Repair Workshop

Every year, thousands of ripped or worn-out textiles, broken computers, small electronics and appliances could get a new lease on life after a simple repair, but are recycled or disposed of as garbage. Help counter this throwaway culture, extend the life of your items and learn something new at our free repair workshop.

You're invited to bring clothing, computers, small electronics and appliances that need fixing or mending to our upcoming repair workshop. Our volunteer repair specialists will help you learn how to repair or mend one item for free.

The repair workshop is being brought to you by the City of Vancouver and the following partnering organizations: Repair Matters (electronics/appliance repair), Free Geek (computer repair), Frameworq (textile repair), One Earth and Vancity.

Have questions about the item you're bringing for repair? Post your questions in the discussion feed below, with as much detail about your item as possible, and one of our event organizers will respond to you.

For more information, visit vancouver.ca/repair , email [email protected] or phone 604-871-6443.
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Frequently Asked Questions:

What is a repair workshop?
Repair workshops are fun, hands-on, do-it-together community events where volunteer repair specialists help you repair one items for free (where possible).

How does a repair workshop work, exactly?
Bring your broken, worn out, or ripped item for assessment, disassembly, and possible repair. At the event, you will be greeted by a host who will lead the you to a particular repair specialist. From there, you and the repair specialist can talk about the history of the item, diagnose whether it can be fixed, and repair accordingly.

What can I repair?
The repair workshop will have repair specialists on hand to repair all kinds of things - from ripped or worn-out textiles, broken computers, small electronics and appliances. Rule of thumb: if you cannot carry the item alone, don’t bring it (no stoves, fridges, etc.). If you're curious about whether a particular item can be repaired, post an item description in the discussion feed and one of our repair specialists will respond to you.

Is registration for the workshop required?
Pre-registration is not required, however having an accurate idea of how many people will attend, and with what items, helps our repair specialists come fully prepared and staffed. If you plan to attend, please RSVP using the link below.

How long will the repair take?
It depends on the item and what part(s) need to be fixed. Once the repair specialist has checked out the item, they should be able to tell you approximately how long it will take to fix.

Who are the volunteer repair specialists?
Repair specialists are volunteers who have the skills and passion to repair and fix certain items and are also keen to minimize the amount of items that are disposed to landfill.

What if my item can’t be repaired?
Not all items can be repaired. It might even get worse! But together you'll give it a good try and learn a lot about fixing along the way. So bring your broken things, puzzle over them with volunteer repair specialists, then work together to bring them back to life, if possible.

If the item cannot be fixed, the visitor is responsible for recycling or properly disposing of the broken item. Event hosts can help identify recycling locations or visitors can visit vancouver.ca/wastewizard .

Can I drop my item off and come back later to pick it up?
Visitors are required to be present for the repair and are encouraged to get involved to take advantage of the full learning and skill building experience. This is a meeting of volunteers and neighbours helping each other out, getting to know each other over coffee, muffins, and repair projects, learning about repair, and squeezing more life out of the things they already have.