AV Men's Shed

Annapolis Valley Men's Shed

We are Connection

Greetings Traveler

Welcome to the Annapolis Valley Men's Shed.

 

 

Well, not really The Shed  itself, more like the meta-Shed, or virtual Shed here in Cyberspace.

 

Whatever it's called, you're here. If you have come by design, we will be happy to show you around and try to answer your questions. If you've just wandered in by accident, that's alright too; just tuck in behind us and come along on the tour. No one is likely to mind, or notice.

 

If you'd like to learn a bit more about us and what we do, just select an option from the navigation menu. If along the way anything catches your interest, or if you think you might like to take a closer look at the real, bricks-and-mortar Men's Shed, please select the Contact option to get in touch and we'll make that happen.

A Little Bit of Background

If you've stayed with us to this point, you are probably wondering just what it is that we do when we get together at the Annapolis Valley Men's Shed. Our activities are actually pretty diverse. Let me try to describe them.

 

Typically, everyone has a project or two that they spend time on. Looking around the shop you might see someone working on a shelf or bookcase. Someone else may be building an Adirondack Chair (although we prefer the comfort and design of the Kitchissippi Chair); and a couple of guys are likely to be refurbishing a Doll House for somebody's granddaughter.

Individual projects or activities can be as simple or complex as you like. If you reach a point where you're not entirely sure how to proceed, you can probably find someone who's been there before and will help set you straight. If you need help learning to use a tool that would be perfect for the job, but that you've never used before, there are probably a couple of guys who can help with that.

 

And that guy over there who looks for all the world like he's just spending the morning wandering around the shop and offering help, advice or an extra pair of hands to other members: he's one of ours, too.

 

And Then There's...

On most days we take a spontaneous, usually unscheduled break. We are likely to gather around a table, drink a pot (or three) of coffee, share snacks and shoot the breeze. There may occasionally be items of Shed business that need to be addressed, but those are pretty rare.

 

More often we just sit around, tell lies and stories, laugh a bit, then get back to our individual activities. Just your average old-guy stuff. Although it's seldom discussed out loud—we're manly-men, after all—this can be the best part of the day.

Who We Are

The Annapolis Valley Men's Shed is primarily focused on woodworking. The fact that we meet in a woodworking shop probably has something to do with that, but really, who can tell.

 

This particular Men's Shed seems to exist because our founder and fearless leader saw a flyer that mentioned the larger Men's Shed movement. The whole idea sounded kind of sparkly and shiny, and he thought: "It might be cool to have one of those". So he made a few calls, waved a splinter of wood, and before too long a few people called him. And the rest, as they say... happened.

 

What We Are

The Annapolis Valley Men's Shed is an informal, not-for-profit, loosley-organized group of men who didn't really know each other before coming together at the Shed. We're just a collection of men who get together once or twice a week to work on projects, laugh a bit, and shoot the breeze for a while. We come from a whole bunch of different walks of life: business men, executroids, farmers and honest working folk of all kinds. Who you've been, and what you've done—while it may be interesting—is not all that important.

 

Rules, Regs and By-Laws

For the most part, we of the Annapolis Valley Men's Shed are not really big on rules. There are some rules, of course, but they're more in the manner of guidelines, things like:

 

  • Play nice with other children
  • Clean up after yourself
  • Put your toys and tools away

Stuff like that; more common-sensical than ham-handed. What counts is that at the Annapolis Valley Men's Shed we're all pretty much the same: a little older, a little wiser, and settling in among a group of men who aren't likely to make judgements, but who will lend a hand if you need it.

 

No judgements. No expectations. Just a group of men, standing shoulder-to-shoulder.

Testimonials

In the interest of full disclosure, we have to tell you that some of the content of this section may be a little bit biased. It doesn't mean that this stuff isn't true, we're just saying.

Why do I show up? It's a great opportunity to be with other guys, to build things if we decide to, or to get to know each other over a coffee.

JW

Founder / Fearless Leader

It's aninteresting group to come to the Shed and be a part of. You can work on a project, if you like, or have a cup of coffee and chat for an hour.

BN

Caner

I've worked on a number of projects at the Shed, and there is always a camaraderie about it. But honestly, my favourite time is sitting down and having a coffee and talking about all kinds of odds and ends.

JW

Treasurer

Contact

If you'd like to learn more about the Annapolis Valley Men's Shed, the next step is yours. We're friendly and approachable, so let's talk a bit. Give us a call, or send us a note if that seems more reasonable. Either way, we'll get back to you.

Address

Berwick, Nova Scotia, Canada

Call Us

(647) 381-8765