Setting the Record Straight

I’m Setting the Record Straight!

Taking on the role of manager at the WCSS Re-Use-It Centre has been quite an adventure.  The month of May – my first month – was epic to say the least.  I entered the store at the busiest time of the year.  Spring cleaning and the 1000’s of seasonal workers leaving town made for some mind blowing donations.  At times I wondered if we could be buried alive!  And although the donations continue to pour in in record numbers (thank you Whistler!) I finally have my footing and am getting down to the business of running this important place. 

We have two important roles; to support those in need by raising funds for Whistler Community Services Society (WCSS) programs/services and to promote sustainability.  At the Chamber of Commerce Business Awards night a couple weeks back WCSS won the Sustainability award.  It was very cool, because it was the first big high five for the sustainability side of what we do.  Before managing this store I was not a regular to thrift shops but I decided to fully embrace the spirit of the award and go as the Re-Use-It girl!  I shopped off the rack at the store for my outfit (photo above).  Dress - $15, earrings - $4, necklace - $3, handbag - $3, wrap - $5.  I did the same for the Oysterfest at the Bearfoot Bistro. Pants - $6, top - $3.75, ring - $2, bra - $3.50.   I loved my outfits!

I am a true Re-Use-It Centre advocate now! This place rocks!  And it is amazing how many rumours are circulating out there that aren’t just true.  So as the new manager, I need to set the record straight on a few of those Re-Use-It myths. 

1.       The Employees get all the good stuff.  Nope!  Not even close to being true.  In the month of May we processed 2219 garbage bag equivalents of donations.  In June it was 2443 bags.  That is a lot of stuff!  And consequently a lot of great stuff!  If the employees did in fact get all the good stuff, they would essentially have moved the Re-Use-It Centre to their homes.  Not something any of us want.  Sure there are perks to this back breaking work, in that we get to see everything before it goes on the floor, but we all exercise a great deal of restraint when deciding what we purchase to take home.  We gotta love it!

2.       We’re Expensive.  Sure our primary role is to fund the many important social programs in Whistler, but we are still a business.  And it would be just plain silly of us not to do our best to remain competitive in the discounted retail environment.  So we price check our competition regularly.  This includes Consignment and Thrift shops in Squamish and Vancouver as well as Walmart and the dollar stores.  Ask us about it next time you are in the store. 

3.       What about all those TV’s?  Here is the myth busted about all those TV’s wrapped up outside.  We’re not taking them home!  They’re broken!  We have a very success recycle program whose proceeds are becoming important contributors to all those programs we support.  Actually you can bring down pretty much any electronic thing with a cord and we can put it into its proper recycling spot.  That goes for your lights, bulbs & drinking bottles too.  When you recycle with us you support your community. 

4.       We throw things away.  Ok we do!  Not a lot, but we do.  Of the 2219 bags of donations we got in May, 235 of those went into the land fill.  Along with all the great things that come in, we do get garbage – broken things, ripped, torn or unusable items that just don’t qualify for our store or our charitable partners.  We even get people’s garbage (we hope by accident) every once in a while.  But don’t you think it’s pretty amazing that of the 2219 bags of donations only 235 went into the land fill?

The health of our community depends on the success of the Re-Use-It Centre.  Thank you for your support Whistler – be it as a donor or a shopper.  We love seeing the smile on your face when you offer your spring cleaning donations to our receivers or when you find that perfect ‘treasure’ for a fraction of its real cost!   

Cheryl Skribe – Manager, Re-Use-It Centre,Whistler

Old News with guest blogger Vicki Crompton

So, Baby Boomers, here we are –on the brink of official old-agedom.  I consider myself slightly behind the leading edge – born in 1947 when peace was new, optimism ran high, and young men and women were breeding apace.  We are the product -the embodiment of their optimism, lobbed confidently into a future built on foundations of peace, antibiotics, plastics, refrigerators, two car garages, and cheap mortgages. 

