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Men's Shed numbers rise with temperatures as spring nears

Published Mar 10, 2026  •  2 minute read

From left, Rodger Bowles, Matthew Mutch and Dave Leggatt eye up a birthday cake baked in Bowle's honour. Photo by submitted /Wiarton Echo

This spring brings renewed interest in our group, people returning from (mostly) overseas trips instead of snowbirding.

Normally 12 to 14 guys come out for coffee but March 2 saw 20 come out in spite of the fact that a number of regulars were away. What is interesting (to me at least) is that sometimes it is hard to hear, what with all of the conversations going on. At other times one story starts a long discussion chain.

For example, one day Terry described an issue with a car which led to Owen describing how a friend’s car disintegrated due to heavy rust by luck near a car wrecking yard. Or the time Scott’s father drove his 4×4 truck on top of a car parked in the drug store parking lot, where the tires were literally on the trunk and hood. Last day driving for Dad! We spent an hour with everyone telling some car story or car problem on a trip before conversations broke separately. We always talk about some project or another we’re working on and often get help from another member.

A few of us from Lion’s Head were In Wiarton for coffee with Matthew’s chapter of Bruce Men’s Shed where we celebrated Rodger’s 88th birthday. As the “old man” among old men he really enjoyed the surprise.

As warm weather approaches so too do requests for our involvement. In the coming weeks we will be building boot scrubbers to be installed on a number of conservancy properties in Bruce County, primarily in Northern Bruce Peninsula. More information will follow on that.

Another opportunity came to us to have a booth at the Lion’s Head Farmers’ Market’s spring market on Sunday, April 19 inside the Bruce Peninsula District School where we will be able to offer a few things for sale as well as introduce Men’s Sheds. Last year’s planters will return for orders for May/June delivery. Lastly we are planning to manufacture bird houses again which will be available in kit form to take home. We will also make them available for seniors groups that may want to put them together and paint them. This summer we will operate a pork roast at the Wiarton Homecoming Weekend on Saturday, Aug. 1.

Our next monthly Saturday meetings are March 21 and April 18 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Every Monday morning we meet for coffee from 9 to 11 a.m. at Canadian Legion Branch 202, 6 Hellyer Rd. on Highway 6, four kilometres north of Ferndale. Doors open at 8:45 a.m.

There is also a Bruce Men’s Shed coffee gathering every Wednesday at 10 a.m. in Wiarton at 451 Frank St., Matthew Mutch as host. If you would like further information on how to get involved with the Men’s Shed movement, contact us at brucemensshed@gmail.com or call Gerry at (519) 793–3005.

“Somewhere to Go.  Something to Do.  Someone to Talk to”