Whitehorse 're:design' craft fair to highlight reused materials
'We're trying to give people a sustainable, ethical gift-giving Christmas'
Two Yukoners are hoping to do their part to counter the hyper-consumerism of the Christmas season — with a post-consumer waste craft fair.
"Negative waste, not just zero waste," is how organizer Leslie Leong describes the goal of "re:design," scheduled for Nov. 28 in Whitehorse.
"We're trying to promote the reuse of materials, but at the same time we're also trying to give people a sustainable, ethical gift-giving Christmas," Leong said.
"It's getting redirected from the landfill and it's getting made into something better."
When Leong and Darren Holcombe first came up with the idea of the craft fair, they weren't sure who else would be interested. Now they've got more than a dozen artisans who've agreed to set up a table and even more who have expressed an interest. Vendors are making things out of old jeans, wood pallets and bed spreads.
"I though if we had 10 [vendors] it would be great, if we had 20 we'd be perfect," Holcombe said. "I think people are coming up with ideas as we go."
Leong and Holcombe said craft fair items have to be "substantially" made from salvaged or reused materials but not completely. For example, Leong said, builders using salvaged wood don't have to use recycled nails.
Holcombe said he was approached by a carver about participating but Holcombe was sceptical since the carver worked with wood or bone.
The carver then told Holcombe about work he'd done for the police dismantling and destroying firearms.
"He said, 'Can I use the gunstock?' Because it's made out of oak or cherry, beautiful woods," Holcombe said. "So hopefully he's working on that and that'll be there.
"I'm really excited to be walking around and seeing what people make out of things, like the guy with the guns. Everybody's got a story."