Fast-forward a lifetime.  We have been a force to be reckoned with. We have  worked for gender, sexual and ethnic equality, fueled the exploding world of communication technology and made a religion of recycling .  On the other hand, we have unraveled the peace, amassed monster debt, and compromised our environment.  As it turns out, we aren’t any better than anybody else. There are just more of us. Innovation has occurred in response to our numbers. Think of kindergarten, racquetball, and marketing strategies directed to our considerable buying power. 

So now we are peering around the corner, wondering how the world will respond to this next stage. We aren’t shiny and new any more. We’re losing hair and gaining weight. But we are entering an exciting stage of our lives – the perfect storm – when money, time, and health converge. I know we aren’t all rich, fit, layabouts, but if we’ve played our cards right, many will have some happy, productive years ahead. And those of us who live in Whistler have jumped the gun – we are in paradise already.

As we have always had an impact in the past, we now look to the future and hope our community will be able to respond to our needs.  As we have grown and evolved, so has Whistler. When it was young and raunchy – so were we.  Early on, old people left the community – it simply wasn’t practical to stay.  But now, many who have lived and worked here forever – who have brought up their families here - want to stay; to ‘age in place’.  Many who have had vacation homes in Whistler want to retire here. The good news is that changes to make Whistler a senior friendly community are already happening. The Mature Action Committee (MAC) has worked hard to establish cost controlled seniors housing.  A Seniors Needs Action Planner has been hired by Whistler Community Services to assess the needs of local seniors and respond to them.  We are on the cusp of change. Whistler seniors have a great opportunity to be part of creating a dynamic vision for our community.  The future looks bright – put on your shades!

The Story of (Whistler's) Stuff

I just watched an amazing short on “stuff”. Things you buy to wear or use in your house. On the website storyofstuff.org, a cute animated picture educates you on some pretty scary statistics. The short looks at the story of stuff, from extraction of raw materials from the earth to the end disposal of these materials, and looks at a system in crisis. For example, in the US, after 6 months only 1% of the good purchased in that time are still in use. This means that 99% of purchased goods make their way to the landfill every 6 months. This got me thinking about the story of “Whistler’s stuff”, and where it ends up!

Whistler is perceived as a place with wealth. The outside world thinks of Whistler as a playground for the rich, a ski resort with big fancy houses and lots of material goods. The big question facing Whistler is what to do with things when they are no longer desired by the owner? The other side of the coin is most of us that live and work here don't have a lot of wealth, but we also need and have stuff.

Up until about 15 years ago, everything went to the landfill. It was located then where the town centre now exists. Locals who lived here tell me the dump was the best picking in town, as EVERYTHING went into it. Then about 13 years ago, the RMOW, Whistler Community Services and some local service groups like Rotary and the Lions got together to help build a thrift store that could take donations of used goods.

Right now the new management team at the WCSS Re-Use-It Centre in Function Junction are starting to drop that ‘deer-in-the-headlights’ look that most employees get in May. There is a lot of STUFF at the store! It is the time of year that most of our seasonal workers leave and locals spring clean their closets. If you ever want to see what happens to things people are getting rid of, the receiving area of the store is an interesting place to observe for an hour or so. It is a testament to our team’s constitution that they don’t just throw in the towel and walk away from the job; or rather crawl out from under hundreds of black garbage bags to leave. At the store every single bag is opened, any of that 'Whistler stuff' that is clean enough, and still useable is sorted, priced and put out onto the shelves. Most of us have never physically worked as hard as many of the staff at that store. And the items coming from those bags are amazing! 

It turns out that Whistler has good STUFF.

But the story would come to an unhappy ending there if the stuff just sat on shelves. There always has been a strong contingent in Whistler that understand that they can bypass the material economy, help the environment and save themselves a lot of money by shopping second hand. In Whistler, is has almost become chic to tell your friend that the new designer shirt you are wearing was found at the Re-Use-It Centre. 

