A time capsule found in the cornerstone at Father Lacombe Catholic School earlier this year has finally revealed its secrets.
“The time capsule contains many archival items from both 1907 – when the first time capsule was created – and 1956-57 – when the second time capsule was laid,” explained Brittany Kerik, collections registrar, and researcher at the Lacombe Museum.
“There are programs for the laying of the cornerstones both in 1907 and 1957, newspapers with various important events at the time such as the opening of the J.S. McCormick School, the new Nelson School being constructed in front of the old Nelson School, and even the reopening of the Adelphi Hotel (now the Lacombe Hub),” she said.
“There is also a 1956 Alberta Teacher’s Handbook along with the annual general meeting notes from that year, a prosperity certificate – which was a system put in place to help alleviate the impacts of the Great Depression – coins from as far back as 1896, and commemorative pins from the coronation of King George VI in 1937 as well as the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.”
Kerik said it was back in 1907 that Lacombe’s second school, the Nelson School, was constructed.
“It was an impressively large building made from local building materials and it was a big step for the town of Lacombe,” she said.
“This was commemorated with a time capsule being laid within the cornerstone of the school. In 1956 when this school was being demolished to make way for the new Nelson school, the time capsule was found.
“It was then decided that more items would be added to the capsule and once again be placed in the cornerstone.”
During the recent construction of the Father Lacombe Catholic School, the capsule was once again found and transferred to the Lacombe and District Historical Society to be opened and housed in their collection.
“It is exciting how much of an interest the community has shown in the time capsule,” said Kerik.
“It can be so fun to get a glimpse into what was important to our city 65 to 115 years ago. Even the commemorative coronation pins can bind us with the past as the world just experienced the coronation of King Charles III,” she explained.
“That’s really what it comes down to – people taking away a feeling of community and kinship with those who placed the first capsule. They left what they thought we would like to see, and we, in turn, were eager to discover it.”
