Need a fun, productive and environmentally friendly weekend activity? Well, look no further!
Check out the Ottawa Tool Library’s Repair Café on February 24th from 9AM to 3PM at the Foster Farm Community Centre.
Starting in Amsterdam in 2009, Repair Cafes have become a global movement, spreading far beyond The Netherlands to cities around the globe.
Thanks to the Tool Library, they’ve landed right here in Ottawa!
But, what exactly is a Repair Café?
Dedicated volunteers work hard to fix your tattered and broken items. From rewiring lamps to darning socks, our fixers can repair anything! Well, maybe not anything, but we’ll certainly try!
By continuing the tradition of the Repair Café, we hope to reduce waste, share repair and mending techniques, and connect with our communities. At Repair Café, not only are you keeping broken items out of landfill, you’re learning practical skills and maybe even making some new friends.
Our last Repair Café was a huge success, volunteers repaired over seventy items and we met lot's of new people who are interested in fixing and mending, rather than throwing things away. We expect the next one to be just as great, so come on by Foster Farm Community Centre at 1065 Ramsey Crescent for treats, coffee, activities, conversation and, of course, repairs!
Bring down your small appliances, jewellery, clothing, electronics, and more! We wouldn’t recommend wheeling your old fridge or freezer all the way down, though, you might end up disappointed.
This is a free event, and everyone is welcome. Bring the kids, bring your neighbors, bring your second cousin! But please bring only one item to be repaired, as time and space are limited. You may register your item to be fixed between 9AM and 2PM. If your item is missing a piece or needs a replacement part, please bring that as well.
Foster farm is a fully accessible venue. Please click here for a full list of accessibility features.
Each Ottawa Tool Library Repair Café is held in a different neighborhood, giving us a chance to connect with new people and community partners. At Foster Farm Community Centre, we will be collaborating with Ecology Ottawa so you can learn more about the environmental movement in and around Ottawa and Pinecrest – Queensway Community Health Centre to connect you with local service providers.
These events would be impossible without our amazing volunteer fixers and helpers. Do you love to organize events or fix small appliances and other household items? You don’t have to be a professional, just someone who liked to tinker and feels comfortable showing others how to do the same. If so, please reach out to [email protected].
Throw it away? No way! Fix it at the Repair Café!
Written by Michael McLean
Latest posts
Ottawa Eco Awards 2024 - Recipients Announced!
The 2024 Ottawa Eco Awards celebrate outstanding individuals in the Ottawa community who have demonstrated exceptional dedication to environmental stewardship, sustainability leadership, and climate action. We have been thrilled with the nominations that we have received from Ottawans for our second Ottawa Eco Awards, and we are heartened to learn about the local eco champions who inspire you.
Ecology Ottawa delegates to the Environment and Climate Change Committee on the Rain Ready Ottawa program.
Ecology Ottawa was at the City Council’s Environment and Climate Change Committee on April 16, 2024, to talk about the Rain Ready Program. We’ve provided our delegations below and you can also watch the recording.
Members of ECCC invited to webinar on incineration
On April 8, we invited members of City Council’s Environment and Climate Change Committee (ECCC) to attend a webinar on incineration. This webinar is timely: Council is considering incineration as an option for dealing with Ottawa’s waste, since staff has warned Council that the Trail Road Landfill—which currently receives the majority of Ottawans’ garbage—will fill up soon.