National webinar & local Open Shed events highlight how Men’s Sheds strengthen wellbeing & communities across Canada
Join us for a special online presentation on November 19, International Men’s Day, to celebrate how Men’s Sheds contribute to their communities through volunteer projects, mentorship, and collaboration with local organizations, creating the ripple we call The Shed Effect.
Men’s Sheds Canada’s national The Shed Effect campaign will celebrate the measurable impact that Sheds make in communities across Canada through special volunteer activities, which not only meet local needs, but generate significant social return on investment by fostering belonging, encouraging civic engagement, and enabling older men to contribute meaningfully to the places they call home.
Register for our 90-minute webinar, featuring speakers from across Canada on the positive role of Sheds in sustaining communities:
Wednesday, November 19, 2025
4pm AT / 3pm ET/ 2pm CT/ 1pm MT/ 12pm PT
Webinar Overview
Keynote speaker: Dr. Megan Conway, President & CEO of Volunteer Canada, will speak on volunteerism in Canada and the connection with Men’s Sheds.
Dr. Raza Mirza, Chief Operation Officer, HelpAge Canada, and Assistant Professor, University of Toronto Institute for Life Course and Aging, will present new research on the social value of Men’s Sheds
Our panel of community partners will offer insights and examples of the impact of Sheds across Canada, featuring:
- Sarrah Storey, Mayor, Village of Fraser Lake, and and Second Vice-President, Union of BC Municipalities
- Karen McDonald, Executive Director, Sage Seniors Association, and and Co-Chair, Pan-Canadian CBSS Leadership Council
- Connie Newman, Executive Director, Manitoba Association of Senior Communities
We will also showcase a new video featuring volunteer projects submitted by Sheds across Canada. These provide firsthand testimony to the power of Sheds for individual members and their communities.
Local Open Shed Events
At the local level, many Men’s Sheds across Canada will also host Open Shed events, inviting local journalists, policymakers, and community members to see The Shed Effect in action — firsthand examples of how connection and volunteerism improve men’s wellbeing while strengthening communities.
About Our Speakers
Dr. Megan Conway, President & CEO of Volunteer Canada
Dr. Megan Conway is a highly regarded social impact leader driven by curiosity, creativity, and innovation. With twenty years in diverse leadership roles, she earned her PhD in Urban Planning from the University of Waterloo. Megan also serves as a Fellow at Carleton University, leading international research on charitable sector capacity building.
Beyond her mission-driven work, Megan loves the snow and any chance she can get on a bicycle. Megan lives in the Ottawa Valley with her husband and two children.
Karen McDonald, Executive Director, Sage Seniors Association
Karen McDonald lives in Treaty 6 territory and the North Saskatchewan River Metis Nation. She is Executive Director of Sage Seniors Association in Edmonton, which provides social services, community development, and life enrichment for older adults. Karen is also Provincial Director and Chair of the Community Leadership Council with Healthy Aging Alberta, supporting community-based seniors-serving organizations across the province with coordination, capacity building, and non-medical supports. She co-chairs the National Community-Based Seniors Services Interim Leadership Council, fostering collaboration to enhance services for older adults and caregivers across Canada. Karen was recently appointed to the Assisted Living Alberta Transition Committee and serves on the Primary Care Alberta Special Advisory Team. She also volunteers as Treasurer with the Muttart Foundation, which supports the nonprofit sector through research, funding, and training.
Dr. Raza Mirza, Chief Operation Officer, HelpAge Canada, and Assistant Professor, University of Toronto Institute for Life Course and Aging
Dr. Raza Mirza is an award-winning gerontologist, professor at the University of Toronto, and systems thinker with a background in policy, program evaluation, and intergenerational engagement. He leads operational strategy, knowledge mobilization, and cross-sectoral collaboration.
Connie Newman, Executive Director, Manitoba Association of Senior Communities
Connie Newman is the executive director and lead consultant for the Manitoba Association of Senior Communities which currently leads Age-Friendly Manitoba and Social Prescribing Initiatives. MASC is a member association currently with 868 member groups throughout Manitoba. MASC-AFI connects with 96 municipalities in Manitoba on the Age-Friendly pathway. Connie also chaired the committee which developed the Manitoba Government Seniors Strategy, released in February 2023. Since 2022, Connie has also been the Chair of the Public Awareness Committee of the Appropriate Use Advisory Committee of the Canadian Drug Agency (National).
Among her many volunteer engagements, Connie continues to be very involved with the St. James-Assiniboia 55+ Active Living Centre and Friends of Living Prairie Museum. She is a primary caregiver for a friend residing in community and another living in a personal care home.
Sarrah Storey, Mayor, Village of Fraser Lake
Sarrah Storey relocated to Fraser Lake, a village in British Columbia, in 2006, after spending 26 years in Prince George, the northern capital of BC. Since 2018, she has served as the Mayor of Fraser Lake and is currently in her third term on the council. Sarrah holds several leadership roles, including past president of the North Central Local Government Board, an appointed director on the Regional District Bulkley Nechako, and second vice president of the Union of British Columbia Municipalities, where she chairs the health and social development committee.
In addition to her political commitments, Sarrah is a dedicated mother to two teenage boys who are active in hockey and various other sports. Outside of her political career, she works for United Way BC, specializing in overseeing Healthy Aging Programs in Northern BC, which support seniors in aging in place through initiatives like Better at Home.