Repair Café at Zibi – La Ruelle

Throw it away? No way! Fix it at the Repair Café!

Repair Cafés are an international concept that has come to the National Capital Region with the goal of reducing landfill waste, teaching new skills, and building community!

Our past Repair Cafés have been very successful with volunteers fixing dozens of items and sharing their knowledge around everything from darning socks to re-wiring kettles. Join us on Saturday, May 13th at La Ruelle from 10am until 3pm (item registration ends at 2pm). It is a great day to come out and learn more about the Ottawa Tool Library and our community!

This event is sponsored by the Dream Community Foundation and hosted by Zibi.

Some important things to know about Repair Café:

You do not need to register on Eventbrite ahead of attending! All registration will happen onsite the day of the event.

Please only bring ONE item to be fixed, as time and space are limited. If your item is missing a piece or needs a replacement part, please bring that as well. We ask that if you bring in textiles that they are clean.

Everyone is welcome at this free event, there will be coffee and snacks, and lots of people to meet and chat with!

Accessibility information:

The venue is wheelchair accessible. The washrooms are in a neighbouring building (Zibi House) and are also wheelchair accessible. Participants may be required to wait in line; some chairs will be provided. There will be vapours in use from glue and other solvents.

Parking & transit information:

There is paid parking behind Zibi House, as well as multiple bike racks. The venue is also down the street from Terrasses de la Chaudiere (STO transpo) and a few blocks from Pimisi Station (OC transpo).

What will happen when I arrive?

Registration of your broken and torn items is on a first come, first served basis between 10am and 2pm (the last hour of the day is just for fixing). When you arrive, a very nice team of people will welcome you, have you fill out a form with you name, email, postal code, and the item you’ve brought with you.

We will also ask you to sign a waiver stating that you’re ok with us taking your photo and that we won’t get in trouble if you end up hurting yourself in the process of learning to fix your item. You’ll then go have a great cup of coffee and a snack, maybe chat with some neighbors, and wait until we call your name to meet with a fixer. After your item has been fixed and you’ve learned some new skills, you’ll bring your form over to the photo booth, have a cute picture taken with our FIXED! sign, and either be on your way, or hang out for a bit and see what’s happening!

What is your COVID-19 Health and Safety Protocol?

We ask everyone – guests and volunteers alike – to bring a mask with them to the venue. While masking will not be required for everyone at all times, every volunteer and each participant will be able to request that those they are in close proximity to (ie. during a repair) wear a mask. Everyone’s safety is our top priority, so please come prepared to mask up and create a safe space for each other!

We encourage anyone who is feeling sick or unwell to stay home and join us at our next event!

COVID-19 protocols are subject to change in advance of this event pending information and suggestions from health professionals.