.
