A casual discussion about retirement schemes over 12 years ago has turned into a comprehensive stability movement, as the repair cafe continues to connect pop-up places and events across the city of Toronto.
Back in 2013, co-founder Paul Magder told Citynuse that he and his wife, Fern Mossoff, were discussing their future plans with fellow co-founder Y Chick, as the Magger was ready to retire soon.
“Yu Chu said that he has heard about something called repair cafe. So we saw it, and it is an international organization that started in Amsterdam, and you can visit their website, and they give you a logo and some information about how to manage this phenomenon and so we made a start in our neighborhood.”
As they were looking for a low or no-cost space, the first repair cafe was run out of skills for changes on St. Clair Avenue West-A Local, Communist-Gold-Sent-Clair Avenue West.
All involved are a volunteer, and all repairs are independent.
“We started with about eight volunteers, and it just closed. We did it once, and everyone said,” When is the next one? When is the next one? ” So we started doing it there every month, ”said Magder.
The mission is simple – as long as possible, to keep things out of landfill as much as possible.
“There are many people who hate only throwing things out, which is very good. And I want more people to be like that,” he said.
“If we keep walking at that pace, we are going to throw things and are not recycling, and are not reusing things, and not repairing things, then what then what [happens in the future]”Swayamsevak Annie Iman said,” If we all keep buying new things and all those old things are going into the dump, then at some point we are going out of the dump. “
In recent years, with the top of stability and strength for many people, Magder said that the repair cafe is busy by the schedule, with people from across the city to their programs.
“So we decided that perhaps we should go to different places and spread it around the entire city. And so we started living in a different part of the city every month,” he said.
They now hold around A dozen incidents on average every month In different places.
“We have three separate repair cafes in Scarborough, we have a regular city in the West Queen West, and they are happening in other different parts of the city,” said Magder.
With the support of the original Toronto team, groups of volunteers are encouraged to host similar events in their own neighborhoods, and the reaction has been encouraging.
“People are contacting us all the time, ‘How can I start a repair cafe?” Or ‘How can I get a repair cafe in my place?’ So now the goal is to try to go to different neighborhoods around the city and achieve regular events, ”Magger said.
At a mini repair cafe event recently in Dufferin Grove Farmers Market, community members brought clothes, lamps, fans and toaster for volunteer fixers, among many other household items. With every successful repair, a festive bell was rescued with applause and with cheers for another item.
“My Bluetooth earphones are broken. One does not do one, the other does not do one. And if they can’t, I do not lose anything because it is all free anyway. “
Magder said that the repair cafe is beyond free repair and includes a skill-sharing component.
“We are teaching people skills. When you come to repair the cafe, you have to participate in repair. So learning the person how their item works, why it failed, maybe, and how they can fix it,” Magar said.
They estimate that they have saved more than 10,000 items well from landfill over the years, and many more cannot be counted, as people put their newly learned repair skills at home and to use them in their communities.
Magder insisted that this message is one of the stability and what you have already bought is to take the most advantage of the most, and the repair is not far from professionals’ work.
“We try to encourage people to use repair places. We do not really want to change computer repair shops, phone repair shops, jewelers, but there are only things you cannot decide. Tosters, for example. There are only a few places that will fix them, and they will probably not try – these things will probably not try – it is very expensive to fix these things.”
,[It’s also about] community building. This is such a big activity. Everyone feels very good. Even if their item is not good, they are happy. ,
“It is a terrible people who care about the environment, who cares for other people,” Iman said. “So I think it’s a matter of heart. I think it’s a matter of soul. It is a community and a helping community, and it’s fun.”
The next repair cafe incidents will take place on 26 and 27 July. Click here for their full calendar of events.
For more information about self -service with repair cafe toronto Click here,
