Islanders bring broken items to Fix It Fair

Following the rule to not throw it out just yet, about 30volunteers "fixers"devoted their time on Saturday to help Islanders with broken items, including appliances, clothes, computers and violins.

"Too often we throw away things if [they don't]work perfectly, but it might just be a simple fix,"said Jessica Brown, sustainability outreach coordinator with the City of Charlottetown and an organizer for the Fix It Fair at the Murphy Community Centre.

"So, that is really how this whole idea came about."

• Don't throw it out bring it to the Fix It Fair

Irwin Campbell, one of the fixers, helped repair a record player, CD player and clock radio.

"It's not just broken stuff being fixed,but fixers working with other fixers, learning new ways on how to get the job done," he said.

Campbell, now retired, was in the repair business for several years.

He noted that older items are more repairable compared to newer items, which are "made to throw away."He said it's better for the environment and landfills if something is fixed rather than thrown away.

One of the people who brought in a broken item was Teresa Murphy. Her audio speaker that connects to her iPod makes a spark when she plugs it in.

"I really didn't want to throw it out. It has a wonderful sound. So, we're working on it and we'll see what happens. There is some optimism we can get it fixed," she said.

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