Men’s Sheds: A space for retired men to socialize

A Winnipeg man believes he has found a solution to loneliness and boredom after retirement for men.

Men’s Sheds are a space for older men to socialize and work on hands-on projects, like whittling and woodwork.

Doug Mackie founded the first Canadian Men’s Shed in 2011. Since then, 35 more have popped up across the country.

However, Saskatchewan doesn’t yet have one, something that Mackie hopes to change. He believes isolation is a real problem for retirees in rural communities.

“A man has his farm. He runs his farm, then gives it to his kids or sells it, then moves into town. Who does he know? Where does he go and socialize?” Mackie said.

He believes Men’s Sheds serve as an easy point of access for those who might not know where to go to make friends or become more integrated in the community.

Activities he listed ranged from relaxing and drinking coffee to big projects like building a pet shelter.

“Because men don’t talk face to face … they talk side by side, shoulder to shoulder, when they have their hands busy,” he told 650 CKOM’s Brent Loucks.

He said the connections and work done can help improve mental health as well.

“They take ownership,” Mackie said. “They take pride in what they’re doing. Their self-worth goes up.”

There are around 2,200 Men’s Sheds across the world, with locations in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand and more. They’ve started up in five Canadian provinces so far.