Men's Sheds Lethbridge & Coaldale

06/11/2026

Another great Men's Sheds coffee meeting filled with camaraderie, conversation, and plenty of stories shared around the table.

A special thanks to Rick for surprising us with his incredible musical talents - one of those moments that reminds us you never quite know what’s going to happen at the Shed.

That’s the beauty of community: good coffee, good company, and unexpected moments that bring good men together.

Cheers!

06/09/2026

A huge shoutout of appreciation to our Executive Men’s Shed Member, Tom Hovan, who has been quietly working away on this incredible Kumiko piece.

Every single piece of wood has been cut, shaped, and placed by hand, with more than 16 hours already invested into this project so far. The level of patience, precision, and craftsmanship is absolutely remarkable.

What makes this piece even more meaningful is what it represents. In Kumiko, every small piece depends on the others. Remove just one piece, and the entire structure can fall apart.

That says a lot about community.

Each person, each skill, each conversation, and each act of support matters. Men’s Sheds sits at the centre of that idea - bringing people together, creating connection, building purpose, and reminding us that we are stronger when we are connected.

Thank you, Tom, for sharing your time, talent, and craftsmanship with us. This piece is already something very special.

See you at coffee on Wednesday morning, 9:30am at the German Canadian Club.

06/07/2026

For those interested in taking up leatherwork and learning a new skill, check out our friend Thomas and Viridus Leather who'll be teaching classes at Casa 🙌

Well, it's official. I will be teaching my first official leathercrafting course at Casa here in Lethbridge in October. Introduction to Leathercrafting has limited seats, so if you are interested please watch the Casa website for details and registration.
https://casalethbridge.ca/

06/03/2026

Thanks to the efforts of our Men's Shed President Dave, and the incredible generosity of GreatWest Kenworth, Men's Sheds has received a $2,000 donation toward the purchase of a commercial 3D printer.

To say we're grateful would be an understatement. This isn't just a donation toward a piece of equipment. It's an investment in people. It's an investment in learning. It's an investment in the future of Men's Sheds.

For some time now, we've been working toward building a sustainable model that allows Men's Sheds to continue serving our community while creating opportunities for our members to learn, build, create, and contribute in meaningful ways.

A commercial 3D printer opens an entirely new world of possibilities!

From Christmas ornaments and toys, to custom project components, repair parts, accessibility tools, prototypes, educational projects, and community requests - we'll be able to create items that simply weren't possible before. And simply not possible decades ago when our members were hard at work in their respective trades. We truly are living in the future with new technology such as this.

Perhaps most exciting of all... It gives our members an opportunity to blend traditional craftsmanship with modern technology.

At Men's Sheds, we often talk about sharing skills and lifelong learning. This is simply another tool in the toolbox - one that allows us to explore new ideas, develop new vocational skills, and continue proving that you're never too old to learn something new.

But there is another part of this story that deserves recognition.

Many years ago, Dave retired from Kenworth. Yet, watching him reconnect with his former employer was like he had never left. The respect, trust, and relationships he built throughout his career were still there. When he approached Kenworth with a simple request to help support Men's Sheds and our vision for the future, they didn't hesitate. And that says a lot about Kenworth.

But it also says a lot about Dave. Integrity is what remains after the job title is gone. Integrity is what people remember years later. Integrity is relationships that endure. And this donation is a beautiful example of that.

To Jason, Greg, and the entire Kenworth team, THANK YOU for believing in what we're building. Thank you for supporting our members. Thank you for helping us continue creating opportunities for connection, learning, mentorship, and service in our community.

And most of all... Thank you for putting up with Dave all those years. 😄

We are truly humbled by your generosity.

With sincere gratitude.

"𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩. 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭. 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞."
🚛 Building the Future, Together 🚛

06/02/2026

This was, without question, one of the most meaningful parts of our weekend. Kayden - son of Warren Neilson (the absolute force and gentleman behind the armour) - wandered over to our booth while Steele was working away on his cedar carving.

At first, it was curiosity. But Kayden didn’t stand back and watch from a distance. He stepped right in. And for the next two hours, he and Steele worked side by side - shaping, carving, sanding cedar and bringing these pieces to life together.

What was so incredible to witness was just how ALL-IN Kayden was. In a world where it can feel harder and harder to pull young people away from screens and digital distractions, Kayden was fully present. Focused. Covered in sawdust. Asking questions. Learning with his hands.

And not only interested… He’s pretty damn good!!

Watching the two of them together felt like watching a master craftsman and apprentice - Steele passing down knowledge earned over decades to the next generation of maker and artist.

Warren - thank you for trusting us and for letting Kayden hang out at the booth with us. It meant a lot.

We thought it was only fitting that Kayden went home with one of our Armoured Combat shirts… but Steele wanted to go one step further. He’ll also be gifting Kayden a cedar piece of his own, so he can continue shaping it into whatever he sees it becoming.

