Item being repaired at previous Repair Café in Prince Albert. (File Photo/paNOW Staff)

By Jaryn Vecchio

Can We Fix It? Yes We Can

Repair Café reopening in P.A. after roughly three year hiatus

Mar 3, 2023 | 5:00 PM

People in and around Prince Albert looking to get some of their household items repaired can do so for free.

For the first time in around three years, the community’s Repair Café is reopening with five volunteers taking three hours out of their lives on Saturday to help others fix their broken stuff.

One of the five is Les Dickson, who told paNOW they believe it’s a perfect time to start up again with prices on most things continuing to increase.

“We’re just making things more affordable by fixing an item rather than having to buy a new one.”

These items can include furniture, bikes, and even clothing.

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Dickson still remembers one man who brought in his broken violin.

“He couldn’t afford to go and get it repaired so he brought it in, we got it going, and he played a tune for us. That was just so much fun.”

The Repair Café, which is part of an international movement that includes roughly 2,500 locations, started up in Prince Albert back in 2018. Despite seeing a lot of interest from the community it was forced to shut down in 2020 thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dickson joked he’s happy they’re bringing it back as one of his favourite hobbies is tinkering.

“It’s also a way to build a community in town, get people who want to volunteer, and create some friendships,” he said.

Along with repairing items, the five volunteers also have plans to teach others how to do repairs themselves.

The City of P.A. has also given the Café a $500 grant to help them replace items that were stolen during the pandemic. They were locked in a cabinet in the City Yards.

Dickson added they’re aiming to use some of the money to buy new tools so volunteers don’t have to keep bringing in their own.

All the repairs and parts are free, but people are encouraged to donate with the funds being used to help keep the Café running.

The first event is being held in the Prince Albert Science Centre in the Gateway Mall on Saturday, Mar. 4, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The plan is to hold one event on the first Saturday of each month as long as the Science Centre is available.

—

Jaryn.Vecchio@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @princealbertnow