Peterborough Tool Library Under New Management: Finding a new home at the Habitat ReStore
January 21, 2022 – Peterborough, ON – The Peterborough Tool Library will soon be unde the management of Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region, moving from its current home at the Endeavour Centre.
The Tool Library was started in May 2006 by a group of volunteers and has been housed and run by The Endeavour Centre since it was founded. The Tool Library is a community resource that allows members to borrow unlimited tools all year round for a low annual membership fee.
The decision to find a new home for the Tool Library was made after the Endeavour Centre, a sustainable building school, needed to reorganize after two years of navigating the pandemic. Finding a new home where the Tool Library and its vibrant hub of volunteers could continue to grow and expand was important to the Endeavour team.
The move to Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region puts the Tool Library in the hands of an organization that has long been involved in the circular economy and the reduce, reuse, and recycle movement through their Habitat ReStores.
We are really excited to see the Tool Library move under the Habitat umbrella. We couldn’t think of a more suitable organization to run the library and continue the mission of growing the sharing economy while providing affordable access to tools. There could really not be a better fit,” says Jen Feigin, Director of Operations at Endeavour and founding member of the Tool Library.
The Tool Library will be closing for the month of February and will reopen at its new location inside the Peterborough North ReStore located at 300 Milroy Dr in Peterborough on March 1. New expanded hours for the Tool Library’s services will be announced in February.
Habitat ReStores are home and building supply stores that accept and resell quality new and used building materials. Shopping at a ReStore is a socially conscious decision, as funds generated help Habitat for Humanity build strength, stability, and self-reliance through affordable homeownership in your local community. It’s also an environmentally conscious decision, as much of the product sold is new, gently used or customer returns that might otherwise end up in a landfill.
Habitat ReStores provide an answer for those looking to donate or those looking to purchase household good that are eco-friendly and affordable, and now they can also provide shared and affordable access to tools,” says Christina Skuce, Director of Operations, Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region. “Moving the tool library to the Habitat ReStore is a great fit and will further help to support our mission to empower through local affordable homeownership. And we are excited to be able to offer expanded hours to access the Library.
Not only does the sharing economy model help lower our environmental impact through reducing the need for every household to own the same set of tools, but it also enables affordable access to a whole slew of tools that otherwise would be cost prohibitive for many Peterborough residents to acquire.
The community will now be able to go shop for their gently used building materials, furniture, appliances, and home décor items, and borrow the tools they need while they are at it. Both shopping second hand and participating in a community tool library is a great way to lower your carbon footprint,” says Nikki-Ann Murray, the Tool Library’s Volunteer Coordinator.
If you don’t already have your yearly Tool Library membership that allows you to borrow unlimited tools all year round, then get ready to purchase one come early March.
For more information on the Habitat ReStore please visit www.habitatpkr.ca/restores and for more information on the Tool Library please visit www.ptbotoollibrary.ca.
About Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region ReStores
Habitat for Humanity ReStores are not-for-profit home improvement retail stores that accept and resell quality new and used building materials as well as furniture, appliances, home accessories, and much more, to the public. The concept of Habitat ReStores originated in Canada in 1991. Today, there are over 100 Habitat ReStores across Canada and more than 1,000 worldwide (including three in the Peterborough and Kawartha Region), all raising funds to enable more families to partner with us and access affordable homeownership.
Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region also operates the following Habitat ReStores: Peterborough South ReStore (550 Braidwood Avenue), Lindsay ReStore (55 Angeline St. N), and the Peterborough North ReStore (300 Milroy Drive). All 3 ReStores are open Monday to Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm. For more information, please visit www.habitatpkr.ca/restores.
About the Peterborough Tool Library
The Peterborough Tool Library is a community tool sharing resource. Essentially it’s like a public library, but for tools instead of books. Members of the Peterborough Tool Library have affordable access to a wide variety of household and construction tools. We take care of the storage, maintenance, and hassles of owning tools – you simply borrow the tools you need when you need them. The Peterborough Tool Library, believes in access, not excess.
Visit www.ptbotoollibrary.ca to browse the over 600 items in our inventory, learn about our membership options, and find out how you can get involved in the sharing economy!
Media contacts:
Christina Skuce, Director of Operations
Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region
705-931-1295
christina@habitatpkr.ca
Jen Feigin, Director of Operations
Endeavour
705-868-5328
jen@endeavourcentre.or