Repair Cafe Does It Again
By Annalise Stenekes – Special to SUNonline/Orillia
Residents of all ages brought their broken, defective, disfunctional possessions to the semi-annual Orillia Repair Café at St. James Church on Saturday, June 14, where volunteer fixers made them whole again. The semi-annual event is an on-going project of Sustainable Orillia and Lake Country Time Trade.
Items repaired ranged from chairs and table lamps to jeans and ukuleles. All told, more than 50 items were repaired, and over 425 lbs were saved from the landfill. A bell was rung every few minutes to announce every successful repair, followed by hand-clapping and hearty cheers.
But there was more to the day. Kids had their own activity zone. Hot drinks ran freely, as did a variety of tasty snacks. People got free mini-treatments to help with pain. Even small tomato plants were distributed for free.
“We are creating tomorrow today,” said Naheed Syed. “Anything not repaired goes to the landfill. We are re-using and repairing as many items as possible. And more, this is a community event, with common things that unite people.”
The spirit was high, as chatter and laughter filled the room throughout the day. “We’re celebrating the value of repairing things,” said Sarah Patterson, president of Sustainable Orillia. “Look at what people can do when they work together, joyfully, in community.”
Amy Gauldie, who with her son Gordie, brought in an soundless electronic keyboard. She was delighted to hear it spring to life again with music, thanks to some tricky soldering work on the motherboard by Doc Higgins. “This event is such a gift”, she said. “I don’t always have the time or skills to get something like this fixed.”
Councillor Tim Lauer, who brought in a pair of jeans to be patched for the second time, said “The message is simple – mend.”
Sustainable Orillia continues its work with its Green Innovation Weekend, a showcase of sustainable solutions scheduled for July 26-27 at Couchiching Beach Park.
(Images Supplied) Main: Sustainable Orillia’s Repair Cafe team.
