Newsletter - January 2026

Welcome – and Happy New Year!

Well, 2025 is almost entirely behind us – and for our friends south of the border, it’s been a tumultuous 12 months! Luckily we have escaped relatively unscathed up here in Canadia, and as a result we’ve got a lot to be thankful for. We have certainly learned that democracy can be fragile, and therefore we are all responsible for safeguarding what we have.

Our Bowen Men’s Shed had a tremendous first year, and our success should give us great pride. We’ve made a great start on our workshop, we’ve forged a strong and happy relationship with IPS, and our membership has grown immensely. I’m really looking forward to what we’ll accomplish in 2026!

As always, suggestions and submissions are encouraged. I would especially like to have some more “Cool Tools” to display!

What has Bowen Island Men’s Shed Done Lately?

December was a relatively quiet month for the Bowen Men’s Shed, as most of our members dove headlong into the serene, peaceful, and tranquil Holiday season. I’m 100% sure that all of us stuck to our diet and exercise programs and filled our days with serene and contemplative meditation…

Social Gathering

We held our regular monthly social gathering on Saturday, December 6th. Approximately 12 members attended and enjoyed Christmas baking, eggnog, coffee or tea, and lots of interesting conversation. Bogdan brought the chair that he made from scratch during his recent in-depth furniture-making course in Japan. It’s a spectacularly beautiful and comfortable piece of work made to fit his exact proportions!

IPS Sea Can Improvements

This coming month we hope to have the dust extraction system fully installed and operational. Rosco is spearheading this work, but I’m sure he would appreciate volunteer help. Please let me know if anyone has some free time on weekends coming up and I’ll pass it on to him. We also plan to construct some shelving in the sea can – stay tuned for the work party announcement.

IPS Formal Agreement

The board plans to enter into a more formal agreement with IPS for the terms of use of the Sea Can. This will include hours of operation, areas of responsibility, security, and safety. We will keep you posted as discussions progress.

Supporting Shed Members with Hearing Difficulties

Some shedders face real challenges because of hearing difficulties—especially in busy, noisy environments like a workshop or restaurant. Machine or other background noise can make it hard to follow instructions, hear warnings, or take part in group conversations. This can lead to frustration, safety concerns, and sometimes even members withdrawing from activities.

To help everyone feel included and safe, here are some simple, practical suggestions:

Clear communication: Facing the person when speaking, talking at a normal pace, usingsimple steps, and cutting background noise when giving instructions.

Visual aids: Written instructions, diagrams, and printed notes for meetings so people don’t have to rely only on hearing.

Safer workshop habits: Hand signals, visual warnings, and making sure instructions are understood before machines start.

Better group interactions: Smaller discussion groups, good lighting for lip-reading, and encouraging “one person speaking at a time.

Tech when possible: Captioning apps, microphones for meetings, and videos with

subtitles. Our goal is to make sure every member—no matter their level of hearing—can participate fully, safely, and confidently. If you have hearing difficulties or ideas that could help, we’d love to hear from you. Everyone’s experience matters, and together we can make the Shed even more welcoming and accessible.

We are looking for best practices as well as feedback on which hearing equipment works and which don't work.

Please share your knowledge and help make the shed a better place.

Bowen Island Community Foundation

Your editor (Steve Elves) has recently joined the board of the BICF. As most of you know, last spring our Men’s Shed received a grant from the Foundation in excess of $9,000, which was instrumental in starting our shed off with a bang! That grant enabled us to insulate, heat, and light our IPS Sea Can and turn it into a wonderful multi-use workshop and meeting place. We wouldn’t be anywhere near as far along as we are without this support from the Foundation.

As a board member, I’ve seen firsthand how gifts – large and small - from Bowen community members create ripple effects that percolate through the entire island.

Donors can choose to support the Community Impact Fund, which fuels projects like the Men’s Shed and Grafton Gardens, or they can direct their gift to the Helping Hand Fund for urgent community needs, or even to the Scholarship and Bursary Funds which open doors for Bowen’s students. Every gift matters.

If any shed members would like to contribute to the BICF, please follow this link:

Make your donation today. https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/24424

Upcoming Activities

Social Meeting

Saturday, January 3, 2026

Gathering between 10:30am-Noon,

At the Men’s Shed sea-can in the backyard of

Island Pacific School (IPS)

671 Carter Road

Meet for a coffee/tea, get to know some other guys, and find out what your Bowen Island Men’s Shed has been up to! Bring your own reusable cup if possible.

Our first AGM

is scheduled for Saturday, January 31st at 10:30 AM at Collins Hall. All members are urged to attend, as the agenda will include election of board members, discussion and

adoption of a Code of Conduct, and discussion of our purpose and direction for the coming year. This is vitally important, and it’s your chance to help steer the BI Men’s Shed for years to come. Please attend!