What is a Men’s Shed:

•A Shed is a dedicated, friendly, and welcoming meeting place where men come together and undertake a variety of mutually agreed upon activities that they decide on their own.

•Men’s Sheds are open to all men regardless of age, background or ability. It is a place where you can share your skills and knowledge with others, learn new skills, develop your old skills or just be with other men for fun.

•An objective of Men’s Sheds is to enhance or maintain the well-being of the participating men.

The Men’s Shed movement started in Australia with the mandate to assist communities in establishing programs designed to give men a space to work on projects together, learn new skills and, most of all, to share their life experiences in a supportive and friendly atmosphere. This self-directed grassroots movement has had tremendous success in Australia and New Zealand and has spread to the UK and Ireland. 

Last year the University of Manitoba received Movember Mental Health funding for a three-year research project. Community consultations with men, throughout year one of the project, was incorporated into the development of a toolkit for starting Men’s Sheds in Canada and, as part of its further refinement in year two, Camrose has been chosen as one of four Canadian community partners to pilot and implement this toolkit to establish our own. The team is currently working on the establishment of a National Mens Shed to support other communities that are interested in developing one of their own.

Most recently we are happy to share that the Camrose and Area Men's Shed through a partnership with the Camrose and District Centennial Museum Board now have a home in the Old Timers Hut at the museum with the goal of meeting weekly where activities of the participating men will be developed by them.