Last year there were 49,000 purchases made at the store. And over 300 metric tonnes of good were saved from the landfill. That shows that Whistler’s stuff can be used again. If you have goods that you no longer want, and they are still in clean, unbroken and useable condition, we want your Stuff! And if you have a friend that doesn’t know where to take their old stuff, tell them about the Re-Use-It and Re-Build-It Centres.www.mywcss.org

Finally, if you want to get rid of BIGGER stuff like furniture or appliances that still work, arrange for a pick up at the Re-Build-It Centre at 604-932-1125 or rebuildit@mywcss.org . Watch for the first ever Community Clean & Care Day Saturday, June 16^th, where we will be picking up donations of used furniture and household goods in Bayshores. For more information contact the Re-Build-It Centre.

Whew, Hello Spring Cleaning Season!

Spring has Sprung! It's that time of year where you start to think about changing up your skis for running shoes, your snowboards for downhill bikes, your jackets for bikinis and board shorts... well, maybe nobody's jumping in the lake just yet, but there's more than a hint of warmth in the air, and goggle tans are plentiful...

Spring means different things to all of us. Here at Re-Use-It Centre it means Hard Work! Between the seasonal workers starting to leave town, and realizing their suitcases are already more than full, and our locals who get struck by that "everything must go" spring cleaning feeling, we end up with piles of treasures to sort and sift through... all kinds.

At times the pile is overwhelming; no matter how fast you work, the pile gets bigger. The sensation of moving backwards is hard to ignore! Our super staff have managed to develop a wonderfully Zen attitude of "all good things in time". And truly we do rely upon and expect the silly season; Whistler just wouldn't be Whistler without it.

What does this mean for you, our community of shoppers and donators? If you're making a donation, remember we're open 11am to 6pm and be sure to donate in our opening hours so we can make the most of your donated items. You can bring them in bags or boxes, and the only things we'll pass on are helmets and kids safety equipment, for safety reasons.

If you're a shopper, well... get into it! This is the best time of year to score awesome thrifted items. We still hold our weekly clothes sales, and follow our 50% off after 3 weeks deal... The quality of donated items at this time of year is unreal, and we're starting to put out summer clothing and sports equipment, so make sure you get yourself down to rifle through the treasure.

Here is the taste of the treasure we're seeing this week:

 The classics surface regularly at The Re-Use-It Centre. Give yourself a taste of culture on those rainy spring days!

Decorate your home with a piece of art.

Keep warm with a stylish Burton women's hoodie on the days when summer feels a little far away...

 Keep the kids happy with many many titles to choose from at only $1 each!

Invest in a paddling pool for the hot summers

And what goes better with a paddling pool than a summery bikini?












Dress the part for summer in one of our surf brand tshirts...

Or, if it's not feeling like summer at all to you, perhaps you're looking for a pair of spring skis to enjoy the plentiful snow base we're still seeing on the hill?


Come by to divest yourself of some material possesions, then shop to fill the space your spring cleaning has left in your life!

We'll see you soon!


Helen, Manager at The WCSS Re-Use-It Centre

Upcycling: Books

There are always countless books coming into The WCSS Re-Use-It Centre. A lot of these books are holiday and travel reading, with plenty of best-sellers and modern classics pumping through the store at a steady rate. For $2 a book you can't really go wrong: read it, pass it onto a friend, take it around the world with you to read on trains and planes...

We do also find ourselves with large pile of books that are slightly less desirable, for various reasons: water damage, torn pages, outdated knowledge, or super-specific information that Whistler folk have often escaped past lives in the outside world to avoid.

I shudder at the very thought of trashing books. Having grown up reading and having majored in English Lit at university, books are friends and teachers to me. So I'd rather avoid sending them to the compactor where and when possible.

I've found some amazing ideas for upcycling those books that are no longer reading material, for whatever reason.