Steele, member of Mens Shed and local artist, pours countless hours of passion, skill, and commitment into his art - and we’re incredibly proud to support our members who give so much of themselves to our community through their craft.

If you’d like to follow Steele’s journey or support his work by purchasing one of his pieces, please give Steele Tolman a follow on Facebook. His craftsmanship is something truly special.

And this… this is why we do what we do!

Connection.
Mentorship.
Hands-on learning.
Sharing skills.
Building confidence.
Creating something meaningful together.

We’re incredibly grateful moments like this happen naturally around Men's Sheds.

Shoulder to shoulder.
𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭.

06/01/2026

⚔️ What a weekend!!! ⚔️We were humbled to connect with so many amazing fighters, families, supporters, and brand-new fans of the medieval armored combat sport. Our members absolutely loved the action! The atmosphere was electric, the combat was unforgettable, and one of the coolest parts of the weekend was seeing so many of our “Eat Sleep Buhurt Repeat” shirts find their way into the hands - and onto the backs - of fighters and teams from across Alberta and BC. Seeing them worn proudly throughout the event was something special.

A big congratulations goes out to Austin Post, winner of our handcrafted Medieval Armour Stand raffle. Austin came down from Calgary, stayed overnight for the event, and was determined not to leave without the pieces he had his eye on in the silent auction… and if luck was on his side, the armour stand too.

When his name was drawn at the end of the event and he realized he was taking it home - the joy on his face honestly made our entire weekend. Moments like that are hard to put into words.

Most importantly, this event introduced Men's Sheds to many people who were seeing our organization for the very first time. We had countless great conversations at the booth, met some incredible people, and made connections that will continue well beyond the weekend.

And thanks to your support, together we raised over $950, which goes directly back into future Men’s Shed projects, tools, materials, and community work that will keep our Shedders building, creating, and serving.

We'd like to extend a thank you to Company of the Black Spears - Lethbridge Armoured Combat - hosts of Coulee Clash this past weekend. There next event will surely just get bigger and better from here.

To everyone who stopped by our booth… bought a raffle ticket… grabbed a shirt… asked questions… shared a conversation… or simply came over to see what Men’s Sheds is all about - THANK YOU. Your support means more than you know.

Back to the tools we go. Cheers!

06/01/2026

Men's Sheds is proud to share that our Executive Director Mark Vella, is looking forward to presenting at this important AGM.

These conversations are fundamental to strengthening community connection, raising awareness around men’s health and belonging, and continuing to grow the Men’s Shed movement across Canada.

Mark is honoured to represent our local Shed, share our experiences from Lethbridge & Coaldale, and stand shoulder-to-shoulder with others who are helping create meaningful spaces for men to connect, contribute, and support one another.

🔨Shoulder to Shoulder: Building Community Through Men's Sheds 🔧

📆Join Healthy Lethbridge in person on June 18 from 1-3 pm for our Annual General Meeting with guest speaker, Mark Vella, to connect, create, and build community through the magic of Men's Sheds!

👨‍💻More information and how to register here: https://healthylethbridge.ca/news/agm-shoulder-to-shoulder-building-community-through-mens-sheds

05/31/2026

Head down to Servus Soccer Center for Company of the Black Spears - Lethbridge Armoured Combat last day of battle! Watch the fights, check out the amazing vendors, and pop over to the Men's Sheds booth to pick up some merchandise. Our members are proud to support our community and have enjoyed this unique event so far!! ⚔️🛡️

05/29/2026

We finished building this Medieval Armour Stand while enjoying the sunshine. And honestly, there’s not much better than working alongside your mates, building something by hand, and doing it all in service of our community.

We’ll have two of these knight-worthy stands ready for the upcoming Coulee Clash 2026 ~ Medieval Armoured Combat Tournament this weekend, and Men's Sheds will be proudly showcasing our trade skills at our booth on Saturday & Sunday.

Come by and say hi, watch the knights battle, check out the amazing vendors, and don’t forget - we’ll also have a tonne of raffle items available, including fine handcrafted pieces made by the Men’s Shed fellas themselves.

All proceeds from the Men’s Shed booth go directly back into serving the community and building more and more projects.

We’d love to see you there.

📍 Servus Sports Centre (Indoor Soccer Stadium)
2501 28 Ave S, Lethbridge, AB T1K 7L6

🗓 May 30 | 10am–6pm
🗓 May 31 | 10am–6pm

⚔️ Come watch knights fight, support local makers, and help us keep doing meaningful work in the community.

See you at Coulee Clash!

Event Link: https://www.facebook.com/events/1668669844460298/?acontext=%7B%22event_action_history%22%3A[%7B%22surface%22%3A%22external_search_engine%22%7D%2C%7B%22mechanism%22%3A%22attachment%22%2C%22surface%22%3A%22newsfeed%22%7D]%2C%22ref_notif_type%22%3Anull%7D