Along the North Shore of Lake Superior, where long winters, rugged terrain, and a culture of self-reliance shape daily life, repairing what you have is ingrained in our regional identity. That spirit has taken on new life in Thunder Bay through the Repair Café, a volunteer-run initiative founded by Nancy Saunders. What began as a seed of an idea in 2019 has grown into a thriving community hub that blends sustainability, learning, and neighbourly connection.
Saunders first encountered the concept when she saw a friend participating in repair cafés in Toronto. “I reached out to him, and he put me in touch with one of the organizers, who encouraged me to look into the Repair Café International Foundation—a nonprofit out of the Netherlands that grew from the first repair café held in Amsterdam in 2009. A friend and I were working on organizing our first event in 2020 when the pandemic began and we put our plans on hold.”
Thunder Bay’s first Repair Café finally launched in June 2021 at Community Spokes. “We had maybe three people show up,” says Saunders. “We held a few more repair cafés that year with pretty low numbers.” But the idea was too good to fade, and a small group of volunteers kept at it.
A turning point came in 2022, when EcoSuperior helped the group access the City of Thunder Bay’s Clean, Green, and Beautiful grant. The funding allowed the team to launch a website, promote events, and purchase tools. Their partnership with the Thunder Bay Public Library soon followed. “We wouldn’t be where we are without our partnership with the library,” says Saunders. “They were immediately enthusiastic about our concept and have been a very important part of continuing to grow the Thunder Bay Repair Café.”
Today, it is the only initiative of its kind along the North Shore on either side of the border. Communities such as Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie, and Duluth have reached out for guidance, but Thunder Bay remains the region’s leader in grassroots repair.
A Community of Fixers and Learners
Events now run every two months at library branches, with additional pop-ups and themed repair days. In 2025, the group hosted textile-focused events at Goods and Co. and Intercity Shopping Centre, and in February partnered with Lakehead University and Wilderness Supply for an Outdoor Gear Repair Café. “It’s really exciting to plan events with new partners because it lets us bring repair support to even more people,” says Saunders.
Participation has grown steadily, with more than 400 people bringing in items for help. Fixers offer a wide range of skills—electrical, textile, jewellery, and more. Lamps are the most common item to appear, but there are surprises too, like a toy train that was fixed by a volunteer who used his 3D printer to design and print a new gear, and jewellery with deep family history.
Participants leave feeling good that they’ve breathed new life into old items and grateful for the opportunity. “This is a great way to reduce waste,” says Elizabeth Leikkari. “There is too much throwaway, and it has been happening for too long. This hopefully will teach young people that we do not need all the new gadgets, that less will get you by and old is sometimes better.” Cherie McCabe agrees. “I have attended two repair cafés, and both exceeded my expectations. My items were fixed and the volunteers were so friendly and helpful.”
Repair as Responsibility
Repairing instead of replacing may seem small, but the impact adds up. “Events are a great place to learn new skills and be immersed in the culture of repair. Volunteers and participants alike make new connections and are inspired through sharing and learning together,” says Saunders.
The model teaches confidence and stewardship in a way that dropping something off at a shop cannot. Sometimes a participant walks out not only with a working object, but with the skills to fix the next one themselves.
Looking Toward Earth Day
The next event will be a textile-focused Repair Café at Intercity Shopping Centre on April 18. “We did one in October and it was really awesome. It will include some workshops,” says Saunders. Volunteer fixers and new participants are always welcome. Learn more at tbayrepaircafe.org or on Facebook.