Some artistic upcycling ideas include:

This tree:

This dress and more at this blog:

Or more practical ideas, like book shelves made of books! Find the how-to here.

Try a plant potted into a classic novel (plus more upcycling ideas for plant holders here).

Or, go all out and use books as bricks! This is the counter of my favorite bookstore in Melbourne, Australia.

Ladies and gentlemen, the world is your oyster! Come down to The Re-Use-It Centre and rescue a few books to create something amazing and unique. Perfect projects for those rainy Spring days...

Enjoy.


Helen, Manager of The WCSS Re-Use-It Centre

Community: A night at Creekbread!

It's inspiring and heartwarming to spend a night like we did on Tuesday the 20th of March at Creekbread, local pizza place and avid supporters of the Whistler community.

The Re-Use-It Centre was approached by Pamy from Creekbread who wanted to hold a benefit night to show their support for us. A show of support like this is more than just a one-off, and stretches a lot further than you would imagine. Creekbread has a wonderful weekly benefit night running; each Tuesday a non-profit is supported with a portion of sales ($3.50 from each large pizza, $1.75 from each small pizza) going to the cause.

Beyond that, Pamy and Brittany went out into the community to ask local businesses to donate prizes to raffle off during the night. They collected us prizes from David's Tea, RimRock, Le Gros, Ruby Tuesday, Deb Hillary at the Oracle, Dups Burritos, Rolands & BBQ Bobs, Scandinave Spa and Fruv. We were able to raise just over $400, a great amount of money, selling tickets to customers.

The response from the public was amazing, and it really shows clearly how well-loved Creekbread is as a community presence in Whistler. Their staff all supported the event, playing along with our silent auction to win retro ski suits and jackets, piggy banks and ponies... The atmosphere in the restuarant is lovely: warmth from the wood-fired oven, the smell of fresh quality ingredients cooking, and the smiley happy staff working away at feeding and entertaining their customers.





Myself, Sarah and Julie were involved as representatives of WCSS Re-Use-It Centre, with Sarah chatting up the customers for raffle tickets and Julie looking after the silent auction table. We had such a great night (and enjoyed a tasty pizza ourselves) being uplifted by the atmosphere and good feelings of the night.



Friends and other staff of Whistler Community Services Society came by to support and munch pizzas. We're grateful for each and every one of you that took time from busy lives to show us that you care.

A great big thank you and loads of warm fuzzy feelings to Creekbread: Tammy, Pamy, Brittany, the host and the servers, the bar staff and all those hands in the kitchen pumping out delicious pizzas. We loved being part of that night with you all and we'll definitely see you soon for another tasty meal!

With love,

 Helen & The WCSS Re-Use-It Centre staff.

Do yourself (and your taste buds) a huge favor and check out Creekbread if you haven't been there yet:
2021 Karen Crescent, off Route 99 in Creekside, Whistler BC. Check out their menu at their website, or phone them at 604-905-6666. You won't be sorry!

Photoblog: Goofy tshirt collection (Part 1)

We get a lot of silly, crazy & weird t-shirts in at The Re-Use-It Centre... Here are our staff member Julie's picks over the last 2 weeks.

Stay tuned- more to come.


Helen, Manager at The WCSS Re-Use-It Centre

Whistler Writer: A Cabinet Goes Home 63 Years Later!

Whistler Writer: A Cabinet Goes Home 63 Years Later!:   Recycling A 63 Year Cabinet Re-Connects Generations If Donald Milford Townsend of Burbank, California had of known in 1949 that...

A Saturday at the Re-Use-It Centre

We live in this lovely little world down here at the store in Function Junction, Whistler's up and coming artsy industrial district. Often the weekends are quieter without the local tradesmen- it's a time for The Re-Use-It Centre to really draw a crowd.

After the week of snow we've had- 155 cm in the past 7 days- it's no wonder we've been quiet, but today, even with tiny flakes of snow falling, we have a crowd of eager shoppers. Early in the day we see locals who know well enough to leave the mountain for the weekend crowds, and instead try their luck at a few bargain finds with us.

