Another Repair Cafe Happening Soon
By Annalise Stenekes – Special to SUNonline/Orillia
The community-powered Repair Café is back this fall, residents can give their well-loved items a second life instead of sending them to landfill. The free event happens Saturday, October 18 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at St. James Anglican Church
Building on the momentum of 8 previous events, volunteer fixers are gearing up for another busy day of practical problem-solving. Since the first event in 2018, organizers estimate 1,800 lbs of potential waste has been diverted from landfill because people leave each event with working lamps, patched clothing, tightened chair legs, revived gadgets, and more. The goal this time is to surpass the 2,000 lb milestone by helping even more neighbours fix what they love and keep useful things working a little, or a lot, longer.
Repair cafés foster community while promoting sustainability. The aim is to reduce waste by repairing and mending items rather than replacing them, while sharing skills so people feel empowered to do more on their own.
Supported by Sustainable Orillia and Lake Country Time Trade, the event pairs community members who need help with friendly volunteer fixers. Bring an item that’s broken or needs mending and a volunteer will do their best to repair it – often with you watching and learning right alongside.
What you can bring to the event
Skilled volunteers will attempt repairs on:
- Electronics (computers, mobile devices, DVD players, stereos, small gadgets)
- Electrical items (hair dryers, small kitchen appliances)
- General/household items (fans, lamps, wobbly furniture, light mechanical)
- Instruments (ukuleles, guitars, anything that needs some TLC)
- Jewellery
- Sewing & fabrics – basic mending like patches, zippers, hems (no major alterations)
- Toys
What you can do at the event
- Get an item repaired, one at a time (after an item gets repaired, you need to go back to the end of the queue for a second item)
- Enjoy some complimentary light refreshments
- Participate in some kid-friendly activities
- Exchange a used book (or just take a few!)
- Attend a short workshop to learn a new skill (exact topics TBD – might be fixing your own lamp, changing strings on your instrument, or something else)
- Receive a short, complimentary Biofield Tuning treatment
- Learn more about Sustainable Orillia’s work in our community
While the event is free, small donations are welcome to help cover supplies and keep the event running twice a year.
“The Repair Café advances our mission on multiple fronts—reducing waste, extending product life, and giving people a real sense of agency. It reminds us we can lean on one and other’s strengths and show up as a community,’ said Sustainable Orillia president Sarah Patterson
Residents who attended past events often say the experience changes how they shop and what they throw away. The repair café movement began in Amsterdam in 2009 in response to throw-away culture. Today, repair café events around the world save money, reduce landfill waste, cut CO₂ emissions, and promote hands-on learning while bringing people together as a community.
(Images Supplied) Main: Sustainable Orillia Repair Cafe in 2024
