Don鈥檛 buy new, fix the old!

Lake Trail Community Education Society is hosting a Repair Caf茅 at Lake Trail Community School on Saturday, Nov. 18, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. This community event provides a free service that welcomes people to bring in household items for repair.

Whether you are unsure how to do the repair, or don鈥檛 have the space or the right tools, the Lake Trail Repair Caf茅 offers a solution. More than a dozen volunteer fixers will be on site with the tools and materials required to help you fix small electronics and appliances, wood projects, bicycles, toys, clothes and more.

Lindsay Eason and Tina Willard, educators for Comox Strathcona Waste Management, are excited to support this community initiative, which tackles waste diversion through public education.

鈥淩epairing items keeps products in use, rather than immediately recycling them or throwing them out when something goes wrong,鈥� says Eason. 鈥淟earning how to repair your own stuff can build lifelong skills that save money and reduce waste.鈥� People are welcome to come check the event out and participate in other activities, like the tinker station.

鈥淲e will have a tinker and repurpose area where families can try to fix or deconstruct items to see how they work, and can participate in helping create a banner out of repurposed material,鈥� adds Willard.

The Lake Trail Repair Caf茅 also provides an opportunity for members of the community to drop in to connect, learn new skills, and enjoy lunch at the Repair Caf茅 concession.

鈥淓ven if you do not have an item to repair, you are welcome to come by and enjoy a bowl of chili or some apple or blueberry crisp at the concession, and visit with friends and neighbours,鈥� says Anna Rambow, executive director with Lake Trail Community Education Society. 鈥淭his is a community celebration where we can share knowledge and have fun in the process.鈥�

To learn more about the Lake Trail Repair Cafe, or volunteer as a fixer, visit