With 4 years under our (tool)belt, we're looking to the future!

We have big news to share!

Greetings,

First, thanks to everyone who came out to the AGM on Tuesday to discuss “The State of the Toolbox”. It was great to see so many members, volunteers, and supporters join us at the event. We got a chance to feature all of the programs and services we offer at the OTL, and some of the changes ahead.

The OTL has grown and matured since we opened in 2015. In addition to our regular programming, this year we expanded our footprint to include an on-site workspace, we partnered with MakerSpace North to continue to offer our Community Demo Nights, we’re in the middle of executing eight Repair Cafes, and we recently announced that, with the support of the Ontario Trillium Foundation, we'll be running an OTL Tinkering School to teach practical skills to kids!

At the AGM, we also discussed the challenges of running a volunteer-driven non-profit. As co-founder and Executive Director, Bettina invests countless hours administering the OTL. From keeping our filing in order, to covering volunteer shifts and training new volunteers, to writing grants, finding partners, and dreaming up new ideas, you can imagine how quickly the work piles up.

So, here's the big news - drum roll please!

With the support of ourBoard and management team, we’ve decided that we need to hire someone paid to coordinate and train volunteers, update our procedure manuals, and improve every-day processes. This will leave time for Bettina and the management team to manage and implement the OTL strategy, continue building our community partnerships, and dream big!! To make this exciting new phase of the OTL viable, we need to make some changes to our fees structure, which hasn't changed since we opened in 2015.
So, here's the part that's about you!

Here's the best part, ready?

Memberships at the OTL will now have newadded benefits! Members will now enjoy:

There may be hiccups along the way, but we promise that we’re the same group of passionate volunteers we’ve always been and we’re working towards the same mission and vision that we always have been. We're busily updating our website and will soon launch a new one with this information and more. This new chapter willensure the OTL is a viable and sustainable sharing hub, resource,and community builder for years to come!

Please get in touch if you have any questions or suggestions.

Sincerely yours,
Bettina & the OTL team