It’s Tool Time in Toronto!

Toronto Tool Library is a shared resource for the local community

Remember the days when things were built to last and when something broke you fixed it yourself? Me neither, but I’ve heard stories… There is something innately wholesome and profoundly satisfying about building something yourself or single-handedly raising your toaster from the dead. Ryan Dyment, tool enthusiast and economic savant, takes this thinking a step further.

Ryan Dyment at the Toronto Tool Library

“With built-in obsolescence, we are stuck in a production and consumer cycle that is ultimately unsustainable. We need to reclaim the means of production and bolster our communities and skill sets so that we can make things, build things and fix things ourselves and create a system that is sustainable,” says Ryan.

Do it yourself!

Whether you want to save money on repairs and new items, or you enjoy making things yourself, or even if you just want to stick it to the ‘man’; learning to be self-sufficient is an invaluable skill. While it’s all good and well to wax lyrical about being self-sufficient, there are several barriers which stand in the way of you making your own coffee table and the biggest of these is tools. That’s where Ryan comes in…

Ryan and his team of volunteers have managed to create a unique space that enriches our Toronto community. Thanks to generous donations from local residents, Ryan and his team have created Toronto’s first Tool Library and its impressive as all hell. The library sports a wide array of useful tools and even big ticket items like generators, welders and power tools.

For a mere $50 a year, tool library members can check out tools with wild abandon to create, repair and build whatever the want. Don’t know how to use the tools? Toronto Tool Library has got you covered! Ryan and his team of experts will be holding regular workshops to teach Torontonians how to use the tools they have for hire.

Get involved

You can support the Toronto Tool Library by becoming a member, by donating tools, by offering your expertise at workshops or simply by volunteering your time. You don’t have to be a tool expert to participate; that coffee isn’t going to brew itself!

Its through the wonderful efforts of innovators like Ryan that Torontonians can establish their sense of community and work together to create a more sustainable future. “Start dreaming about a different world,” says Ryan. “One that’s more sustainable and where we share resources rather than wasting them. Today we’re sharing tools and our knowledge, but there are other things you can share too. Start talking to your friends and neighbors and pool your resources.” Well, you heard the man – so do it!

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