We have a great little crew of staff on today and with a nice mix of oldies playing on the stereo (think The Doors, Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin) a great atmosphere is set. It's the perfect soundtrack for browsing the books, which I've put some time into organizing this morning- I've sorted out two baskets full of paperbacks reduced to 50 cents, as well as found a few books I'll be investigating on my lunch break. We get a myriad of titles and subjects, favorites being best-seller paperbacks, travel guides and recipe books.

The boys are busy in the back with donations coming in steadily- not the crazy rush we are anticipating from the end of this month all the way to the end of May, with seasonals leaving town, but still enough good stock to keep the shelves full and to keep our customers excited with the quality of their finds.







I've found: a pile of games and puzzles to keep you busy on those rainy indoor days, a cute Mexican bird ornament and a purple beaded necklace. And that's just for starters.

Pallets of electronics are being put together for our recycling program. Mike builds them up to head height, and wraps up old TVs by the dozen to be shipped off to Vancouver and then processed into their re-useable parts. Later in the day he'll empty the bottle bins, set up to collect any cans and bottles for recycling.

We have our Saturday volunteers cruising the store organizing chaotic sections like the kids' area, restoring order (if but for ten minutes!), helping put priced items out for sale, cleaning up the housewares... Emma hangs clothes non-stop all day to keep the racks full, clothes being our biggest seller at the moment while people are looking for lighter summer things for their spring getaways to warmer places.

We take phone calls from people searching for boots, canes, boards and board bags... anyone who finds a board bag should count themselves very lucky, as this time of year they're incredibly rare!

As the afternoon wears on we see a few more weekend warriors pop by- the seasoned folk up from Vancouver and Washington state know that a lucky day browsing at The Re-Use-It Centre might yield them sought-after vinyl, a whole armful of kid's stuffies, or a new (to them) outerwear combo. The quality of donated items is unbelievable just now; we're grateful that such items come to us instead of heading for landfill.

Right now we're collecting for prizes for our fundraiser at Creekbread on Tuesday March 20, from 5pm to 9pm. There are some pretty crazy bits and pieces piling up and I'm super excited to see what kind of turnout we get. Creekbread is so great for always wanting help out in the community. And their pizza is delicious!

Yes, it's another lovely Saturday at The Re-Use-It Centre. We love that you come to visit, that you come in crowds of families or friends to crow about the finds you've got in your basket, or the silly outfits you've put together that you parade around in proudly. You never fail to give us a giggle wearing a furry coat or a fancy hat!

Thanks for stopping by.


Helen, Manager at The WCSS Re-Use-It Centre

Upcycling: An Introduction

The resources we have at our fingertips here at The WCSS Re-Use-It Centre in Whistler are seemingly endless. We re-sell lightly used clothing, housewares, electronics, books, movies, sports equipment and so much more. It is awesome to give items a second life, to follow our mantra of goods out of landfill, but it always seems we could be doing more.

On a recent investigation into recycling possibilities, we have put some more time into researching the concept of "Upcycling", Recycling's sister concept. Upcycling is the process of converting waste materials or useless products into new materials or products of better quality or higher environmental value.

Where recycling breaks items down, upcycling remakes and constructs. Sound crazy?

Imagine you have a pile of scratched LPs. Instead of throwing them away, why not make them into a bowl? Scratched records can be made into bookends or bags or even a cake stand. A leaky rubber boot might make a great planter just by adding a few more holes.

There is an amazing online culture surrounding upcycling. Any make-it-yourself tutorial you care to think of as videos, step-by-step photos and how-to blogs.

We're excited about it. In the next months we will be showing you all a bunch of projects for those upcoming rainy spring days. We'll help you find the bits and pieces you need to make awesome additions to your home and a sustainable addition to your life!

We are all Whistler (Bears too)!!

