'Wolf Pack' pushes men to have brave conversations about masculinity

There's a new group in Calgary that wants tohelp men who feel like lone wolvesfind their wolf pack.

"A lot of men suffer from social isolation, which is an actual detriment to men's health as they grow and age," said Jake Stika, the co-founder of Next Gen Men,an after-school program for boys aged 12 to 14that's "building better men" by pushing them to talk honestly about issuessurrounding masculinity.

• Calgary's WiseGuyz gives boys safe space to talk sex and masculinity
• Men without friends a problem says Victoria counsellor

The program is now expanding, launching a monthly gathering calledWolf Packincities across Canadaforadult men aged 25 to 45.

According to the group:

• One in four men are at risk of isolation and loneliness, which are risk factors for depression, anxietyand suicide.
• 37 per cent of men typically do not feel emotionally connected or supported in their relationships.
• 25 per cent of of men have nobody outside their immediate family to turn to.

Wolf Packdescribes itself as a "unique brotherhood of men" that fosters conversations with "depth and substance."

"We're a pro-feminist organization, we're LGBTQfriendly, and we don't tolerate any marginalizing attitudes whatsoever," said Stika.

"[We're] trying to get men to talk about things that we don't normally talk about," he added.

Instead of gathering over a pint to talk about sports, news and politics, men get together to discuss body image issues, sex, dating, family, work and job loss.

Calgary is the first city to launch a Wolf Pack meetup group.Vancouver and Toronto are next.

• MORE NEWS |Alberta First Nation to hold 1st Pride event
• MORE NEWS |Canada's 1st case of whirling fish disease prompts closure of Alberta lake