Men's Sheds Association of Ontario
-
Craftmanship is great, but it's better when it is shared. -
Arnprior-McNab–Braeside Mens Shed, Ontario -
Naismith Men's Shed, Ontario -
Men's Shed Ottawa Centre -
Carleton Place’s Hackberry Men’s Shed built this for the Roy Brown Society's Museum about Capt Brown, who shot down the Red Baron.
What are Men's Sheds, and what do they do?
A Men's Shed provides: "Somewhere to go. Something to do. Someone to talk to."
It's a community-based, Not-for-profitt organization that provides a safe and friendly environment where men can work on meaningful projects, at their own pace, in their own time, in the company of other men. It's a place where some men learn, some teach, and some are happy to watch.
Why have a Provincial Association of Sheds?
Our objective is to aid in forming new sheds and enhancing the effectiveness of existing sheds.
We represent the collective needs of Ontario Sheds to government agencies, news agencies and potential sponsors.
Plus a whole lot more.
List of Men's Sheds in Ontario
The number of sheds changes constantly. Therefore, we endeavour to maintain a complete list and contact information of all sheds in Ontario, whether or not they elect to become part of our Association.
Click below to find one near you.
Start your Shed with some help from those who have gone before.
Men's Shed is a grassroots movement.
There are no hard and fast rules for starting or running a Shed.
You can make it to fit your needs and tastes, but why reinvent the wheel?
We have collected the experience of many sheds worldwide for you to learn from.
Take what fits you best.
Funding your Shed
We know all. Give us the secret handshake and we will share.
We are just kidding. While there is never enough funding for social programs, and it can be competitive to get your share, you do not need to learn the black arts of complex proposal writing to win any.
We are blessed with a funding source reserved for Men's Sheds in Canada. There are two programs of interest to you.
Recognizing the value of Men's Sheds in promoting men's health and wellness, for 2022 and 2023, micro-grants of up to $1,000 are available to assist with the start-up costs of new Men's Sheds in Canada!
These Start-Up Grants, offered through HelpAge Canada, are available to groups of two or more men or community organizations interested in starting a Men's Shed in their local area.
Funding of up to $10,000 is also available to established Men's Sheds to assist with the costs of time-limited projects that support their goals of connecting older men and their communities.
These will not be enough for you to find a workshop space, collect a bunch of tools and experts in their operation, then open your doors, but it will help get you started to collect a team to figure out the rest.
Be aware that 900 out of the 1,000 Men's Sheds in Australia have found a way to get their floor space for free, where the shed members pay for power, heat, and insurance. This will not be easy.