Whitehorse 're:design' craft fair to highlight reused materials

Two Yukoners are hoping to do their part to counter the hyper-consumerism of the Christmas season with a post-consumer wastecraft fair.

"Negative waste, not just zero waste," is how organizer Leslie Leong describes the goalof "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."

Jeans, pallets and guns

When Leong and Darren Holcombefirst cameup with the idea of the craft fair, they weren't sure who else would be interested. Nowthey've got more than a dozenartisans who've agreed to set up a tableand even more who have expressedan interest. Vendors are making things out ofold jeans, wood palletsand bed spreads.

"I though if we had10 [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 Holcombesaid craft fair items have to be "substantially" made from salvaged or reused materialsbut not completely. For example, Leong said, builders using salvaged wooddon't have to userecycled nails.

Holcombesaid he was approached by a carver about participatingbut Holcombewas sceptical since the carver worked with wood or bone.

"It's really cool, it's natural, but it's not post-consumer," Holcombesaid.

The carver then told Holcombe about work he'd done for the policedismantling 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."