'We couldn’t have asked for a better location': Men's Shed opening in Arnprior
What happens when a local man with a great shed and no one to share
it with meets a global movement meant to encourage socialization in
sheds? The result is the Arnprior McNab/Braeside Men’s Shed, opening
Feb. 5.
The Men’s Shed, a program of the Senior’s Active Living Centre (SALC), will be a place for local senior men to “get together and do guy things.” It sounds simple enough, but in reality the Men’s Shed is so much more than that.
What’s particularly unique about the local Men’s Shed is its direct
connection to Arnprior Regional Health (AHR) through the SALC. The
connection is very fitting, given ARH’s focus on working together to
create a healthy community, and the vision of the Shed itself, which is:
“To create a space where men can enjoy meeting, making friends,
socializing and helping each other overcome or deal with any feelings of
loneliness and isolation.” Social isolation in seniors can influence
many aspects of their overall health, including increasing their chance
of depression or premature death.
“Isolation and loneliness, which are common among seniors, can lead to really negative health outcomes. In fact, being socially isolated is as bad for your health as having diabetes,” says Dr. Jennifer Becker, a local family physician with a certification in care of the elderly. “As our families become more geographically dispersed, seniors are at risk of losing important supports. The SALC, and the Men’s Shed, are great examples of how we can draw on our strengths as a smaller community to connect people and to foster relationships that are good for seniors’ physical and mental health.”
And there’s a particular need to tackle isolation in senior men. Research has shown that men are less likely to socialize regularly, are less likely to have strong social networks, are less likely to feel comfortable sharing their feelings with their family members and face a higher risk of mortality related to social isolation than women.
“It’s important that men have a space to socialize, make friends who share similar interests, share their skills and maybe learn something new,” says Darrel O’Shaughnessy, chair of the Greater Arnprior Seniors Council and member of the SALC Task Force. Darrel is also the driving force behind the SALC’s Men’s Shed.
The local Shed wouldn’t have been possible without a local couple who opened their hearts (and their shed) to the greater community. Finding the right location for the Shed in the Arnprior area proved to be a challenge, but Darrel was undaunted, driven by his belief in the far-reaching potential benefits. A discussion very early on in the search, with local retiree Jean-Guy Asselin and his wife Judi, would prove to be the key to the Shed moving forward.
Jean-Guy moved to the Arnprior area from Tiverton a decade ago, following his retirement from Ontario Hydro. Although his siblings live in the area, moving here later in life made it challenging for the couple to build a social circle since most people already had lifelong friends. This meant Jean-Guy sometimes felt lonely: He often worked alone in his large, well-equipped shed, but had no one to really share his interests with. Darrel’s discussion with Jean-Guy about the Men’s Shed became sidelined when Jean-Guy had some unexpected and serious health issues. After a month in the hospital, it didn’t take Jean-Guy long to bring up the Men’s Shed and reach out to Darrel to continue their discussion.
I first met Jean-Guy and Judi when I accompanied Darrel and SALC project manager Katrin Spencer to their house to review the lease. Judi warmly welcomed us into their immaculate home, and although Jean-Guy is still not 100 per cent recovered, he seemed excited to be taking this significant step toward welcoming the Men’s Shed onto their property.
Katrin read the lease out loud because of Jean-Guy’s poor eyesight, with Judi and Jean-Guy listening carefully. After hearing a story about how Judi took it upon herself to plow the driveway with a small tractor while Jean-Guy wasn’t well enough to do it himself (until a shear pin broke and she was unable to make the repairs on her own), it’s not surprising that Judi was initially wary about the Men’s Shed being seen as sexist and exclusionary. But after speaking with Darrel and getting a better sense of the need for these sheds, Judi was quickly convinced.
