My name is Richard Nasedkin, and at 57, I've journeyed through four careers, each chapter shaped by my pursuit of purpose and understanding. Born and raised in Fairview, I began as a photographer with a small studio in the '80s. Marriage brought me to Grande Prairie, where I worked at [...]

It felt like we were building a workshop. Now, looking back, it's clear we built something much bigger...

I entered the Olds Men's Shed right at the beginning when it started taking shape. A few of my friends who were already involved asked me to join, and before long, I found myself helping on the steering committee and acting as a board member. Honestly, it couldn't have come [...]

My name is Brian Christiansen. I'm 76 years old, and the Men’s Shed is what kept me going these past few years. I spent my entire life in sales, often out of town every other week. When I retired, I was eager to spend more time with my family, but [...]

Coming to the Men’s Shed has been a blessing in my life. I’ve been living with dementia for the past two years, and it’s been a lonely road trying to face it on my own. But here, at the Shed, I don’t feel alone. I feel like I belong. We [...]

When I first discovered the Men's Shed, my life was in a very dark place. I was struggling with social anxiety, depression, and stress, and I rarely left my home. Meeting people was incredibly challenging for me, and I didn't have any friends. My family encouraged me to get out [...]

It began simply enough with just a few of us grabbing coffee, meeting outside during the pandemic, and trying to stay connected in an increasingly disconnected world. For me, it was part of a bigger journey. Back when I lived in downtown Edmonton, I learned to adapt to Zoom and [...]

I’ve been with the Grande Prairie Men’s Shed for about eight months, but the story that brought me here started long before that. In my late fifties, I came out as a gay man. It took me a lifetime to say those words. To claim that truth. And when I [...]

I started coming to the Camrose Men's Shed in December 2024, but the real story began long before that with my dad. He had been a proud member of the Shed for several years, long before his cancer diagnosis. This place meant the world to him. It wasn't just about [...]

When I started the Bike Shed in Calgary, I didn't know how far it would go. It was before the pandemic, and I searched for purpose like many others. A friend, Gina, had been giving bikes to Syrian refugee families, and I thought there was something more we could do. [...]