On Sat. May 7, residents affected by the City of Ottawa’s outdoor water ban can do a little
good when they buy a refurbished rain barrel from a number of truckload sales
events around the city.
Rainbarrel.ca, an Ontario company that makes refurbished
rain barrels out of old vegetable transport containers, has partnered with four
charities and non-profit organizations in Ottawa to sell their products at $55,
with $10 from each sale going directly to the charity hosting the event.
As the City of Ottawa
is offering a $50 rebate for rain barrels purchased by affected residents,
customers only pay $5 for their refurbished barrel, which company spokesperson
Larry Pomerantz said is sturdier than the ones in stores.
“They’re far more durable than rain barrels we see at retail
outlets. They are solid, solid barrels. People have been using them for
decades, we’ve just turned that into a business and we keep our prices low
because of the volume we have,” he said. The refurbished barrels each have a
mosquito and leaf debris filter basket, an overflow hose, an outlet to join
rain barrels together in series and a spigot at the bottom for connecting a
standard garden hose. Pomerantz said the barrels meet the city’s rebate
requirements.
Customers must pre-purchase or reserve a rain barrel on the
website before the event, although Pomerantz said a very few extra barrels will
be sent for “walk-up” sales. Customers who choose not to pay online in advance
can only pay cash when they pick up their barrel.
From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 7, residents can pick
up their reserved rain barrel at the location of their choice. In Manotick, the
Manotick Village Community Association will host a sale at the Manotick Arena.
A Fallowfield Park and Ride sale will be hosted by Stittsville’s Chapel Ridge
Free Methodist church to fund humanitarian missions, and in Riverside South the
Kanata-March Horticultural Society and St. Anne Catholic school will host a
sale at the Earl Armstrong park and ride. St. Matthew’s Anglican Church will also host a sale on their property in
the Glebe.
Pomerantz said the response has been overwhelming so far,
with more than 600 barrels already ordered for the Fallowfield location. He
said each location will have a 1,200 barrel maximum for logistics’ sake, but
that if interest is high enough the company will plan more events for the
following weekend.
To reserve or pre-purchase a barrel visit www.rainbarrel.ca.