In a history-infused episode, students at Toronto’s Danforth Collegiate Institute engaged in a unique expedition into the past. On Tuesday, the school’s front lawn transformed into an archaeological site with one goal in mind – to unearth a century-old time capsule cocooned within the building’s cornerstone.
Sealed within the heart of the colossal stone lay a snapshot of the city’s life from June 29, 1922. At this juncture the edifice bore the name Riverdale Branch Technical School, although it didn’t commence operations until a year later.
The sense of anticipation surged through the afternoon as the proverbial treasure chest remained a challenging mystery. It took a collective effort of bricklayers nearly five grueling hours of jackhammering, followed by vigorous crowbarring, to dislodge the 500-pound cornerstone and allow the time capsule to emerge.
An air of palpable excitement bushed through the crowd when Bryan Wires, the school’s Principal, became the first to secure the capsule in his grasp. He was also bestowed the honor of unveiling its contents.
The discovery was met with awe by the numerous students present. Upon excavation, the capsule revealed an eclectic mix, over a dozen items, including daily newspapers, attendance records, and a labor directory.
Prominently amongst the treasures discovered was a 50th-anniversary Canadian coin. Interestingly, it was a custodian from the school that had generously donated this memento. Ron Passmore, an alumnus, and a member of the school’s tech society described the experience as an exciting amalgamation of emotion and happiness. The pristine condition of artifacts after a century of lying dormant surpassed their expectations.
Currently, the team at Danforth Collegiate Institute is documenting the recovered artifacts. They plan to reintroduce them to their capsule abode, resealing the cornerstone that held them for a hundred years.
In order to commemorate this unearthed story from the past, the school has inspiring plans on the anvil. A grand centennial anniversary event is scheduled for October 28. Simultaneously, the present generation of students is crafting a tangible heirloom of their own – a new time capsule filled with artifacts of today’s adolescent life.
Farill Arad, Vice-president of the school’s student council shared their plan to encapsulate the quotidian facets of high school life, like cellphones, merchandise, and yearbooks, among others. In order to assure its safety and swift retrieval, they intend to store the capsule within the school premises, kindling the mystery for the students one century hence.
