The Men’s Shed has a new permanent location in the industrial area in the west end of Grande Prairie.
Project Lead Richard Nasedkin says they had a space in a small business in the Richmond Industrial Park for the last two years, and now the Resource Centre for Suicide Prevention has secured a 1,500 square foot facility for the group for the next 12 months.
Nasedkin says the club was created to give men a space to get together to build friendships and projects. He remains hopeful that it will continue to grow, especially as they want to build their presence in the greater community.
“We are community oriented, we’ve been doing some projects for bandaged paws, and we’ve been building flower boxes for different charities that have a mental health focus across the Peace Country,” he says.
He adds while they have been focusing on woodworking projects, the point of the shed is about fellowship and a chance for men to meet in a neutral, safe environment. He adds they provide options for men to be able to develop friendships they may not otherwise have.
“Men tend to develop friendships at work, so if they’re unemployed, under employed or newly retired, those friendships tend to resolve, and they are often left with few in their senior years,” Nasedkin says.
“With the nature of oil field and camp work, you’re out of town for long hours, and when you are home, it’s for a short length of time, but everyone has gone to work, so it’s hard to find people to connect with. That’s where Men’s Shed is hoping to fill a void for people.”
The new location is at 11434 97 Avenue in Grande Prairie, and you can learn more about the Men’s Shed on their Facebook page.