The Kerby Tech Shed started when Bob, and his wife, moved to Calgary from Ottawa in 2018 after the couple retired. Moving two provinces away is a big change, and Bob was eager to put down roots in his new community. That’s when he got connected with Unison at Kerby Centre – a multi-service organization that offers a wide range of services and programs to older Calgarians to help them lead healthy lives in their community. From exercise classes to elder abuse awareness – Unison at Kerby Centre is helping older people thrive.

Bob visited a Men’s Shed in Calgary at Greater Forest Lawn – a charity in Calgary that offers programs and holds events for adults 55+, including a Men’s Shed, Bike Club, Paint Nights, Game Nights, and more. After visiting the Greater Forest Lawn Shed, it was a no-brainer for Bob – a Men’s Shed at Kerby Centre would be perfect!

You might notice the unique name of the Men’s Shed at Kerby Centre: “Kerby Tech Shed.” While most Men Shed’s, including the shed at Greater Forest Lawn, typically focus on woodworking and bicycle repairs, Bob quickly realized that the men at Kerby Centre had a distinct passion for technology.

“We did realize that doing bikes at Kerby wasn’t optimized – we sent over all the bike repair equipment we had to Calgary, we also realized that the group at Kerby was more technically inclined as opposed to [working with] metal or wood.” This revelation flipped the switch from Kerby Men’s Shed to Kerby Tech Shed – a space where men can gather and discover all things tech.

When asked why this group is an important addition to older men’s lives, Bob shared, “A lot of men, their whole life is centered around work. Once you’re not working anymore, it’s like “now where do I go?” You can only go grocery shopping so many times! The Men’s Shed is a place for men to go, so they can continue to be in touch with society.”

Bob shares that while some clubs and organizations are big on exclusivity and only allowing a certain demographic to join, he takes a different approach. “We ertainly appreciate having men of different ages because they bring fresh ideas.”

Creating a space where men can come together, debate over projects, collaborate, and build a community has proven to be very valuable for older men.

“From the mental health perspective, research shows us that men don’t open up to strangers, they don’t open up to their significant others, but they will open up with other men – not necessarily on the first day, first hour, first week, but after a while, they will open up. They form a camaraderie. The other benefit is that we genuinely enjoy each other’s company, to the point that if we haven’t seen someone in a while, we will check in on them. Just [by] getting in touch with them, maybe we can help them.”

Dave, a fellow Shedder, is happy that they have found ways to be inclusive despite the distance – he lives an hour away from the Kerby Tech Shed. True to the Shed’s name, they use technology to welcome members to join virtually as well as in person.

“We appreciate the new technology for a couple of reasons: it allows people who are not well to still join in, and as older people, we appreciate if someone stays home [when they’re not feeling well]. We can tell them to get some chicken soup! We care a lot about each other. The other thing it helps with is that it expands the limits of distance to your Shed members – even if they can’t come every week, they can still connect.”

When asked if they’ve ever had any issues using technology for the Shed, Dave shared: “The sound is pretty good! I can’t always see everyone, but it’s a plus that I can get there and not have to go across the city to be at the meeting.”

The Tech Shed has been a part of some thrilling projects so far. With a Men’s Shed Project Grant from HelpAge Canada, they were able to purchase a GoPro Camera for the Shed. “The GoPro has a lot of great features; it’s a fun experience [to use it]. It can be used outside, in the mud, [or] in the water!” The Tech Shed interview people from Kerby Centre using the camera to capture footage to help tell others about the Kerby Centre and the Kerby Tech Shed.

“We’ve got all kinds of Shed members – we’ve got guys that come each week just to sit and listen, and we’re okay with that, sometimes people take a nap during the meeting, [because] perhaps it’s the only place they feel comfortable taking a nap, but we let them.”

You can follow Unison at Kerby on Facebook and Instagram, and you can keep up with the Unison Centre on Facebook and Instagram.