Your partners in building a cleaner community.
At Ridge Meadows Recycling Society, we believe that just because something is broken doesn’t mean it’s reached the end of its story. Since 2018, our Repair Cafés have been helping neighbors connect, learn, and “Recycle it Right” by choosing repair over the landfill.
What is a Repair Café?
A Repair Café is a community gathering where volunteer fixers share their skills to help you repair your favorite belongings. Whether it’s a wobbly chair, a lamp that won’t light, or a beloved sweater with a snag, we provide the tools and the expertise, all for free
Upcoming Events
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Looking Back at Our Journey Together
We are incredibly proud of what our community has achieved. Here is a glance at our past milestones:
Our Impact Since 2018:
- A Global Leader: Maple Ridge is currently ranked as one of the Top 5 Repair Cafés in the world, and the first outside the Netherlands, for the volume of items fixed.
- Landfill Diversion: We’ve hosted over 55 events and helped residents bring nearly 3,400 items back to life.
- Building Skills: From our Tinkerbell Station for kids to one-on-one sessions with expert fixers, we are passing on the lost art of repair to the next generation.
A landmark year where we celebrated our 3,000th item fixed, a beautiful silver candelabra, and hosted our 50th event. We also focused on Software Obsolescence for International Repair Day, helping neighbors keep older computers running with Linux Mint.
2024:
We held 9 cafés across 4 different local venues. Our team of 59 volunteers helped fix 641 items, keeping everything from bicycles to jewelry out of the waste stream.
2023:
This year highlighted our partnership with the Ridge Meadows Quilters Guild for Worldwide Quilting Day, where we focused on textile repairs and giving new life to old quilts.
2022:
Our fixers tackled some unique challenges this year, including a pair of opera glasses from 1895! We welcomed 23 new volunteer sign-ups, expanding our community of experts.
2018–2021: The Early Years
Launched with a grant from the New Horizons for Seniors Program, the Repair Café began as a way to highlight the incredible skills of our local seniors. Since our very first event on March 24, 2018, we’ve seen everything from toasters to teddy bears get a second chance.
Not sure if it can be fixed?
Many people think an item is done when it stops working, but it’s often just a simple loose wire or a missing stitch.
Items we often see:
- Bicycles & small furniture
- Small appliances & electronics
- Clothing & textiles
- Jewelry & toys
Join the Team: Become a Repair Café Hero!
Do you have a knack for fixing things? Or maybe you just love helping out and meeting your neighbors? Our Repair Cafés only happen because of people like you. Whether you’re a master tinkerer or a friendly face who can help with registration, we would love to have you on board.
How You Can Help
We’re always looking for two types of volunteers:
- Skilled Fixers: You don’t need to be a professional! If you’re handy with a needle and thread, good with a screwdriver, or know your way around a bike chain, you can help.
- Event Assistants: Help us keep things running smoothly! Assistants help with room setup, greeting neighbors at the sign-in table, and keeping our repair stations organized.
A Look at Our Repair Stations
Our cafés are divided into specialized stations where the magic happens. Depending on the event, we look for volunteers to help at:
- Electrical & Electronics: Kettles, lamps, vacuums, and even smartphones or laptops.
- Clothing & Textiles: Mending hems, sewing buttons, and patching up favorites.
- Jewelry: Re-stringing necklaces or fixing clasps.
- Furniture & Woodworking: Gluing frames and steadying wobbly stools.
- Bicycles: Oiling chains, fixing flats, and basic tune-ups.
- The Tool Crib: Helping neighbors find the right tape, glue, or tool for a quick DIY fix.
- TINKERbell Station: A fan favorite! Guide our youngest neighbors as they take apart old gadgets to see how they work and create upcycled art.
A few things to keep in mind:
- Professional Conduct: As a volunteer, you’re the face of the Society. We ask that you stay safe, follow our simple guidelines, and have a great time!
- Time Commitment: Most cafés run for about 4 hours, plus a little extra for setup and pack-up. You can volunteer for one event or join us for the whole year!
- All Ages Welcome: We love intergenerational learning!
- Under 18: You’ll just need a parent or guardian’s signature.
- Under 13: You’re welcome to help, but please bring a parent or guardian along for your shift.
Ready to Get Started?
If you have questions, feel free to reach out to Leanne Koehn at 604-463-5545 or email her at leanne@rmrecycling.org.
We look forward to seeing you at the next Café!