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Have a broken lamp or shirt that needs mending?    Greater Victoria’s area Repair Cafés -- your alternative to tossing things out -- are currently operating in North Saanich, Fairfield and Sooke.   

These volunteer initiatives help ease the load on the landfill and help build community.  

Repair Café North Saanich will hold its next repair on Saturday, May 20th, 2023 at St. John’s United Church, 10990 West Saanich Rd, North Saanich (just north of Deep Cove Market).   

All are welcome to bring household items for on-the-spot fixing with help from voluntary repairers.  Small household appliances, toys, bikes, jewelry, clothing, family keepsakes and more.  If you can carry your broken item, we will assess it and do our best to return it to use!  Also tech help with your personal electronic devices -- phone, tablets, laptops.  Plus sharpening of your kitchen knives and gardening tools.  No charges for repairs.  Voluntary cash donations gratefully received.  

For more information, including all 2023 Repair Café North Saanich dates and to inquire about volunteering, visit repaircafenorthsaanich.ca or email repaircafenorthsaanich[at]gmail dot com

- Judith Slimmon,  Repair Café North Saanich Volunteers   

Repair Café Fairfield meets next on 3 June, at the Fairfield Community Association, where they also hold Recrafting Circle, an opportunity to learn how to repair and reuse things. More here

from the website:

The Repair Café is a free community event to which people can bring their damaged items from home to be repaired by volunteer “Fixers”. It’s also a chance to learn, with like-minded folks who believe in reusing instead of just discarding still-useful goods into the landfill. You can watch and even help, while enjoying a cup of tea or coffee. It is a positive, friendly and interesting experience for all.

The Repair Café is a neighbourhood initiative, but it is also part of an international movement. The Repair Café concept originated in 2009 with Martine Postma, who organized the very first event, to which dozens of residents brought their broken items, to a theatre in Amsterdam. This early success prompted her to launch the Repair Café Foundation in 2011. There are now 1,100+ Repair Cafés in 27 countries, spread across six continents.

More information (though the calendar is not up to date) on the website.

Photo by Katie Rodriguez on Unsplash