Toronto Tool Library and Makerspace

Co-Founder of the Toronto Tool Library, Ryan Dyment is an activist and accountant turned social entrepreneur. Having worked in finance for a number of years, he was interested in economies. “This [economy] didn’t make much sense to me. I travelled a lot and I came across other models that made sense to me, so I began exploring what that would look like.” The first tool library appeared in Berkeley in 1979. “I discovered that someone in California in the 1970s had done this. They had the exact same worldview and I thought that was remarkable,” Ryan recalls.

The economy that Ryan had in mind was less wasteful, instead opting for a more sustainable sharing model. It took the form of a co-operative-like organization where DIY-minded folks in the city could become paying members and share access to maker resources – from table saws to 3D printers – in a community hub space. The library offers a three-tier membership system depending on how much you plan to visit. On Wednesday nights from 7 to 10 pm, the space is open and free to the community and the shop buzzes with crafty types. Volunteers also host occasional workshops to teach woodworking and proper tool use.

In 2012, After getting business partner Lawrence Alvarez and some volunteers on board, the team started chipping away at the basement of the Parkdale Activity and Recreation Centre (PARC). “We didn’t have a lot of tools then, Ryan says, but we had lots of good energy, so the press came before we had even opened our doors. Donations of tools started flowing in and within days we had 500 to 1000 tools.”