9 Places to Get Stuff Fixed in Toronto

Moms can handle almost anything when it comes to their kids: public tantrums, high fevers, endless hours of Rainbow Loom bracelet making, but a smashed iPad, an out of tune piano, or shoes that have lost their heel? Help, please. Here's nine places to go when you need someone in the know.

At first we just loved the fact a twenty-something female was operating in the same space occupied by (mostly) older men of a different generation, but then we heard the reviews of her work and had our own excellent experience. For boots, heels or flats that need new bottoms or TLC pre-winter, Sole Survivor in Kensington Market is a shoe-in for one of our favourite footwear fixers.

Since we first wrote about the service, Stroller Spa continues to service Savvy moms in the city who suddenly find that their main mode of transportation needs a tune-up. From repairs to just a simple refresh, they'll come to your door and pick yours up, and even leave a loaner if you need one.

Did you have that momentary lapse in judgment when you gave your child your iPhone/iPad/Android phone and they dropped it? Don't panic. Toronto's go-to guy is Eddie, the genius who runs Toronto Repair Inc. (located east of Kennedy on Steeles). Whether the screen shattered or your phone now shows the white, black or green ‘screen of death', most of Eddie's repairs are ready in an hour with competitive and fair pricing. He'll also repair game consoles like PlayStation and Wii.

Sometimes we all need a little screen time to preserve our sanity. So when your television, desktop or laptop has decided it wants a time out, try calling Sunder, owner and operator of the amusingly named Leslieville Geek. He'll come to your home and expertly (and affordably) have all your electronic devices (note: not smartphones or tablets) up and working in no time.

There are many bike repair places in the city, but we've received the best service at Riverside's Switchback Cyclery, run by a team that genuinely loves cycling, and seemingly their customers too. They'll try and get you back on wheels in no time—we recommend booking an appointment in advance as word of mouth has spread about their superior customer care.

We can manage the odd button that needs replacing, but beyond that our sewing skills are severely lacking. We prefer to send our alterations over to Nina, an old-school seamstress in the Yonge and Eglinton area who not only provides pricing for usual tasks on her website so there are no surprises, but has never let us down on the quality of her work, including altering goose down jackets for a more flattering fit. (Yes, it can be done!)

Remember the days when men in trucks drove around ringing a bell to sell ice cream in the summer, or playing crazy tunes to get you to bring out your dull knives to be sharpened? The folks at Sharp My Knife do, and that's why they started a door-to-door knife and tool-sharpening business servicing Toronto and the GTA. The key difference with this company is that you can call and book an appointment with them and they'll come to your house at a pre-arranged time. No more chasing the truck down the street with your dull knives in hand (not so safe, or savvy).

It's possible we've been barking up the wrong tree all these years. For emergency—or non-emergency—vet services, a mobile veterinarian that comes to our door is the perfect fix for our pet-related requirements. Dr. Andrew Pulczer offers an extensive range of services in the GTA, from annual checkups to caring for unexpected mishaps.

As the thousand photos saved on our smart phone will attest, we're more likely to use our mobile for most of our picture taking these days, but that's only because our ‘real' camera hasn't worked in months. If we were smart, we'd take it into Kominek before the holidays (or before our phone storage tops out), and capture some lasting memories with a more sophisticated snapper.