In September we hosted our fall all-ages Clothing Swap, Textiles Repair & Upcycling event at the Galiano South Hall. It was another great turnout with 4 repairers managing 22 repairs during our 3-hour event. Not only that, but we had 3 volunteers offering upcycling, hand mending and looming demos and another 5 people helping out with the clothing swap. A beautiful community affair! Thanks to all who participated. Together, we brought through 125 kg of clothing and footwear that was redistributed to neighbours and thrift stores.
Next up is a new event: Leather Goods Conditioning. If you’ve ever noticed your shoes turning from black to grey, or your red handbag looking decidedly pink, this fading of colour is an indicator that the leather is dry. Keeping shoes conditioned and even polished helps the leather to maintain its resilience. On Saturday, November 14th from 10 am to 1 pm come see us at the ReDirectory. Bring us your clean & dry leather goods: boots, shoes, belts, bags, wallets, etc., and we will give them the nourishment they need for a longer life. If we are busy, there will be a limit of one item per person.
Still on offer is our Small Appliance Repair service, available on an as-needed basis throughout the year. How it works is this:
Send a photo with a description of the problem to galianorecycles@gmail.com. It could be a lamp, heater, toaster oven, or blender — essentially anything portable with an electrical plug on it. We can accommodate up to 18 small motors & appliance repairs this year! There is a limit of one item per household for the year.
We’re still looking for an experienced tool & knife sharpener. A few hours on a Saturday is all the commitment we’re looking for. If you know someone like this, or are this person, send a message to Renée galianorecycles@gmail.com.
And keep your eyes out, we may be hosting one more repair event in 2026. Details TBD.
Thank you! We love being here to provide free repairs and support better use of resources within our community.
