British ColumbiaA Vancouver program that helps residents repair broken household items, from bicycles to laptops, is now at risk after the city cut funding for next year’s repair cafes.Organizers say events in 2026 may be cancelled unless new funding is securedCBC News · Posted: Dec 07, 2025 8:00 AM EST | Last Updated: 2 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 4 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.Volunteers work with attendees to repair household items at Saturday’s Repair Café event in Vancouver. (Mike Zimmer/CBC)A Vancouver program that helps residents repair broken household items, whether it’s bicycles or laptops, is now at risk after the city cut its funding for 2026.The Society Promoting Environmental Conservation (SPEC), which runs the city’s Repair Café program, says city staff told them there wouldn’t be any funding for the program next year as a result of Vancouver’s new budget. Council passed the 2026 budget with a property tax freeze last month. It includes an additional $50 million for police, but cuts to arts, culture and sustainability departments.The repair cafés, which began in Vancouver in 2023, are monthly community events where volunteer fixers help residents repair items for free. The goal, organizers say, is to reduce waste, extend the life of everyday products and share skills that keep items out of landfills.According to the City of Vancouver, it was started as part of its vision to be a zero waste community by 2040.Community connectionAshleen Montgomery, SPEC’s executive director, says the Repair Café gatherings have become increasingly popular and “well-loved.”“It’s such a wonderful community-building initiative,” she said. “Beyond giving items a second life and saving them from landfill, these events promote community connection, skill-sharing, and tangible ways for people to take action.” Ashleen Montgomery, executive director of the Society Promoting Environmental Conservation, says the loss of the funding will erode the group’s ability to deliver the events. (Mike Zimmer/CBC)She says SPEC has been receiving funding through a contract with the city and financial support from Metro Vancouver. Each event costs roughly $3,000 to run and SPEC had budgeted about $35,000 to host 12 cafés in 2026.But Metro Vancouver’s funding structure requires the group to have a municipal partner, making that funding inaccessible next year, Montgomery says.The city says it recognizes the value of repair cafés and thanked SPEC and its volunteers for their work.Funding ‘paused’In a statement, it said it provided roughly $17,000 for the program in 2025 but has “paused” its funding contribution for 2026.In 2025, SPEC hosted 11 events across Vancouver, including its final café of the year on Saturday at Douglas Park Community Centre. “All these events are now at risk but we’re still committed as an organization,” Montgomery said.Montgomery says the program is not ending, but will likely shrink unless alternate funding is found. Eyal Lebel, who volunteers at Repair Café gatherings, says the events have helped shift people’s habits toward repairing items instead of throwing them away. (Mike Zimmer/CBC)SPEC hopes it can run at least three events next year through donor support while it searches for sponsorships, grants and partnerships with other municipalities.“We’re scrambling… we’re looking at cutting costs, just anything we can do to keep these events running,” Montgomery said.Eyal Lebel, a volunteer bicycle mechanic, says about 200 people typically attend each café.“People start thinking about repairing things instead of throwing them away,” he said. Lebel said the cafés have also become a training ground for new volunteers.WATCH | Vancouver residents taught to repair, not waste:Vancouver residents taught to repair, not waste, at free eventThe year’s first community repair cafe event was held at the Hastings Community Centre on Saturday. The Society Promoting Environmental Conservation runs the program to keep products in circulation longer and reduce waste.“More than half of the people that are on the floor are apprentices, people are coming to learn how to fix things and help in reducing waste,” he added.Losing the events would also be a blow to attendees who rely on the service, says Vancouver resident Ann Chen, who was at Saturday’s event to fix her sweater, which had two holes in it.Chen said she would feel “really sad” if the cafés disappear.“They also help us to do this and I hope I can fix something, but I don’t know how to fix anything.”SPEC hopes the city will restore funding in 2027.“If the events are sporadic, it’s hard to keep the momentum going,” Montgomery said. “Repair cafés matter not only because they keep items out of the landfill, but because they bring people together.” With files from Cory Correia, Mike Zimmer and Shaurya Kshatri
Future of Vancouver’s repair cafés uncertain after city cuts funding for 2026
