Robert Paterson 

On January 31st, after a two-year COVID break, Danny Williams relaunched the Lac-Brome Men’s Shed project. Men’s Sheds is a global movement. (Link here https://menssheds.ca/). Men’s Sheds address the risk that retired older men can quickly become lonely and isolated. Such isolation can be a killer. Men over 67 have the second-highest suicide rate in Canada, topped only by men over the age of 90.  (Source:https://mentalhealthcommission.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Older-adults-and-suicide-fact-sheet.pdf) 

Williams explained why this is so. Men gain their identity mainly in the outside world. Men also need to have meaningful connections with other men to be healthy. Men bond not only through conversation but through shared activity. The more significant the work, the better.  Men’s Sheds bring men together to use their skills to do meaningful work for their community. In so doing, they nourish the spirit and health of this group. 

Williams’ top requirement is to find a new location. The Lac-Brome Men’s Shed used to have a space in the Community Centre. However this has been taken over by a new daycare. Sharing that lost space and also now looking for a new home is another vulnerable group, the Lac-Brome Youth Group. 

The big idea that drives the requirement for the new space is to combine the activities of the two groups in one area to foster a mentoring program. As a result, the new space would need to combine a shop and a games area. 

If you know of such a space or would like to join the Lac-Brome Men’s Shed, here is the website that has more information: https://lacbromems.webs.com/