The third edition of Transition Guelph's Repair Cafe appeared to be the most successful so far, judging by the number of volunteer repair persons, and the amount of broken stuff that got repaired.
The gymnasium of Tytler School in St. Patrick's Ward was the venue, with many tables, many tools, and many worker bees tinkering with everything from computers to sewing machines, oven parts to clothing and jewellery.
Nicole Gagnon, a maker of jewellery, spent the dayl-ong Saturday event repairing necklaces and other accessories, and imparting her know-how to others in the process.
"I like to teach as I do the repair," said Gagnon, the proprietor of Nicole Gagnon Wooden Designs. "It's fun for me to be able to share my knowledge."
She said she likes the 'don't throw it away, fix it' philosophy behind the Repair Cafe model, and is eager to support it with her skills.
Repair Cafe organizer Saba Saneinejad said people with broken down items in need of repair came in waves throughout the day. At times there was a queue as people waited to see a repair person/helper.
"We have a bell that we ring every time something gets fixed," she said. The bell was rung many times.
Most repairs, she said, were on household items. Of the 15 volunteer repair people, two were dedicated to computers, a few others to mending clothes or jewellery. The rest worked on household appliances and gadgets.
The next Repair Cafe will be on March 25 as part of the Guelph Resilience Festival at St. George's Anglican Church. There is another scheduled for May 27.
