Men’s shed movement keeps growing

Transcona

Elmwood

There’s nothing like getting together with some like-minded people to hang out and work on a project.

Starting Jan. 14, Transcona will welcome a new men’s shed group to the Park City from 1 to 3 p.m. every Thursday afternoon. The group is founded by Fred Bobrowski, who started the Park City Men’s Shed — which meets twice weekly at 180 Poplar Ave. in Elmwood — in 2018.

“The whole idea, when I started Park City Mens’ Shed, was to get one going in Transcona,” said Bobrowski, a Park City resident. “But a lot of guys … wanted a wood shop, and 180 Poplar Ave. had one, so I focused on that. But it was always in the back of my mind to get a shed going in Transcona.”

Bobrowski even had a Transcona group meeting at Oxford Heights Community Club (359 Dowling Ave. E), before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. However, for the next few years, he and the other Park City members had enough work keeping their own group going.

Today, the group that meets at 180 Poplar Ave. has 26 active members who get together every Tuesday and Thursday from noon to 3 p.m.

“We have some new members, some guys who have been around since Day 1,” Bobrowski said. “We have a good mix of men. The thing I love about it is I can sit back and watch a room full of guys just talk. They’ll talk about prostates to bolts, everything’s on the table. It’s really good to see the guys get together.”

Over the past few years, more men’s sheds have sprung up around the city, including groups in Garden City, South Osborne, and more. Now, Bobrowski is keen to get a group going in Transcona,

“We’ll see how it goes,” he said. “I’m still trying to get some support with help running the shed. My thought is to get it up and running and get a good start. It’s not easy, but it’s not complicated. You need some guys to organize, and you need a place to meet, an inexpensive place. We are self-funded.”

Having been involved with the men’s shed for so many years, Bobrowski has seen first-hand how important it is to have a place where older men can get together, work on a project, and talk.

“The benefits of mens’ sheds are friendship, camaraderie, and health by stealth,” he said. “The guys talk. If it’s health issues, sometimes you think you’re the only going through it, but when you talk, you find out that no, other guys are either going through something similar or have gone through it. And we can talk about it. You learn new skills, too, so there’s a lot of mentoring and coaching, supporting each other.”

Typically, members will work on small projects, making walking sticks or larger wood carvings. But members are also welcome to bring in work they’re doing at home as well.

“It can be something as simple as kitchen utensils or other stuff like that,” Bobrowski said. “We have access to a small wood shop at 180 Poplar Ave., so some guys do some bigger projects. The thing is getting together and while they’re working, we talk. It’s a great socializing thing.”

Membership in men’s shed costs $15 per year, but also requires a $20 membership with either the Transcona Retired Citizen’s Organization (328 Whittier Ave. W) or the Elmwood-EK Active Living Centre (180 Poplar Ave.).

“We have to pay for liability insurance, and tools and stuff,” Bobrowski said. “We encourage people — wives also — to come and check out the sheds and see what’s going on.”