One person’s junk is another’s project.
That’s the philosophy behind Repair It Café, a gathering on Saturday that was part social, part fixer-upper.
People brought their old belongings that, once fixed, still had a lot of life left in them.
Shannon White, who works as a sustainability coordinator for the District of Squamish, spearheaded the event as part of her work.
She says there have been other Repair It Cafés in Toronto, Kelowna and San Diego, and an important part of the event is to encourage people to not only bring items that might be in need of repair, but also learn how they might be able to fix the items on their own.
“It’s more than just a service,” she said. “My role at the district is waste reduction.”
For example, at one station at the café held at Brennan Park Recreation Centre, volunteer Julie Luscombe was teaching Becca Dickinson how to fix her socks.
“I never darned a sock before,” Dickinson said. “It’s such a practical skill.”
She wanted to learn how to fix socks as a way “to stick it to the Man” and not simply resort to buying new socks. In a way, it is a bit of a counterculture act for her, but also more than a little amusing.
“This is more fun that I anticipated,” she said.
For Luscombe, it was simply a skill she learned at home from her mother.
“My mother used to darn my dad’s socks on Sunday afternoons,” she said.
She said Squamish residents wear expensive smart wool socks, yet if the clothing starts to wear out, the impulse for many is to chuck out the old and buy something new.
Nearby, volunteer Michi Hunter was also offering sewing, specializing in patches and zippers for pants and jeans. She learned the skill from her grandmother and then developed it further in high school. She loves the idea of fixing up old things and tries to reuse old supplies, such as thread from the thrift store.
“I really like repairing things instead of making new things,” she said.
Outside the main room, volunteer Michel Dubois was going over bike maintenance and repair with visitors. He had actually offered his services for computers but when another bike repair person had to cancel, he switched gears and stepped in to help local cyclists with tires and other problem parts.
“Gears and chains get the most wear and tear, and they’re not something people think to replace,” he said.
Other repairs offered at the Repair It Café included jewelry, electronics and furniture.
The most important component of the event was finding the people to offer their services. White sent a call-out for volunteers to help in September and she was pleased with the response.
“The volunteers are the backbone of this event,” she said.
She is optimistic the district will make the Repair It Café a regular event and perhaps even bring in partners to help expand it.
“A couple of people have asked us, ‘Is this every Saturday?’” White added with a laugh.
Coffee and refreshments were served to create more of a social café atmosphere, which was also part of the point of the event.
“It’s really about engaging community,” White said. “It’s making those social connections as well."
(This story has been updated.)
