Men’s Sheds are an initiative that aims to provide a safe space for men to gather and  connect. The Canadian Men’s Sheds Association (CMSA) describes Men’s Sheds as:

“Men’s Sheds are welcoming, supportive places for friendship and fun. They provide
opportunities for men to socialize, take part in activities, and learn something new. They are places were members can be themselves.

Men’s Sheds can be located in a variety of places, they may be made up of a few men or a
large group, and they may focus on one or more activities.
While locations, activities, and membership can vary from shed to shed, the core vision of
the Men’s Sheds movement is equality and inclusion for all members – regardless of age,
cultural background, ability, sexual orientation, income, or employment status.

Men’ Sheds is a grass-roots, bottom-up movement where the members decide what to do.”

Click here to check out the CMSA Men’s Sheds Toolkit

In many of our training and network discussions, we have heard interest in working to support men’s mental health from a range of perspectives. The linked toolkit from CMSA provides a deep dive into Men’s Sheds including the benefits, barriers, as well as how to start and maintain/grow a Men’s Shed. We hope to offer further information sessions on this topic, so keep an eye out for that in the coming months!

This article describes a documentary produced in Alberta that explores the culture of men repressing their feelings and the risk of closeting emotions. Alberta is home to a lot of male-dominated industries like farming, oil and gas and construction, which can be prone to unique stresses and pressures.

Article

The Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters have developed this tool kit to support a multi-pronged approach with a focus on diverse and ongoing programming for lasting and deep-rooted change. Implementation of the model empowers leaders to take action to end gender-based violence and abuse.

Toolkit