It’s a win-win-win partnership for Saugeen Shores Men’s Shed, MacGregor Point Provincial Park and the Friends of MacGregor.
The Visitors’ Centre in the Park has been undergoing changes as it increasingly becomes a tactile learning centre and the Men’s Shed has been using their many woodworking skills to help out with the new focus.
“We are trying to make the Centre as tactile and learning about nature as possible,” says Layna Lubimiv, Chief Park Naturalist. “We also include free rentals for on-site binoculars, nature board games, books and more.”
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On Thursday, July 16th, the volunteer crew brought the group’s latest creation to the Centre, a miniature SUV, complete with a door and hatchback that open. The ‘vehicle’ has been designed to complement the ‘mini’ camping site that will teach children about camping and putting food items into a vehicle to safely avoid bear incidents. The ‘mini’ camp site also includes a small tent perfect for little people and a mock BBQ.
The ‘vehicle’ started as a pattern by Kerri Tomijenovic of Lume Creative, which the Men’s Shed’s Paul MacKinnon then had large-sized. The copy became the pattern to build a realistic mini-SUV.
The Men’s Shed volunteers however, have had several other projects that they completed for the Centre thanks to funding for materials by the Friends of MacGregor and in partnership with the Ministry of Natural Resources.
A plexiglass enclosure was built that now houses a taxidermied wolf, but will eventually display a black bear more commonly found in Bruce County, and a special stand for Gregor the Turtle’s aquarium style home. The stand, at ‘waist’ height will enable close-up viewing for everyone, including accessible wheelchair visitors, of the ‘at risk’, spotted turtle.
Kathy Woeller, Chair of Friends of MacGregor Park, says that “… although our partnership with Men’s Shed is only two or three months old, the hard part is to keep these volunteers busy. No sooner do we say we need something, than it shows up. We are also trying to bring more research and community science to the Centre. For instance, we just had guest speakers by the Butterflyway group here to learn about pollinator gardens with information that will go out into the community.”
The, recently formed Saugeen Shores Men’s Shed, is an opportunity for men to get together and work on various community projects for organizations such as Bernie’s Boat, Marine Heritage Society Tour base, a Wiarton shed door for an individual, helping kids make birdhouses and tool boxes at the Marine Heritage Artisans’ market and, now, MacGregor Provincial Park. In addition, the men get together at the Chantry Centre over coffee simply to talk and discuss projects.
