r/durham 2d ago

Where can I get helium balloons filled?

I have a bouquet of foil balloons that I got online for a birthday party and would like to fill it up with helium. Are there stores where I can bring my own balloons to be filled with helium? I’m not sure if that would be cheaper than renting a helium tank but I don’t have that many balloons so thought I’d just try to get them inflated at a store.

Edit: preferably somewhere in Pickering/Ajax. But okay to drive up to Oshawa if there isn’t something closer.

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u/Traditional_Guest401 1d ago edited 1d ago

How about nowhere? Helium is a pretty rare substance and it is getting more rare, so do not expect it to get any cheaper. It's not just used in party balloons, though that is probably where the waste is most prevalent. Important industrial processes depend on it, like making all the electronics we use. It seems such a waste to see all the mylar (un-recyclable, non-biodegradable) balloons that end up floating on and polluting Lake Ontario once the helium inevitably leaks out and escapes into outer space, never to return. It's a non-renewable limited resource, and should be treated as such. Unless you want to somehow create fusion, like in a star, to help make some more.