Ville en Vert’s tool sharing initiative to expand to a third location
The local tool sharing initiative l’Outil-O-thèque will expand its operations to Park Extension, opening a third borrowing location at the William Hingston Centre on Apr. 5.
Ville en Vert, an environmental organization funded by the city, offers a tool-sharing initiative at no cost that allows residents to borough specific tools and objects needed for short projects like gardening, home improvement and cooking.
Tools range from various kitchen materials such as fondue pots, extra plates or baking supplies, to power tools like drills and circular saws necessary for heavy-duty construction jobs.
They also offer all types of other items, from sports materials and toys, to board games and media equipment.
Catalyst for change
The program is available to residents of the Ahuntsic-Cartierville and Villeray-Saint-Michel- Parc-Extension boroughs and has the social vocation of serving low-income communities in these neighbourhoods.
“After the Maison du citoyen in Saint-Michel and the Escale Verte in Cartierville, it is now the William Hingston Centre’s turn in Park Extension to host a library of objects as of April,” wrote the organization.
“Ville en vert has created the Outil-O-thèque to support the population in responsible consumption and thus initiate new habits based on borrowing,” said Christophe Derrien, general manager at Ville en vert.
Residents and organizations will be able to borrow tools and items for free. “We want to meet the needs of the population and be a catalyst for change in the face of an urgency to act,” Derrien added.
“Ville en vert has created the Outil-O-thèque to support the population in responsible consumption and thus initiate new habits based on borrowing,”
Expansion to Park Extension
Although the program had already been operating and serving Park Ex residents, this will be the first time l’Outil-O-Thèque operates out of a location in the neighbourhood.
“During our needs study, we also looked at who was coming to these initiatives and like Saint-Michel, it’s working really well,” said spokesperson Maelle Du Bras.
“We had people ask us when we were going to arrive in Villeray, Park Extension, etc. so that’s the reason why we chose to expand,” she continued.
“First, we already work out of this borough so naturally we expanded to where we’re present and second, we received feedback from citizens asking when we would arrive in that neighbourhood,” explained Le Bras.
Learning new skills
The organization’s program is part of a larger movement based in the sharing economy, providing shared items and tools that if bought individually may only be used a handful of times.
Through l’Outil-O-thèque, Ville en Vert also offers several workshops and repair classes, to teach people new skills as well as how to fix things instead of replacing them. These include bike repair classes as well as courses on repairing small appliances and clothing.
Their workshops all have an environmental and money-saving tilt, showing people how they can learn the skills necessary to keep things working and give objects a second life, as well as minimizing unnecessary waste.
A full schedule of these workshops and classes is available on l’Outil-O-thèque’s website.
How it works
Those who are interested in participating in the program can sign up to become a member on l’Outil-O-thèque’s website. Members can then browse the catalogue of items and reserve whatever they need for a pick-up.
Borrowers can then get their items at one of l’Outil-O-thèque’s three locations, at either the William Hingston Centre in Park Ex, L’Escale Verte in Cartierville or at La Maison du Citoyen in François Perreault. Objects can be borrowed for up to 7 days.
The program is funded in part by the Government of Canada and is supported by both the boroughs of Ahuntsic-Cartierville and Villeray-Saint-Michel-Parc-Extension. The newest location will open on Apr. 5 at the William Hingston Centre. More information is available on their website.
