Staff member- Adria, was visiting Toronto on her travels and stopped in to check out another makerspace that’s a bit different from YuKonstruct:
The Toronto Tool Library has a few locations in the city and one of them is a full library of things called the Sharing Depot! Members can take equipment and supplies out from the space and keep them for a few days or up to a week! They have everything from camping equipment to party supplies, from tools to sporting goods, from kids toys to board games…and the list goes on! And to take this stuff out from the library, all that is needed is a membership pass (ranging from $25-$100/year).
This place also had a makerspace section where members can work on projects and use tools and equipment. This was neat to see because it’s in the heart of the city and yet in the midst of limited space, members still had access to big pieces of equipment and tools to be able to work on bigger projects. Seeing this space did give me a better appreciation for just how awesome we have it in the Yukon! We have a makerspace with so much space! We have a big wood shop, a metal shop (which didn’t exist at this makerspace) and lots of room for several members to be working at the same time! Also- the yard! We have a yard at YuKonstruct where pets and projects and vehicles can all fit!
The sharing aspect of the Toronto Tool Libary is what (I think) makes this makerspace/sharing depot so wonderful! My appreciation for the sharing economy grew tremendously when I was visiting the space. Seeing members sharing more than just ideas and offering more than just training allows others to experience new things with the necessary equipment and supplies!
So I urge members to visit the Toronto Tool Library and other makerspaces outside of YuKonstruct. Thanks Toronto for the great visit, and thanks Toronto Tool Library for being awesome!
