Regina’s Repair Café Revives Broken Items and Community Spirit

Residents of Regina gathered at the Heritage Market on Saturday, bringing their broken appliances, clothing, and electronics to the monthly Repair Café. This initiative, which began three years ago with just one event per year, has transformed into a vital community resource thanks to a partnership with Affinity Credit Union.

The Repair Café aims to promote sustainability and reduce waste by encouraging residents to repair rather than discard their broken items. According to Rob Deglau, chair of the EnviroCollective Network, the idea originated when the Saskatchewan Waste Reduction Council approached them with a proposal. “We realized more people were coming to our Repair Café than to our other events,” Deglau noted. As a result, the initiative was expanded to a monthly format, allowing more residents to participate.

The most common requests at the Repair Café involve sewing and garment repairs, although electronics are also frequently brought in. Residents pre-register online, which helps organizers prepare for the types of repairs needed. Deglau reported that approximately 69 percent of items brought to the café are successfully repaired, typically within a timeframe of 30 minutes to two hours.

Among the technicians volunteering their skills is Jacob Picard, who started last month. Picard’s journey into electronics repair began at the age of sixteen when he fixed a PlayStation 3 remote. “I picture myself in their shoes and their sense of where they were when I first started, where I didn’t know anything,” he explained. His passion for repair has led him to tackle a variety of projects, including fixing an Xbox One S, a PS5 controller, and various household appliances.

Another technician, Josh Johnston, shares a similar background in fixing items from a young age. Johnston recalls breaking a light-up police car at the age of ten and learning how to replace its lights. “I like to tinker and take things apart,” he said. “I gained experience—and confidence—repairing things on the side of my dad’s.” Johnston, who also joined the Repair Café recently, emphasizes the value of repair over replacement, stating, “You could get a new coffeemaker for $20, or we could spend an hour trying to fix the one you have broken.”

The Repair Café not only helps residents revive their items but also contributes to environmental sustainability by reducing the amount of waste that ends up in landfills. With more people interested in repairing rather than replacing, the initiative reflects a growing awareness of the importance of sustainable practices in everyday life.

As the Repair Café continues to thrive, it has become a beloved fixture for many in Regina, fostering community spirit while promoting a more sustainable approach to consumerism. Each repaired item signifies a small victory against waste, making the café a hub of creativity and resourcefulness.