Prince Rupert's new time capsule project has reignited interest into the mystery of what happened to the previous one that was buried over half a century ago.
On July 21, the city launched a time capsule initiative and put out a call to its residents to participate by creating their own capsule to help commemorate the year 2025 and this particular time in Prince Rupert's history. As word got around about the project, some residents recalled the city's original time capsule, inquiring about its whereabouts.
On Aug. 23, Saige Clifford Acker posted two photos on the Prince Rupert Stories of the Past Facebook page of the original capsule being buried, and asked if anyone knew why the city stopped looking for it.
The capsule in question is a 1.2-metre-long 'space capsule,' a converted propane cylinder that had a radius of 14 inches. It was buried at the Lookout Point, now Totem Park, near the then-new Prince Rupert Regional Hospital, by members of the city's Junior Chamber of Commerce on the evening of Tuesday, July 21, 1971. The capsule was welded shut right after the deadline hour of 7 p.m., cast in cement and then buried almost one metre down, and was scheduled to be opened on Prince Rupert's Centennial Day on March 10, 2010.
Junior Chamber of Commerce vice-president Trent McNeice said in 1971 that the capsule was a way of celebrating two centennials—B.C.'s centennial on the day it was buried and Prince Rupert's 40 years later.
The capsule was full of letters contributed by interested residents, as well as everyday household items such as cans of salmon, catalogues, more than 80 copies of recent daily newspapers, magazines, a cigarette lighter, a shoe horn, eyeglasses, bottles of beer, soft drinks, a Centennial Dollar, credit cards, matches, calendars, lipsticks, pantyhose, razor blades and more.
The list of items was incomplete to add more fun and mystery to the capsule, according to McNeice, who added that one of the mayor's robes of office may have also been included.
Prince Rupert residents never found out if the robe was inside or not, as the capsule was never recovered.
The city attempted to dig it up in the winter of 2009, nearly 40 years after the capsule was buried. However, there was a struggle to locate its whereabouts, and an appeal was even put out to the public in hopes of finding the historic collection.
In 2015, Prince Rupert also provided support to residents seeking to locate the capsule using ground-penetrating radar, but efforts were once again unsuccessful.
In response to Acker's Facebook post, many residents knew the capsule was lost as the city could not locate it, while others offered their own hypotheses and explanations for the disappearance.
Barry Eso stated that the capsule was plainly visible and removed. He said he spoke with a city worker from the past, who said the capsule may have ended up in a spot at the works yard after the area was dug up by city crew members.
Bob Pearson suggested that the capsule likely landed up in a landfill somewhere when the back of the hill was removed by a developer in the 1990s.
"If you go to the back edge of the hill and look down, you can see all the area that was removed," Pearson stated.
Robbie Marionson also shared a similar hill hypothesis, stating that the capsule may have slid down the hill over the decades.
Bird Jackson suggested the possibility that someone dug it up right after it was buried and took it home with them.
Shauna Lynn added that the lost capsule is "soooo Prince Rupert," and said it was a shame it was lost.
Nick Willers quipped that the capsule should have been found by now, considering all the streets that the city has torn up over the years.
Prince Rupert's new capsule will remain sealed for at least 50 years and will avoid suffering the same fate as the 1971 version. Instead of being buried, it will be kept in a display case at City Hall with specific instructions stating that it not be opened until 2075. The city is also encouraging residents to make their own personal capsules to be kept at home until 2075.
"We are doing it this way because, based on the previous iteration of this project, we know that the ground here tends to shift and we don’t want to lose this one," the City of Prince Rupert stated. "We also don't want 12,000 holes out in public parks, so if you don’t have a backyard that you’re sure you’ll still have in 20 to 50 years, there are alternatives."
The capsule will capture a snapshot of life in the community, and residents are invited to suggest items that they think best represent Prince Rupert. Items must be no larger than four inches by four inches, and suggestions can be submitted to [email protected] by Sept. 15. Once the ideas are collected, there will be a community vote and the top three most popular items will be placed in the new capsule.
"This is your chance to help future Rupertites see who we are today—our stories, our culture and what makes our community unique," the city stated.
As for residents' own time capsules, the city suggested storing them indoors in a secure, climate-controlled location, such as a closet, attic or even a decorative container that can be put on display. The city also reminded residents to use materials that can withstand the test of time and encouraged using digital options alongside physical items.
Residents can then submit photos of their own capsule, along with a list of included items to [email protected] or in writing to City Hall to be entered in a draw to win one of 20 distinctly Prince Rupert sweatshirts.
The new time capsule will be unveiled by the end of the year, the City said.
