Canoe Valley Men’s Shed Society finds home on 5th Ave
By Abigail Popple, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, RMG
The Canoe Valley Men’s Shed is the latest addition to the toolbox of mental health supports available to Valemount men, with a new location at 1201 5th Avenue.
Men’s sheds are collectives of men, typically retirement age, who gather to share skills and offer community to one another. Since being started in Australia in 1993, chapters of the Men’s Shed Association have sprung up across 12 countries, including Canada.
Founder of the Valemount chapter, Pete Pearson, told The Goat he hopes the organization will be a place for adult men of all ages to gather.
“When I first started looking at this, it was always in my mind that it was all ages of men 19 and over,” Pearson said of the organization’s beginnings. “We all need the mental supports… That’s what got me started in this battle.”
“Guys can feel like they have a safe place, but it’s also about learning skills [and] teaching skills.”
– Pete Pearson, Founder of the Canoe Valley Men’s Shed
So far, the club has 12 members – but nonetheless, the organization has a diverse skill set, Pearson said. Every Men’s Shed is different, but the Valemount group will focus on woodworking and using their skills to benefit the community, he added.
“Seniors or anyone that needs work done affordably can give us a call,” Pearson said. “We can do yard work, we can do small repairs… We’re not here to take work away from contractors, but we can do those little jobs that don’t fit within their scope.”
That work may include a partnership with Robson Valley Community Services’ Better at Home program, a service paid for by United Way which sends handypeople to seniors’ homes for minor repair work and housekeeping free of charge. Pearson said the Men’s Shed is in talks with the non-profit to become a contractor for the Better at Home service, which would generate revenue for the Men’s Shed and provide an opportunity to support local seniors.
Aside from helping Valemount locals, the Men’s Shed will also give members a positive outlet to discuss their feelings and find community during weekly Monday evenings, said Pearson. Meetings are dry – meaning anyone working on their sobriety won’t feel pressured to have a beer or cigarette, he added.
“All of this is a camaraderie of being able to get together, talk about stuff, because our code of conduct is, ‘Everything talked about in the shed stays in the shed,’” Pearson said. “Guys can feel like they have a safe place, but it’s also about learning skills [and] teaching skills.”
The group has already enjoyed support from the community, added co-founder Dave Blanchette. Locals have donated or loaned woodworking tools, and McBride-based Sointula Cedar Products has donated wood for members to use. The group has begun working on building birdhouses and baskets, but might expand to other skills such as forging or fishing, said Blanchette and Pearson.
Currently, the group is discussing how it can contribute to Valemountain Days – possibly with a float in the parade, or by assembling do-it-yourself birdhouse kits for kids – but since officially becoming part of the Men’s Shed Association in February, members have just been focusing on supporting the group from one week to the next, Pearson said. Having a dedicated location to meet is a valuable tool, Blanchette added.
“We’re in a lot better shape than a lot of sheds, because a lot of [them] have nowhere to go,” Blanchette said. “We’ve made some huge steps forward since starting to get together in January.”
