Fix it or toss it out?

Regina residents will soon be able to bring their broken appliances, bikes and even knitted items that need work to a free-of-charge repair shop hosted by the Regina Public Library.

It will be held at the library's central branch downtown on March 19 from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. CST.

Dubbed the repair cafe, the event lets people bring their items in to be fixed on the spot with the help of volunteer repairers.

Wai Chu Cheng has been running similar set-ups in Toronto for almost three years. She says the first step in a successful gig is having good volunteers.

Joel Braun (left) and Denver Magotiaux finish working on a bike in this July 2015 photo.

"The next step is really to make it a fun event for everyone, and to really focus on teaching and learning," she said.

"You will find someone, somewhere. They fix things for their families, for the people that they know. Repair cafes bring these people out together and they work together."

There's still a call for more volunteers to Regina's repair cafe. In particular, they're looking for people who are handy with clothing and textile items, bicycles, electrical appliances and wooden objects.

People interested in volunteering are encouraged to contact the Regina public library.