Ten years after it was first established, the Peterborough Tool Library is now known as the Kawartha Tool Library with an expansion to a second location in Lindsay.
In celebration of Earth Week, Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region (Habitat PKR) will host an official opening of the second location inside the Lindsay Restore at 55 Angeline Street North on Saturday (April 25). The Peterborough branch of the Kawartha Tool Library, located inside the Peterborough ReStore at 300 Milroy Drive, will continue to operate.
According to a media release from Habitat PKR, the rebranding and expansion to Lindsay was made possible by a grant from the Congregations of the Sisters of St. Joseph in Canada.
Like its book namesake, a tool library allow members to borrow the tools and equipment they need for a small annual fee.
Part of the sharing economy, a tool library is based on the idea that most people only need most tools for a special project or for a short time. Without a tool library, if you can’t borrow a tool from a neighbour or a friend, your only option is to head to the hardware store to rent or buy one. Even if you can afford to buy a tool, chances are you’re only going to use it once or twice and then store it in the garage or basement.
“This expansion reflects what Earth Week is all about: reuse, sharing, and finding practical ways to care for our environment while supporting our community,” says Habitat PKR communications and marketing manager Holly McKinnon in the media release. “At the Kawartha Tool Library, we believe in access and not excess.”
Back in 2016, two years after hearing a presentation by the co-founder of the Toronto Tool Library (one of the most successful tool libraries in North America), seven members of the Peterborough community were inspired to launch the Peterborough Tool Library at The Endeavour Centre, a not-for-profit sustainable building school.
In 2022, Habitat PKR took over management of the tool library from the Endeavour Centre, which needed to reorganize after two years of navigating the pandemic and find a new home for the tool library so it could continue to grow and expand, relocating it to the Peterborough North ReStore.
The relocation gave Peterborough residents one-stop access to both affordable home-building materials and tools for their home renovation projects, while supporting the work of Habitat PKR.
With the Kawartha Tool Library’s second location, Lindsay residents can now do the same.
“The tool library is a perfect fit within the Habitat ReStore model, and we’re excited to see it grow in Lindsay,” McKinnon says.
What’s more, members of the Kawartha Tool Library can borrow tools from both the Peterborough and Lindsay locations — although the tools must be returned to the same location from where they were borrowed.
Habitat PKR is inviting members of the community to celebrate the grand opening of the Lindsay location of the Kawartha Tool Library from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 25 inside the Lindsay ReStore. The event will include a ribbon cutting, tours of the tool library, raffle prizes, refreshments and cake, and goody bags for the first 30 attendees.
The event will also feature a special one-day-only promotion on a regular membership to the Kawartha Tool Library, priced at $50 per year instead of the normal $60 per year. Memberships are also available for students for $40 per year, a two-person household for $90 per year, and organizations (such as non-profits and small businesses) at $150 per year.
To further celebrate Earth Week and the grand opening, both the Peterborough and Lindsay ReStores will be offering 25 per cent off store-wide on April 25.
As the Kawartha Tool Library is operated by volunteers, Habitat PKR is looking for additional volunteers to help with tool maintenance, member support, and day-to-day operations.
They are also accepting tool donations, ranging from everything from drills and saws to tents, gazebos, and event equipment used by local organizations.
Community members interested in volunteering at the Kawartha Tool Library or donating tools can email info@kawarthatoollibrary.ca.
For more information about the Kawartha Tool Library and to become a member, visit kawarthatoollibrary.ca.
