There are many ways someone might choose to blow off steam: exercise, meditation or a spa day, perhaps. But a group of Greater Victoria dads has a different weapon of choice to combat the stresses of life: a chainsaw.
Armed with power tools, the fathers gathered to explore their creative side through a chainsaw carving workshop – an opportunity to not only create art from wood but also carve out powerful community connections.
The workshop is one of many ‘dads-only’ events organized by the Victoria Dad Club, a new group inviting fathers to “hang out, blow off some steam, share wins and support” one another. Meetups alternate between ‘dads-only’ events and kid-friendly events.
For the dads, past events have included axe throwing, golfing, pub nights and hockey games.
With the kids, the dads take things a little easier, meeting for nature walks, barbecues or trips to local attractions such as Galey Farms and the BC Aviation Museum – definitely no chainsaws.
“There were no kids and no beer at that event,” says Sean Provencher, who founded the group. “That was very, very much dads paying attention only.”
The reason he set up the group was a selfish one, says Provencher, who moved to the Island five years ago with his wife Andrea Brown and their two young girls, now aged seven and five.
“I started the whole thing because I wanted to make new friends,” he says. “It’s a way to become part of a group, make new connections … and I wanted to do it with people who were going through the same phase of life as I was.”
The group started small with Provencher connecting with other dads at his kids’ school and in his neighbourhood. He moved on to create a Facebook group last year, which now has just under 200 members and climbing.
Unlike mom groups, which can “dig in on more sensitive topics,” Provencher describes the Victoria Dad Club as “very casual,” with its online space often used to share jokes and engage in general “chitter chatter.”
It’s not all jokes and horseplay, though. Conversation often strays into parenting topics at dads-only meetups, which can have between 10 to 30 people in attendance.
“There's no structured approach to that … it’s an indirect kind of thing, but it’s definitely happening,” he explains.
The group has also proved a particularly helpful resource for dads new to Greater Victoria, struggling to find connections within the community.
“When you’ve got kids and all the other stuff going on in your life, you don't really stop and mingle much … you’re trying to just keep the ship straight half the time,” says Provencher. “So being around other people who are in a similar situation and getting to connect and support each other and stuff like that has been really great.”
The biggest surprise for Provencher on his journey to bring dads together has been the overwhelming support from moms, with many reaching out asking how their partners can get involved.
“I'd say probably a quarter of the people in our Facebook group have been tagged by their wife, or straight up just signed up by their wife,” he says.
The requests have come in so thick and fast from moms that Provencher has also set up a mailing list for those dads not on Facebook.
As more people join, Provencher is hopeful the club can hold on to its more intimate feel as the dads bond and get to know each other. But more members brings its benefits, as with more dads come more ideas and more people putting their hand up to volunteer as event organizers.
“There's a lot of fun stuff that's coming out of it,” says Provencher. “We're looking at what it looks like to do an overnight camping trip or hiking and stuff like that over the summer.”
The club’s next event is a fireside kids breakfast picnic at Goldstream Provincial Park on Saturday, April 12. "We've said the group is for anybody who identifies as a dad, everyone's welcome," says Provencher. "If you feel like you're a dad, come hang out."
For more information and to join the group, visit the Victoria Dad Club Facebook page: .