In addition to being warm and welcoming, the Asselins also appreciate the importance of laughter and not taking themselves too seriously. Although she initially she seemed all business, Judi’s dry sense of humour quickly became apparent when we reached a clause about a composting toilet. As Katrin continues, the legalese is punctuated with Jean-Guy teasing Judi, who responded with mock sternness, to which he responds with quiet laughter.
“It drove Judi crazy,” he says with an impish grin.
Now the shed will be bustling with activity and, as Judi jokes, Jean-Guy will be out of her hair for a while.
When Katrin reads out that the shed will be returned to its original condition upon the conclusion of the lease Judi pipes up with a laugh “Well, I hope not, it’s a mess out there!” Later when asked to see the shed, she reminds me to overlook its current state and to reassure me that it will be cleaned out prior to the commencement of the lease. With my expectations sufficiently lowered, I realized that “shed” is a bit of a misnomer at the Asselin’s: With its high ceilings, smooth concrete floor, relatively new drywall, the Asselin’s outbuilding is an ideal gathering place for the community’s woodworkers and handymen. It has its own driveway with space for parking. There’s a wood stove inside with plenty of firewood on hand as well as a wall-mounted electric heater. There’s a resident rodent catcher in Miss Kitty, a recently adopted member of the Asselin family and likely the Men’s Shed first female fixture. And soon “the Cadillac of compost toilets” will be installed.
The Asselins may be looking forward to opening day as much as Darrel, who sums it up nicely: “We couldn’t have asked for a better location for our Men’s Shed.”
The Arnprior McNab/Braeside Men’s Shed is located at 328 Neiman Dr. (second driveway). It will be open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., starting Tuesday, Feb. 5. Members must hold valid membership in the Seniors Active Living Centre. There will be a monthly membership fee of $20 to cover the cost of supplies, in addition to the annual SALC membership fee. All Men’s Shed members must supply their own ear and eye protection equipment. The official grand opening/open house will be held on Feb. 28.
Nahanni McIntosh is the manager, communications & engagement for Arnprior Regional Health.
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| Jean-Guy and Judi Asselin with Darrel O'Shaughnessy, right, are looking forward to the Feb. 5 opening of the Arnprior McNab/Braeside Men's Shed. - Nahanni McIntosh photo |
The Men’s Shed, a program of the Senior’s Active Living Centre (SALC), will be a place for local senior men to “get together and do guy things.” It sounds simple enough, but in reality the Men’s Shed is so much more than that.
The Men’s Shed movement was formally established
in Australia in the early 2000s in response to a long-standing need for
men to have somewhere to socialize and feel comfortable to discuss
their feelings and well-being. Today, there are over 900 sheds in
Australia alone and the movement has expanded globally. The first
Canadian shed opened in Winnipeg in 2011. This will be the 22nd Men’s
Shed in the country. The only other sheds in Ontario happen to be close
by — in Carleton Place, Mississippi Mills and Perth.
“Isolation and loneliness, which are common among seniors, can lead to really negative health outcomes. In fact, being socially isolated is as bad for your health as having diabetes,” says Dr. Jennifer Becker, a local family physician with a certification in care of the elderly. “As our families become more geographically dispersed, seniors are at risk of losing important supports. The SALC, and the Men’s Shed, are great examples of how we can draw on our strengths as a smaller community to connect people and to foster relationships that are good for seniors’ physical and mental health.”
And there’s a particular need to tackle isolation in senior men. Research has shown that men are less likely to socialize regularly, are less likely to have strong social networks, are less likely to feel comfortable sharing their feelings with their family members and face a higher risk of mortality related to social isolation than women.
“It’s important that men have a space to socialize, make friends who share similar interests, share their skills and maybe learn something new,” says Darrel O’Shaughnessy, chair of the Greater Arnprior Seniors Council and member of the SALC Task Force. Darrel is also the driving force behind the SALC’s Men’s Shed.
