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Penticton store finds new life in broken stuff

On April 25, Penticton joins a growing world-wide movement, when a local group hosts the city’s first Repair Café.
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Laurel Burnham makes some adjustments to this broken fixture at her Okanagan Upcycle Resource Society shop on West Industrial Avenue. April 25 the organization is hosting a Repair Cafe where people can bring small

On April 25, Penticton joins a growing world-wide movement, when a local group hosts the city’s first Repair Café.

Broken toasters, a dining room chair that has come unglued, a jean jacket with a hole in it, these are all things that the Okanagan Upcycle Resource Society wants you to repair rather than simply throw away.

Electricians, seamstresses, carpenters and a tool-sharpening wizard will be available to make repairs, free of charge, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the society’s Restore, 180 Industrial Ave. W.

Laurel Burnham, co-chair of the society, said that the Repair Café idea came out of Holland, and is spreading fast.

“The idea of repair cafes is to reduce the amount of waste going into the landfill, to reintroduce the idea of repairing into our vocabulary, to introduce community members to one another,” said Burnham.

There are objects that you don’t want to throw out, that you have an attachment to or really have a problem with the idea of discarding, Burnham explains. But it doesn’t stop there.

“It is shocking how much is being thrown away everyday in our community; 65 per cent of all our consumer goods end up in the landfill within six months of purchase,” said Burnham, quoting the Story of Stuff, storyofstuff.org.

That comes from a culture, she continued, where it is often easier to go out and buy a new one than it is to fix the old one.

“Even things which practically have nothing wrong with them and which could easily be used again after a simple repair. Unfortunately, many people have forgotten that they can have things repaired. Repair Café wants to change all that,” said Burnham.

“It is building community resilience, it is reducing our carbon footprint, by reducing waste, it is reintroducing skills.”

Participating in the Repair Café is easy, according to Burnham.

“You sign a little waiver that says ‘I will not get mad at you if this does not totally work’ and then you get to sit down with a repairperson and they will show you how. You will work on it together,” she said. “It’s totally free. If people want to donate, so much the better. We really want to get people more familiar with the Restore at 180 Industrial Ave.”

Burnham said she is still looking to recruit more volunteer repair experts. For more information or to contact the society, visit their website at ourrestore.ca orwww.facebook.com/okanaganupcycleresourcesociety.