Living in such a tight-knit community, we share many of Whistler’s jewels with the melting pot of people. As we saw during the Olympic period, rubbing shoulders with celebrities, athletes, weasel workers and locals. Whether standing in line for Peak Chair to open with Ashley McIvor, sitting in a coffee shop next to the Mayor, sharing a hiking trail with Arthur Dejong, or giving a cheers to Ray from the Husky at ‘A Whole Lotta Led’ show, you are as likely to see and know such people during your lives in Whistler as you are to see a bear in the summer.

Living in Whistler you follow aspects of the lives of these people and the causes they support. And that’s the nature of the town we live in is that it’s success and compassionate vibes comes from the joy of sharing the same things. The love of wilderness and its animals; the fruits of the seasons and community spirit that exists but it is especially prevalent through hard and good times.

The Re-Use-It Centre loves being part of the lives of all our awesome community. After receiving a bear hide through the Re-Use-It Centre last month and feeling uneasy about selling it, I contacted Michael Allen, the corridor’s Bear Researcher, who also happens to be an avid thrifter and Re-Use-It Center donor, to see if this majestic creature could go to some use within his programs.

He jumped upon the idea; the Bear hide would be used within Michael’s ‘Student and Visitor Bear Outreach Program’ where he visits schools and educates on reducing human/bear conflict and the wonders of their existence showing a wide selection of resources, beautiful photography, videos and now a hide.

As we approach spring and as the Bears start to show themselves a little more, here are some tips and useful advice Michael has put together for us.

Tell us a little about yourself, where you live and how long you've been in the area?

This is my 19th year doing research on Whistler black bears. I live with 2 dogs, 2 cats, and 7 chickens in Paradise Valley north of Squamish.

I came to Whistler in 1993 because my sister (Susan), who is a school teacher here, said there were lots of bears. She was right.

How did you find yourself as the number one  'Bear Researcher/Guide' of the Sea to Sky corridor?

I don't know about number one...but I guess I have put in the time. I'm not a biologist (many people think I am) and even though I've spent close to 30 years following black bears around, I don't consider myself an expert...I'm constantly learning...a "student of bears". I began guiding bear viewing in 2000 for Arthur DeJong at Whistler-Blackcomb. Its a great program that allows visitors to see the "real-time" life of bears that have learned to adapt to life in BC's largest recreational environment – vital to understanding the future of black bear conservation.

What is the kids education program that the hide will be a part of all about ?

I started doing talks on bears for kids at Whistler schools in 1997 despite my overwhelming shyness. This will be the 16th year elementary students will listen to my never-ending adventures with the larger, furry locals. Each spring and fall, I give an update on the personal lives of resident bears by showing photos, video, maps, and physical artifacts: skulls, claws, and hides. Hides are important because kids can feel a bears coat and claws. From that feeling, kids understand how a bear is designed and has adapted to living in the forest and more recently, out of the forest. The head-mounted bear hide donated by the Re-Use-It Centre is a useful addition because it represents another age-size of bear and with the head mounted with the hide, gives a more realistic perception of head shape because my other hides don’t have this. 

Can you remember the coolest item that you have found at the Re-Use-It Centre, or best item you've dropped off for donation?

I found a great desk which in the Whistler area is pretty much impossible to find. Mostly, I have dropped off lots of stuff ranging from DVD's to snow boots to computer screens.  

 

What tips can you give the community coming in to bear season?

The best way to help bears is by keeping "your space" in Whistler's environment clean. That's all bears really ask...an environment to share without

temptations of human food...that's what kills bears...sooner or later. We're likely in for a milder spring than last year and because of 2011's poorest berry crop on record, we may have a few early bears in March. When bears emerge and there's just snow, some head directly to backyards and birdfeeders.  So you should have your bird and squirrel feeders down by mid-March and start getting into the habit of keeping anything food or garbage related securely inside. Remember, recycling is bear food. Make sure you clean recycled containers with soap.  

