There's a space in Chilliwack that is helping to reduce isolation and loneliness for men.
Chilliwack Men's Shed – a society all about men helping men – is a place where mostly-retired guys gather to build woodworking projects, but more importantly, build friendships.
"Women talk face-to-face, and men talk shoulder-to-shoulder," said president Marcel Thibault, who's been retired for about 10 years. "You can't just sit at home and watch TV, or help your wife out knitting, or something like that. You've gotta go out and meet some other guys."
The shed is a space for men to meet twice a week where they can chat over coffee, hammer away at group projects, or work on personal woodcraft pieces.
It's also a place where they open up and share stories about their mental health and other issues.
"It keeps men talking, because if you don't talk to anybody every day, you're gonna go a little bit funny. You need to get out there," Thibault said. "It helps with isolation and loneliness."
The first Men's Shed started back in 1993 in Australia, stemming from a lack of health services for men including those with dementia. The Chilliwack society is part of the Men's Shed Association of B.C., which is connected to Men's Sheds Canada. There are more than 60 sheds in B.C. and members are known as 'shedders'.
The Chilliwack Men's Shed was started by Thibault, Elmer Aichele, Wayne Stewart and the late Fred Pettersen. It became a registered society in 2023, and they currently have about 33 members.
They meet at a private residence with several barns in which the men sip coffee and work away at projects. The space is ideal for men who have downsized and no longer have a workshop at their home.
Tools have been donated by members, plus Gerry Enns Contracting recently gave them a generous donation of commercial carpentry tools.
Earlier this year, the members completed a wooden water wheel for the Harrison Tulip Festival. The festival owners supplied all the wood and other materials while the Chilliwack Men's Shed designed the piece and volunteered four months of their time to build it.
There is zero pressure for the shedders to build projects, Thibault said.
"We don't force anybody to do anything. They can come as they wish and stay as long as they want," he said.
One member, who asked not to be identified, said his doctor noticed a positive and dramatic change in his mental health about nine months after joining the group. A Men's Shed in Scotland did a study where they found that every dollar invested in a Men's Shed saved them $8 in medical expenses down the road, the member added.
Sometimes it takes a bit of time, but eventually many shedders will open up about their health problems.
The men don't just connect through their woodcraft projects and health issues, but they also meet others with common interests such as fishing, repairing vehicles, and more.
When asked why men have a more difficult time making friends than women, Thibault said guys of his generation don't talk about their feelings and they generally don't volunteer a lot of information.
"I think that's the way we're built," he said. "There are all kinds of women's places, but men… it's not that out there. Men need a place to go, too."
The Chilliwack Men's Shed meets on Tuesdays and Thursday from 9:30 a.m. until about noon. Membership is $50 for the year. Men interested in joining can email mensshedchilliwack@gmail.com or go to facebook.com/groups/230787722909531/.
