Community Connections Ep.1: How Men's Shed Supports Community and Connection

Founded in 2019, the Neepawa Men’s Shed is part of a global network that originated in Australia and has since spread to other countries, including Canada. The organization was created to support the mental health of senior men. The Neepawa Men’s Shed offers a welcoming space where men can gather, socialize, and contribute to community projects. Through regular meetings, members collaborate on initiatives that benefit their area, all while fostering connections and providing mutual support.

Liway Cabrera – Local Journalism Initiative

Colin McNairnay, the Coordinator of the Neepawa Men’s Shed, shared details about their current projects and partnerships and gave us a tour of their workspace inside the Touchwood Park Store.

McNairnay mentioned that while woodworking is a part of what they do, the main goal is simply to gather and talk. They currently use a space provided by Touchwood Parks for their meetings and woodworking projects. In exchange, the Men’s Shed makes wooden products, such as chairs and tables, for Touchwood to sell in their store.

Beyond their work for Touchwood Parks, the group also completes woodworking projects for other local community organizations. Notable projects include benches made for ArtsForward, which were painted and placed around the community, as well as a seed plant for the Field to Table Club.

He emphasized that the Neepawa Area Men’s Shed, is not governed by Men’s Shed Manitoba or Men’s Shed Canada in terms of what we can or can’t do. They operate based on the needs and desires of our members and have chosen to focus on projects for the community rather than individual needs since they are funded by the community which they got from Miles for Mental Health and the Beautiful Plains Community Foundation.

The Neepawa Men’s Shed is a great example of a community-driven initiative that combines craftsmanship with social connection.