OLDS – By about the end of May, the Men’s Shed of Olds (MSO) is expected to complete one of its more ambitious projects: 14 outdoor wood (and partly metal) pieces of outdoor furniture for Kirsten’s Place, the emergency shelter under construction in Olds.
A Men’s Shed is place where men – often retired, but not exclusively so – can meet, socialize and work on projects to help reduce social isolation and improve their mental wellness.
The MSO has about eight projects underway.
MSO secretary treasurer Dennis McKernan is also a member of the Mountain View Emergency Shelter Society, the umbrella group for Kirsten’s Place. He joined them in September.
McKernan volunteered to do the landscape design for the facility, which includes walking paths and outdoor furniture.
“Through the discussions I had with them regarding their spatial needs outdoors, they said they needed some benches to sit on and some places to walk for people who are going to be residents there and stuff,” McKernan said during an interview with the Albertan.
McKernan is among those who founded the Men’s Shed of Olds, which began looking for projects to undertake.
“So I went to the Kirsten’s place people and said, ‘well, I think it might be the kind of thing that this new Men's Shed might take on as a project, and they could build all that landscape furniture, if you would like that,’” he said.
“And they said, ‘absolutely, that would be fantastic if somebody from the community could build the furniture.’”
McKernan then broached the idea of creating the outdoor furniture to his fellow Men’s Shed colleagues.
He warned them that 14 pieces of outdoor furniture would be a big project, but they were happy for the opportunity to support the shelter.
Spearhead Manufacturing, a local firm in Olds, created and painted the metal parts.
McKernan said Lynn McDonald of the Men’s Shed offered to serve as foreman for the project.
“He and Les Krause have sort of spearheaded this whole thing,” McKernan said. “Les is building the four chairs, and Lynn has basically looked after everything else.
“Lynn was instrumental in getting the wood donated, and he's been the major linchpin to make that whole project fly.”
Work on the project began in January.
“I expect, literally, in two weeks, all the furniture will be finished, 14 pieces of furniture, and so we'll have it done by the end of May, which was our target,” McKernan said.
“I can't quote you off the top of my head the number of hours we've got in it, but it's, it's substantial. It's hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of hours,” he added.
Now the Men’s Shed is trying to get sponsors for the benches and other outdoor furniture in an effort to recoup the cost of creating them.
Joe Carignan, president of the Mountain View Emergency Shelter Society, described the Men’s Shed outdoor furniture and landscaping project as “fantastic.”
“It will add to the outdoor area where families can spend some time if they wish,” Carignan wrote in an email.
“As these were items that would have been acquired later, it is great we will have the outdoor furniture when we open.”
It is not yet certain when Kirsten’s Place will officially open. Final details on the emergency shelter are still being completed.
