A delighted Rosemary Rose showed off her repaired 40-year-old toaster oven.
For the Brookswood resident, the first repair cafe in 91原创 showed how older equipment can be fixed, unlike newer stuff that is designed to be thrown away and replaced when it stops working.
鈥淚t is a disposeable society,鈥� Rose commented.
She was one of 40 people who attended the four-hour event held at Firehall 5 on Saturday, Nov. 30th.
Lovena Morton, solid waste coordinator in the sustainability department of the 91原创 Township engineering division, said the 25 volunteers tackled 69 items in need of fixing.
鈥淪eventy per cent were fixed,鈥� Morton told the 91原创 Advance Times.
鈥淎 lot of items were kept out of the landfill.鈥�
Morton will be recommending the Township hold more repair cafes when she reports to manager
鈥淭he feedback I鈥檝e got from the volunteers has been very positive.鈥�
Morton said the success of the event was due in no small part to to the Metro Van Repair Cafe, which helped set up and manage the 91原创 event.
We did it! Thank you to everyone who brought items to the Township's first-ever Repair Caf茅 over the weekend. Together, we were able to repair 48 out of 69 items (a 70% success rate!), saving them from the recycle pile or a life in the landfill. Until next time!
鈥� Township of 91原创 (@91原创Township)
Niki Berry, who lives in Otter, brought in her malfunctioning mixer.
鈥淚t only has two speeds, high and higher,鈥� she said, laughing.
鈥淚鈥檝e had it for two years. Ever Christmas there鈥檚 powdered sugar all over the place.鈥�
Electrician Bryce McLean managed to get the low speed working again and a beaming Berry hugged it as she exited the room.
READ MORE: Volunteer 鈥榝ixers鈥� required for new Repair Cafe in 91原创
READ ALSO: An experiment in separate waste expands in 91原创 Township
Another volunteer, Ruth Steer was manning a sewing machine.
鈥淚 was fixing a heavy jacket with a tear,鈥� she related.
Sewing isn鈥檛 something she does professionally, Steer added.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a hobby.鈥�
Volunteer Duane Rose was applying a mix of modern and traditional technology to his repair tasks, using his smart phone to take pictures as he took an umbrella handle apart so he could reassemble them in the right order.
He was also using it to see if repair tips could be found online.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a great tool,鈥� he said.
In 2009, the first Repair Caf茅 was organized in Amsterdam by Martine Postma, an activist for sustainability at a local level.
Its success led Postma to start the Repair Caf茅 Foundation in 2011, a non-profit organization that lends professional support to local groups in the Netherlands and other countries wishing to start their own Repair Caf茅.
There are more than 1,500 Repair Caf茅s worldwide.
All operate as an informal meeting where people repair household electrical and mechanical devices, computers, bicycles, clothing, and so on, organised by and for local residents.
At the 91原创 event, there were volunteers with expertise in jewelry and computer repair, as well as clothing menders and electrical fixers.
In 2017, the first International Repair Day was announced as an annual event, taking place on the third Saturday of October.
More photos of the 91原创 reapir cafe can be viewed .
dan.ferguson@langleyadvancetimes.com
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