The local Shed wouldn’t have been possible without a local couple who opened their hearts (and their shed) to the greater community. Finding the right location for the Shed in the Arnprior area proved to be a challenge, but Darrel was undaunted, driven by his belief in the far-reaching potential benefits. A discussion very early on in the search, with local retiree Jean-Guy Asselin and his wife Judi, would prove to be the key to the Shed moving forward.
Jean-Guy moved to the Arnprior area from Tiverton a decade ago, following his retirement from Ontario Hydro. Although his siblings live in the area, moving here later in life made it challenging for the couple to build a social circle since most people already had lifelong friends. This meant Jean-Guy sometimes felt lonely: He often worked alone in his large, well-equipped shed, but had no one to really share his interests with. Darrel’s discussion with Jean-Guy about the Men’s Shed became sidelined when Jean-Guy had some unexpected and serious health issues. After a month in the hospital, it didn’t take Jean-Guy long to bring up the Men’s Shed and reach out to Darrel to continue their discussion.
I first met Jean-Guy and Judi when I accompanied Darrel and SALC project manager Katrin Spencer to their house to review the lease. Judi warmly welcomed us into their immaculate home, and although Jean-Guy is still not 100 per cent recovered, he seemed excited to be taking this significant step toward welcoming the Men’s Shed onto their property.
Katrin read the lease out loud because of Jean-Guy’s poor eyesight, with Judi and Jean-Guy listening carefully. After hearing a story about how Judi took it upon herself to plow the driveway with a small tractor while Jean-Guy wasn’t well enough to do it himself (until a shear pin broke and she was unable to make the repairs on her own), it’s not surprising that Judi was initially wary about the Men’s Shed being seen as sexist and exclusionary. But after speaking with Darrel and getting a better sense of the need for these sheds, Judi was quickly convinced.
In addition to being warm and welcoming, the Asselins also appreciate the importance of laughter and not taking themselves too seriously. Although she initially she seemed all business, Judi’s dry sense of humour quickly became apparent when we reached a clause about a composting toilet. As Katrin continues, the legalese is punctuated with Jean-Guy teasing Judi, who responded with mock sternness, to which he responds with quiet laughter.
Having a Men’s Shed literally in their own
backyard will be a win-win for the Asselins, too. Judi often worried
about Jean-Guy out tinkering in the shed alone. “Plus he’d turn up
Valley Heritage radio really loud to fill the silence," she remarks.
Now the shed will be bustling with activity and, as Judi jokes, Jean-Guy will be out of her hair for a while.
When Katrin reads out that the shed will be returned to its original condition upon the conclusion of the lease Judi pipes up with a laugh “Well, I hope not, it’s a mess out there!” Later when asked to see the shed, she reminds me to overlook its current state and to reassure me that it will be cleaned out prior to the commencement of the lease. With my expectations sufficiently lowered, I realized that “shed” is a bit of a misnomer at the Asselin’s: With its high ceilings, smooth concrete floor, relatively new drywall, the Asselin’s outbuilding is an ideal gathering place for the community’s woodworkers and handymen. It has its own driveway with space for parking. There’s a wood stove inside with plenty of firewood on hand as well as a wall-mounted electric heater. There’s a resident rodent catcher in Miss Kitty, a recently adopted member of the Asselin family and likely the Men’s Shed first female fixture. And soon “the Cadillac of compost toilets” will be installed.
The Asselins may be looking forward to opening day as much as Darrel, who sums it up nicely: “We couldn’t have asked for a better location for our Men’s Shed.”
The Arnprior McNab/Braeside Men’s Shed is located at 328 Neiman Dr. (second driveway). It will be open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., starting Tuesday, Feb. 5. Members must hold valid membership in the Seniors Active Living Centre. There will be a monthly membership fee of $20 to cover the cost of supplies, in addition to the annual SALC membership fee. All Men’s Shed members must supply their own ear and eye protection equipment. The official grand opening/open house will be held on Feb. 28.
Nahanni McIntosh is the manager, communications & engagement for Arnprior Regional Health.
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