Insights gathered by Michael Hoyt, Edmonton-based Shed leader and former social worker.
When we talk about men’s health, the conversation often starts with concern: men are hard to reach, reluctant to talk, resistant to help, or disengaged from formal services. The underlying question tends to be: How do we get men to participate?
New data gathered from Men’s Sheds in Edmonton suggests that we might be asking the wrong question. Perhaps a more useful one is: What happens when men are given a place, rather than a program?
Men Don’t Avoid Well-Being — They Avoid Being “Managed”
Nearly 300 men responded to a simple Men’s Shed sign-up survey. They weren’t signing up for a health intervention or a structured program. They were expressing interest in a community space, a place where they could connect on their own terms.
When asked about interests, many mentioned health-related themes: mental well-being, aging, physical activity, sleep, meaning, and coping. But what stands out is how they wanted to engage. They weren’t looking for services—they were looking for entry points:
“A practical activity, a shared purpose, a conversation at their own pace, and a low-pressure connection.”
This distinction is subtle, but important. It’s not that men avoid well-being—they avoid being managed. And this insight has real implications for policy and funding decisions.
Place Matters More Than Programming
Men’s Sheds work differently from most funded community initiatives. They don’t start with outcomes, diagnoses, or behaviour-change goals. Instead, they create the conditions where positive outcomes naturally emerge:
- Easy entry
- Shared activity
- Voluntary participation
- Dignity and usefulness
- Time to build trust
This is a deliberate choice. Men’s Sheds operate on the principle that people are not problems to be fixed, but participants to be trusted.
“Men’s Sheds work not because they persuade people to change, but because they trust people enough to show up as they are.”
Health by Stealth Is Respect, Not Avoidance
Men’s Sheds are often described as practicing “health by stealth.” It’s easy to misunderstand this as avoidance, but in reality, it’s about respect. Health conversations happen, but they are:
- Grounded in lived experience
- Peer-led rather than expert-driven
- Optional rather than required
- Embedded in everyday life
For many older men, well-being is inseparable from identity, contribution, and belonging. Addressing health without attending to these elements is rarely effective.
Invest in Conditions, Not Compliance
The data suggests that we don’t need more targeted messaging or narrowly defined programs. What we need are community spaces that allow people to arrive on their own terms.
For funders and policy makers, this could mean:
- Shifting from “engagement strategies” to low-barrier access
- Focusing on enabling conditions rather than prescribed outcomes
- Supporting community infrastructure alongside service delivery
Men’s Sheds are not a replacement for clinical or social services. They are a complement—strengthening social connections upstream, quietly and effectively, so that formal supports become more accessible when needed.
A Values-Based Conclusion
The Edmonton data shows what men recognize, not what they lack. People gravitate toward places where:
- They are not reduced to a problem
- Their experience is taken seriously
- Contribution is valued
- Connection is allowed to grow naturally
Sometimes, the most effective intervention isn’t a program at all. It’s a place that doesn’t look like an intervention—but gives people room to show up, be themselves, and connect.