A 1957 time capsule was discovered at Gander Academy. Here's what they found
CBC
The year was 1957. The Frisbee had just been invented. The Soviets had launched Sputnik into space, and Elvis Presley was all shook up to hit No. 1 on the music charts.
In the town of Gander, N.L., students and staff at Gander Academy filled a small copper box with tokens and treasures, newspaper clippings, and letters all meant to capture what life was like back then. That copper box was built into the cornerstone of the school.
More than six decades later, that building is now gone and replaced by a new modern facility. The time capsule was found and saved but the contents remained a mystery for the entire school year. Principal Collett Kelly acknowledged the anticipation for the big event was great.
"Opening up the time capsule was super exciting," said Kelly. "The children's eyes were beaming. That was pretty awesome."
The plan was to mark the end of the first year in the new school with a grand unveiling of the time capsule. Vice-principal Tracy Templeman admits that waiting to see what was hidden inside allowed for imaginations to run wild.
"I think that given the fact that these students were with us last year when we found the box, " said Templeman, "they anticipated for a whole year what could be inside."
One of those students was Emma LaCour, a Grade 3 student who was selected to lead the unveiling. Emma admits she was nervous about the job.
"Yeah, I was really scared," said Lacour. "I never really talked in front of a big crowd before. I thought I was going to mess up the words or something."
She didn't. She expertly introduced the officials in attendance which included Health Minister John Haggie and Gander Mayor Percy Farwell.
After some speeches and an enthusiastic rendition of the official Gander Academy song by the school choir, the time capsule was finally cracked open.
All eyes fixated on a small flat rectangular box covered in a deep green and black patina. As they slowly lifted the cover, its insides shone with a brilliant copper that reflected the fluorescent lights of the gymnasium.
There was an audible gasp from the students who were impatiently waiting to see what was inside. Some were sitting just a few meters away, while others watched from their classrooms on television screens. Some teachers and staff filmed the unveiling with their smart phones.
It was all in stark contrast to what onlookers would have been doing 65 years ago, when the box was originally sealed.
The contents served as a time machine back to a era when a new Pontiac would cost you just $2,794 and a new pair of shoes sold for $2.98. There was a yellowed copy of The Daily News featuring world events in pictures. Buried under the paper, students unearthed a photograph of a school hockey team with young men wearing Hunt Memorial Academy jerseys. A quick Google Search allowed onlookers to remember that was the name of the school before it was renamed Gander Academy. There was also a collection of coins, some dated before Newfoundland became a province of Canada.
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