Between snow squall closures in January, we had a visit from a Southampton group who met us at coffee to learn how Bruce Men’s Shed came into being in 2023. After the one on one discussions they made contact with Men’s Sheds Ontario and officially formed the Saugeen Shores Men’s Shed.
They held their first meeting on February 12th at the Chantry Seniors Centre, (935 Grey St S. Southampton) and will hold weekly coffee gatherings every Thursday at 10:00 a.m. They had 77 men come out (including myself) and they talked about how Sheds are expanding and drawing men out to make friends, learn skills and “tell lies” over coffee according to leader Wayne Kaufman. They already have an excellent start, as four groups came together to form this Shed. The groups are: Marine Heritage Society, Propeller Club, Chantry Seniors Centre, and the Men’s Round Table.
I’m jealous of the workshop mentioned above, as they lease this building from the town of Southampton for a ridiculously low annual rate, which allows them to give back to the community in so many ways. Bruce Men’s Shed continues to look for a workspace to be able to set up shop in. There are other Sheds in Canada that offer courses to teach the public how to use hand and power tools to make wooden items to take home, something I think would go over well in North Bruce based on the inquiries that come to our email address.
I’ve had a couple of people mention that they or someone they know is unable to get in-home assistance, and I was reminded that if you dial 211 they are like a yellow pages help line. You can call 24/7 and speak to a real person! Imagine that. They will then be able to direct you to a community service group that can assist. If you’re the only in-home caregiver, you can have someone come in to free you up to get out, or if you’re alone, someone who can stop in just to visit. You can also go to 211ontario.ca
The next monthly Saturday meetings are February 21st and March 21st starting at 9:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m., and every Monday morning we meet for coffee 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 coffee gathering every Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. 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”
