It started back in 2018. Eight years, more than 2,800 items, nearly 150 volunteers, and 50 events later, Ridge Meadows Recycling Society prepares to host its 50th repair cafe this weekend in Maple Ridge.
This Saturday, May 17, the recycling society will take over the Albion Community Centre, in partnership with the city, to celebrate their tradition of repairing even the most challenging of items.
The cafes, proving increasingly popular as more and more people realize what it's about, are held multiple times each year in various locations around the community, including last month's session at Earth Day in Memorial Peace Park.
Repair cafes are pop-up events where residents can bring their broken items and volunteer “fixers” are available to help residents learn how to repair their small appliances, lamps, electronics, jewelry, clothing, bicycles, small toys, or furniture – this community is one of the leaders on this front, worldwide.
The monthly events, still organized by Ridge Meadows Recycling Society, have become a resource and inspiration for other municipalities and organizations to start their own repair events. In fact, Maple Ridge repair cafes are now listed as one of the top 10 in the world on Repair Monitor, explained Maple Ridge Councillor Sunny Schiller, one of the organizers who helped Ridge Meadows Recycling Society launch the local cafes.
“A community began to form at the very first call out for repair cafe volunteers,” Schiller recalled of the 2018 start up.
“Many people came together and shared their different skills. It’s been amazing to watch this group become an institution in Maple Ridge – something that people seek out and look forward to. Thank you to the volunteers who have participated over the years to make repair cafe magic happen," she said.
Ridge Meadows Recycling Society’s Leanne Koehn, who founded the cafes, emphasized that volunteers remain the heart, soul, brains, and hands of the repair cafe initiative, noting between 25 and 30 volunteers are on hand at each event to help set-up, take registrations, fix broken stuff, and supervise kids taking things apart at Tinkerbell Station.
“Some have been with us since the beginning, and we welcome new volunteers all the time,” said Koehn.
“They are absolute rock stars, I love the diversity of our group, it is one of the few, true, inter-generational community activities that I know of where all ages are very excited to be there, whether to learn as an apprentice or pass on well-earned skills as a mentor. It really is all about community connections,” she added, asked about favourite items she's seen brought in through the years for repair. As the volunteers' T-shirts indicate, they can "fix that."
"They include a table-top clothes washer, a Christmas tree, a tin garage toy set, opera glasses from 1895, and a stained-glass window. Plus, old rotary phones are always great to show our younger apprentices as well! 'Back in my day…'," Koehn shared with a smile.
The upcoming cafe runs 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Albion Community Centre, 24165 104 Ave.this Saturday, May 17, with Ridge Meadows Quilters Guild on hand as special guests. For those unable to attend this month's cafe, others are set up monthly through November. Info at http://www.mrrepaircafe.ca/http://www.mrrepaircafe.ca/.
