Ridge Meadows Recycling Society is launching their ninth year of Repair Cafes.
The pop up events allow residents to bring their broken household items to volunteers who not only help them fix their items but teach them how to do the work themselves.
Small appliances, lamps, electronics, jewelry, clothing, bicycles, small toys, and furniture, can be brought to the event for fixing.
Since Repair Cafes started in 2018, the recycling society has hosted 55 events.
And, in those eight years, volunteers have helped to fix about 3,400 items.
“Repair Cafes have such a positive impact both socially and environmentally,” explained Ridge Meadows Recycling Society executive director Alda Nicmans, “They are a great community-builder AND they help divert things away from the landfill.”
“Whether you are volunteering as a fixer or bringing something to be fixed, Repair Cafes are full of feel-good moments and personal connections,” added Nicmans.
Special to every local Repair Cafe is a Tinkerbell Station, a home-grown initiative where children can get their hands on tools and tinker with items that have reached the end of their lives like old toasters, TV remotes, or keyboards.
Children can pull them apart to see how they work and get creative and make robots, jewelry, or their own imaginative creations.
At the Earth Day Repair Cafe on Saturday, April 18, the Disney fairy Tinkerbell will be making a special appearance.
“We have so many amazing volunteers at our Repair Cafes,” noted Leanne Koehn, Repair Café coordinator and community engagement manager for Ridge Meadows Recycling Society.
“We have people of all ages, backgrounds, and skill levels who enjoy the camaraderie and giving back to their community. We always appreciate new volunteers who express interest and want to join our team as fixers or assistants to help with registration, event setup & takedown, or monitoring Tinkerbell Station.”
The new season of Repair Cafes will be launched from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 21, at the Maple Ridge Public Library at 22470 Dewdney Trunk Road.
Plus there are four others during 2026 on: Saturday, April 18; Saturday, July 18; Saturday, Sept. 19; and Saturday, Nov. 21.
“I hope to see you and your broken stuff this year,” said Koehn.
For anyone who would like to get involved – those with repair skills or who want to learn more about repair – are asked to fill out an online form at: https://rmrecycling.org/repair-cafe-volunteer-information, or email: leanne@rmrecycling.org, or call at 604-463-5545.