 
How do you envisage the co-habitation between residents and Bears moving forward over the next few years?

This is the best question anyone's ever asked. The last 2 years saw alot of bears die in the Whistler area...over 50...mostly due to being destroyed as conflict bears from garbage-feeding leading to breaking into homes and bears being struck by vehicles on Highway 99. Bears also died from old age, malnutrition, and injuries from other bears. Having 2 bad berry crops back to back (2010-11) didn't help. Its important to understand that the bear population is cyclic. When we experience balanced, seasonal weather, bear survival is higher. When we have unseasonal, extreme weather, bear survival is lower. Extreme scales of snowfall, rain, and/or temperature reduces the availability of huckleberries and blueberries, the bear's most important food. These cycles in the bear population will always occur...so we will have good years and bad years. This year, we will have less bears around because 2010-11 were bad for berries and bear survival was low.  This year, a base population of at least 45 bears (that I know) could grow to 60+ bears depending on how many cubs are produced. In the WB ski area, there are 17 female bears and 16 of them are due to have cubs. They all won't produce cubs but we should have more cubs this year than the 7 cubs in 2011. When the bear population does drop, competition between bears goes down and some bear survival increases because there are less bears looking for food. And please don't hind behind Whistler's BearSmart Status...last summer the berries failed and bears tested the system and accessed garbage everywhere. So bear proof containment continues to be a progressive challenge each year.

Thanks to Michael for giving this Bear a new life and with his commitment to learning and promoting ‘considerate and bear smart’ behavior, so we can live in harmony with Whistler’s bear population.

For more information on how to be bear smart you can participate in Bear viewing and ecology tours through Whistler/Blackcomb by calling 1-800-766-0449 or read more on their site at http://www.whistlerblackcomb.com/todo/summer/bears/index.htm?aheading=0, read about more ways to behave responsibly with Whistler’s bears at http://www.bearsmart.com/, or contact your municipality for more information at http://www.whistler.ca/residents/sustainability-environmental-protection/bears , 

Sarah Walters

Assistant Manager The Re-Use-It Centre

Photoblog: One piece ski-suits

 

The one piece ski-suits in The Re-Use-It Centre have to be seen to be believed! Check out some of the finds we've had over this 2011-2012 Winter Season.

 

Make sure you don't miss out on the ultimate Gaper-Day/ Valley Rally outfit. Come visit us in Function and find yourself a piece of Whistler History.

-Helen, Manager at The WCSS Re-Use-It Centre

Old is new again: VHS movies

Thrift stores are always guaranteed to be a place where old technologies congregate, to be revived and collected by folk who promise them another life.

Avid collectors of LP's, cassettes and now CD's come through on a regular basis to peruse our wide variety of out-dated retro treasure, snapping up old favorites here, taking a $1 chance on investigating an obscure band there... It's gratifying to see the excitement of the "find" take over with a fanatical gleam of an eye.

With all the movie-downloading and whatnot these days, sometimes it's refreshing to go back to basics and watch an old favorite on VHS. We have a huge selection at the moment after one of our customers donated more than half the collection of her and her boyfriend (Boyfriend is out of town... let's hope his heart isn't broken to find his South Park stash has disappeared). Perhaps one of these recent classics will pique your interest...

 1) Braveheart, featuring Mel Gibson: Who can go past the classic tale of one man fighting for what he believes in against all odds?

Best viewed with: someone who enjoys a little battle-type violence.








2) Meet the Parents, with Ben Stiller and Robert DeNiro: An comedy that takes all your little fears about meeting the family of your Significant Other and just runs with them... Cringeworthy, but strangely, you can't look away...

Best viewed with: a large group of people who can't decide on a movie.

3) My Best Friend's Wedding, featuring Julia Roberts: A romantic comedy that doesn't end the way you expect. Some great slapstick, a truly awful karaoke attempt by Cameron Diaz, and plenty of angst.

