Looking at the unfinished 2,000-piece puzzle spread out on her desk in her basement in Cambridge, Ont., Yvette Bellaire wonders just how much money she’s spent on all the puzzles she’s completed over the last few years.
Hundreds of dollars? Maybe even thousands?
Probably so, since she usually finishes about two or three puzzles every week.
But because of a jigsaw puzzle exchange group on Facebook that she started in Hespeler back in 2021, she hasn’t had to pay anything at all.
“I love the fact that we’re exchanging puzzles constantly and saving so much money,” Bellaire said.
Bellaire explained that starting the group during the pandemic made perfect sense. She used to buy her own puzzles, but restrictions made shopping around way harder.
Yvette Bellaire is the founder and admin of Hespeler’s jigsaw puzzle exchange group on Facebook. (Cameron Mahler/CBC)
So instead, she decided to build a community for it.
“I’ve got a set ready to give to someone now. I mean, I’ve got probably 50 odd puzzles stored away,” said Bellaire.
“You get to learn which members like which themes and so on. It’s just really exciting and super economical. Because puzzles are so expensive.”
She said her inspiration came from those Buy Nothing groups popping up during the pandemic where people shared stuff for free. Her husband actually suggested: “Why don’t you do this for puzzles?”
“And now we’re 170 in the group,” she said. “And growing.”
Yvette Bellaire laying in front of her largest puzzle to date. (Yvette Bellaire)
When she created the group, Bellaire was still new to Hespeler Village in Cambridge. Looking back, she says it helped her feel more at home.
“I love it,” she said. “I’ve never seen anything like the Hespeler community for giving and sharing and donating. It’s just incredible.”
A tiny puzzle library
Elsewhere in town by the Speed River that divides the village, there’s a small red dresser sitting outside Tracy Mac Donald’s house with a handmade sign above it saying: “Little Free Puzzle Library.”
Mac Donald also got involved with Hespeler’s jigsaw puzzle exchange during the pandemic.
The little puzzle library in Tracy Mac Donald’s front yard has been around for three years now, and people still come by daily. (Cameron Mahler/CBC)
‘COVID hit and it was very difficult to get puzzles. You couldn’t find them in stores, you couldn’t order them online,’ Mac Donald explained.
She started trading puzzles with friends and neighbours until one day in 2021 she thought: “you know what? Those little book libraries I see around would work great for puzzles too.”
“It kind of caught on.”
The little library first began as a big plastic bin Mac Donald found tucked away at home but last year one regular visitor donated this chest of drawers that’s there now.
“Sometimes it’s packed full inside with drawers stuffed tight and boxes piled on top,” she said. “Other times there’s barely any left inside.”
But folks stop by every single day.
Tracy Mac Donald said sometimes the library is so full that boxes get stacked on top.
(Cameron Mahler/CBC)
Mac Donald mentioned how lockdowns made socializing hard until this little library offered something different.
“Puzzles gave us a bit more ways to connect,” said Mac Donald adding they got chances to chat with people they might not have otherwise since visiting indoors wasn’t an option.
Even though restrictions eased up now,
Mac Donald says neighbors keep using it.
“I’m happy just keeping our community strong here because we have such a tight-knit place,”
she added.
“That’s what Hespeler is known for – any chance we get building connections is worth it.”
A true puzzle expert
It isn’t surprising both these puzzle groups popped up during COVID-19 according to Stacy Costa from Toronto who calls herself an enigmatologist – basically a specialist who knows all about puzzles.
Stacy Costa is an enigmatologist, also known as a puzzle expert.
(Stacy Costa)
“‘Historically,
the idea of jigsaws became popular when people were grieving.
Think after World War One or during tough times like The Depression or even this pandemic.. we need things that offer relief.’”
she explained.
Much of Canada was stuck online throughout lockdowns which Costa thinks made many want something non-digital instead.
“People wanted something non-digital.
So everyone turns back to that jigsaw puzzle.’”
She pointed out how working on these can fill long hours,
take minds off worries,
and anyone can do them without language issues.
Finishing one even gives you that nice dopamine boost everyone loves.
“We have this urge to solve things.
Just like solving big mysteries-we need answers.’”
Source link
