The Orillia Repair Café is a one-day event, presented twice a year. Skilled volunteers attempt repairs on a variety of items, including small household items and appliances, clothing, jewellery, electronics, wooden furniture, and more. The first Repair Café was organized in Amsterdam in 2009 and the concept soon became a global movement, expanding to over 40 countries on six continents, with over 3,200 Repair Cafés in operation.

The goal of these events is to encourage repair of items, rather than discarding them and purchasing replacements. The result is conservation of resources and a reduction of waste and carbon emissions. Volunteers with varied skills and experience are the driving force of Repair Cafés. Orillia’s Repair Café fosters a sense of community by bringing people together to share knowledge and skills. The atmosphere is vibrant and positive. Once visitors are registered and directed to the appropriate station, they are engaged in the repair process: learning valuable skills, gaining confidence in their own abilities, and appreciating the benefits of repair and re-use. When an item is repaired, the success is celebrated with cheering, and a record is kept of the weight of each item—an indication of the amount of “waste” not sent to landfill. If replacement parts are needed to repair an item, they must be purchased by the attendee. Otherwise, there is no cost to have an item repaired. Donations are gratefully accepted, however, to cover other costs of the event. Light refreshments and snacks are provided. This is a family event: children are welcome, and encouraged, to attend. A supervised Kids’ Table will provide activities with a repair and sustainability theme, focusing on the fun of learning new skills and examining tools and hardware. New for this spring’s event, as another aspect of the circular economy, are book swaps: one for adults and one for children. Registration begins at 11:00 am and closes at 2:30 pm.