Best viewed with: Girls.







The possibilities are endless, folks- the VHS shelves are heaving full, and if you find yourself smacking your hand to your face because you ditched your VCR last spring-clean, never fear, we can find you a workable solution at The Re-Use-It Centre for $10 or less.

I don't know about you, but I think I'm going to put the popcorn on!

Enjoy.

Helen, Manager at The WCSS Re-Use-It Centre

How the Mystery Cabinet Came to Whistler!

Sometimes you recycle more than you mean to is the story of a 63 year old wallet found in a cabinet donated to the Re-Build-It Centre. Both local papers ran a short story about the mystery wallet and because of their help, we now have the story of how it ended up in Whistler.

Yesterday I received an e-mail from Eileen, who was surprised to hear that there was a secret drawer in the cabinet she used to own. "I had no idea there was a secret drawer," she writes. "I aquired the cabinet during my first marriage which occurred in 1963. We lived in Glendale at the time (next to Burbank) and it was a hand-me-down from friends of my parents...the Ertels. It was an old music cabinet which I converted to a china/linen cabinet. An I painted it the colour it was when you aquired!"

Eileen adds,"Then it came to Canada with me when I moved here in 1974 with my second husband. It was used still as a cabinet and then was in storage for a bit...in between husbands! Then when I met my 3rd husband and we bought our house, it came into the dining room and was used for a bit until we started buying antique furniture.  Then when we bought the Whistler property in 1985, it moved there...and remained there until the house was sold! While at Whistler, it also served as a storage area for little kids' toys.

Please feel free to share this part of the journey!" Eileen.

John McGregor, a real estate agent in Whistler had received the cabinet when Eileen sold her house, and then donated it to the Re-Build-It Centre when it was too big for his new townhouse. He was kind enough to contact Eileen with the story published in the paper. Thank you to both for helping us fill in more gaps on the mystery cabinet.

Ten Indications You May Be a Thrift Store Addict (or, alternatively, a Dedicated Sustainable Shoppper)

1. You walk into your local Thrift Store, the staff greets you by name and lets you know that a big donation of owls/masks/brass elephants just came in and they've been put aside for you.

2. You bring your own recyclable bags when thrifting, intending to fill them all with treasure.

3. The only way your Significant Other will allow you to even enter a Thrift Store is if you first donate several bags of items back.When you donate items back to a Thrift Store, some of them still have Thrift Store price tags attached.

4. You have at least 3 half-sets of dishes that you slowly add to over years and years of searching for and collecting.

5.You buy items for other people when thrifting, because when you see that particular item, you know so-and-so will love it.

6.You notice when your local Thrift Store moves items around, and are completely disoriented.

7. When thrifting, you purchase "unique pieces" that you intend to match with other items in your wardrobe. These items, when worn, embarrass your family and friends, but you still love them (the items and the family members).


8. Sometimes you are forced, uneasily, leave your basket(/s) aside with the Cashier so you have your hands free to continue shopping. You check back regularly to the front counter to be sure all your treasures are still yours, safely in the basket(/s).

9. You run into fellow Dedicated Sustainable Shoppers who you know solely because you see them every week in your local/favorite Thrift Store. You start to organize regular trips with them, stopping for coffee and eventually making a weekly afternoon ritual of it. You love these folk, but also remain slightly suspicious that they will beat you to the treasure, and only half-credibly swallow your jealousy when they inevitably do pick up those moose antlers before you get a chance to swoop in on them.



10. You've found so much treasure over the years that when people ask you what your best thrifting find is, you can't choose an item (unless you were the lucky one who scored the child-sized Pink Panther recently, and then your answer is obvious)!

Please note that this list was put together by a self-confessed Thrift Store Addict. I love thrifting; even working at The Re-Use-It Centre hasn't spoiled it for me! Just don't ask me what my best find has been... there are way too many to count!


Helen, Manager at The WCSS Re-Use-It Centre