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Kootenay colleges partner with KORE
College of the Rockies has teamed up with the Kootenay Outdoor Recreation Enterprise Society (KORE Outdoors) and Selkirk College to launch the KORE Re-Hub Tour – a mobile outdoor gear repair and education project with sustainability at its core.
Kicking off May 25 at Revelstoke Re-fest, the Re-Hub Tour transforms College of the Rockies’ Mobile Education Lounge into a roaming gear repair station. It offers free repairs on outdoor gear, skill building workshops, and drop-off points for items needing more complex fixes – all while promoting a shift toward a circular economy.
After wrapping up its West Kootenay stops on June 14 in Nelson, the Re-Hub Tour will continue through the East Kootenay, visiting:
| June 21: Creston Farmers’ Market | June 28 – 29: Kimberley Localpalooza |
| July 4: Fernie Gravel Grind | July 12: Cranbrook Community Futures |
| July 16: Golden Summer Kicks | July 19: Invermere Valley Appreciation Day |
Additional West Kootenay appearances include the Kaslo Wild Ultra on July 13 and the Rossland Arts and Culture Fest on September 13.
At each stop, skilled technicians will repair soft goods like jackets, backpacks, and sleeping bags. Hard goods such as ski equipment can be dropped off in six communities for evaluation and potential repair through Selkirk College’s Technology Access Centre.
“The Re-Hub Tour is helping to reduce landfill waste, extend the life of valuable gear, and show how the outdoor industry can support a circular economy,” said Paul Tiege, Manager, Applied Research and Innovation at College of the Rockies. “We’re proud to contribute by supporting a sustainable business practices study and supplying the Mobile Education Lounge.”
With only one per cent of outdoor gear materials currently being recycled, according to the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the Re-Hub Tour offers a practical and hopeful response to one of the industry’s biggest environmental challenges.
The project is funded by the Province of British Columbia’s Clean BC Plastics Action Fund, ETSI-BC, and 1% for the Planet with donations from Gear re-Store, PBJ Merch Co, and Autogrowth Inc.
For more about the Re-Hub program visit: koreoutdoors.org/rehub.
Learn more about College of the Rockies at cotr.bc.ca
Lead image: As part of the KORE Re-Hub Tour, College of the Rockies’ Mobile Education Lounge serves as a repair centre for soft outdoor gear. Taylor Clark Photo
College of the Rockies
