Ten, and a very well-behaved pup, joined this ASK Salt Spring gathering to welcome Matthew Quetton, President of the Men’s Shed.After our Acknowledgement, each of us had a chance to introduce ourselves. Participants included several who were already members of our local Men’s Shed, several who were interested in joining and had come to learn more, and two women who were curious about this men-only society. 

We learned that Men’s Sheds (https://mensshedscanada.ca/history-of-mens-sheds/), first established in Australia in 1993, are rapidly growing with over 3,300 organizations all over the world. The mission of all of these Men’s Sheds is to create a communal space for men to work on projects as well as providing a social space for them to create relationships with other men. Initially seeking to address the isolation too often experienced by retired men, Men’s Sheds across the world help men of all ages to forge new relationships as well as enjoy the satisfaction of a completed project. 

Our Men’s Shed was established by Tristan Laurillard (https://www.laurillard.com/), quickly gaining 165 members, making it the fastest-growing Men’s Shed in British Columbia. During these formative years, $75,000 was raised through donations as well as grants from organizations including the Salt Spring Island Foundation, United Way, and 100 Men Who Care. When Matthew joined the Men’s Shed several years ago soon after he arrived on Salt Spring, Tristen was preparing to leave our island and welcomed Matthew and a new Board to take the reins. 

Before Salt Spring, Matthew had spent his life in urban settings, ranging from Montreal and Toronto to, most recently, Vancouver, where he was a professional furniture maker for 15 years. Seeking a rural home, Salt Spring was the perfect choice for him. Happy in his small home on a small property, he soon realized that he needed a shop to create the things he needed for his new rural life. A committed “do it yourself-er” who continually seeks the skills he needs to maintain his lifestyle, the Men’s Shed was a perfect for him. Not only did he now have access to a well-stocked 850 square foot workshop, but he also had the opportunity to form friendships in his new community. 

Today, despite many other Salt Spring connections, Matthew credits the Men’s Shed with his most satisfying relationships, forged through the love of creating projects in a shared space. He compared his work in the Men’s Shed with a recent walk in Ganges doing errands. Stopping constantly to chat with folks, walking may not be the most efficient ways to get things done, but this mode can be far and away the most satisfying. The Men’s Shed is similar: Projects may take a bit longer but the relationships created alongside the projects are invaluable. Deeply involved in our local Men’s Shed, Matthew cannot image his life without it. 

Our local Men’s Shed has grown to 350 members with about 75 regularly using its workshop. Not intended as a commercial space, free membership is available to all men for their personal projects. Ages of these members range from their 20s to 80s. Most members are not currently employed tradesmen as these workers generally have their own shops. Instead, they are most often men with some tool skills but without a workshop.

Interested? To begin, register on its website (https://saltspringmensshed.ca/). You will be contacted to arrange a time for your safety orientation and the signing of the Men’s Shed safety policy. Then, you will be given a fob to access the workshop, and you are good to go, remembering, of course, to be safe as well as tidying up after yourself. Due to an association with other British Columbia Men’s Sheds, group insurance is in place. Wondering how crowded it will be? It is very likely that there will be ample space. When you go, you may be the only one or there may be others communally sharing the workshop. 

Sensitive to neighbours, power tools cannot be used after 6:00 pm but all that is about the change. . . . When funding for the Gulf Island Senior Residence Society’s (GISRA) Kings Lane Project looked imminent, the Men’s Shed was asked to find another location. Expecting to move this summer, members spent some months determining what equipment would be sold and what would be moved as well as inventorying materials and doing a much-needed cleanup. During this time, a great deal of energy has been invested seeking a new location, with over 20 locations considered. And, a promising location has been identified! Matthew had hoped to be able to announce it at this ASK Salt Spring gathering, but the agreement has not yet been finalized. 

Expecting a celebratory announcement by the end of July, Matthew told us that it was centrally located; in a commercial setting to allow power tool use later in the day; larger, at 1,000 square feet; and bringing some great benefits. Stay tuned. . . .  

So, what’s next for the Men’s Shed? Plans are for more equipment, more skills training workshops, and more users of the workshop: 

• In terms of tools, wood working tools are plentiful but automotive tools are scarce and welding is not yet available. Matthew would like to see the new Men’s Shed expand to include a rich array of tools beyond the woodworking selection, with automotive and welding equipment high on the wish list.  
• Currently offering Wednesday afternoon “Tool Talks” for members, Matthew hopes to work with Transition Salt Spring (TSS) to begin offering SkillsShare workshops at the Men’s Shed in its new location, (an enhancement of TSS’s so successful Repair Cafe https://transitionsaltspring.com/fix-it-yourself/). 
• Relationships are also being forged with our school district to provide a workshop (no power tools) for up to 20 students to complete projects. 
• And, yes, women will be welcome to use this new Men’s Shed! A new society is being established: a She Shed. Plans are to share this new Men’s Shed with the keen and tool savvy women in this group.   

Initially, Matthew had thought that the community contribution of the Men’s Shed would be to respond to requests from locals to come to their home to repair or build things. While calls for such help were occasionally answered, Matthew has come to recognize that the strength of the Men’s Shed is not currently in creating products for our community but in offering immensely valuable access to a well-equipped community workshop. With full insurance for those using the workshop as well as safety aids, including First Aid kits and an onsite AED, after their safety orientation, a wide range of community groups will be given plentiful access to this community workshop. 

Currently, Matthew estimates that the Men’s Shed workshop is only used at about 25% of its capacity. He sees it as a simple leap to create a schedule maintaining plentiful men-only times as well as offering access to other groups. If Matthew’s vision comes to fruition, this new location will become a community workshop hosting both the Men’s Shed members as well as a wide variety of groups wanting to use the space. 

How can we help? If you have unused tools, contact Matthew at matthew@saltspringmensshed.ca. In most cases, the Men’s Shed will welcome your tools, either to replenish their growing array of tools or to fix them up to sell to raise operational money. Love the idea of a community workshop and have a bit of extra cash? Donations are gratefully welcomed: https://saltspringmensshed.ca/donate.

Our time together for this week nearly over, our conversation veered to Matthew’s other passions, including an innovative project in partnership with First Nations to address our serious deer over-population. And, the new owner of a 47-foot sailboat and newly-qualified captain, Matthew is pondering using his boat for forage charters. What if Michelin chefs accompanied these charters and prepared shared feasts from these local foraging adventures? Matthew asked if he could come back to ASK Salt Spring this fall to talk about our abundance of overlooked forage-able food available, with a resounding “Yes!” as the reply. Time to leave, we applauded Mathew for his enthusiasm, creativity, and vision for the evolution of our Men’s Shed, soon to become an important community resource accessible to all. (Thanks, Matthew!) 

Just in case you are interested. . . .This report has been written by Gayle Baker, founder of ASK Salt Spring, currently also a Salt Spring Local Community Commissioner. It has also been reviewed by Matthew.