Soldered brass box time capsule hidden in Guelph rec centre

The City of Guelph took a trip back to 1974Mondayas they unveiled a time capsule discovered almost by accident in the corner stone of the Victoria Road Recreation Centre.

The brass box, which had be soldered shut, was found by a contractor in August of 2016 during demolition for thebuilding's renovations, said HeatherFlaherty, the general manager of parks and recreation with the City ofGuelph.

Inside, were pamphlets for parks and recreation, hockey and baseball programs, postcards, newspapers and two letters, including one from then-mayor Norm Jary.

Though its discovery came as a bit of a surprise, Flaherty said she was tipped off something had been buried at the cornerstone after receiving a call from a woman named Heather who explained her father worked at the facility and had mentioned it to her as a child.

Finding Heather Kennedy

When workers first went to look for it, they were disappointed to find nothing in the cornerstone, said Flaherty, but later learned an excavator had moved the block from its original location.

The cornerstone cracked andexposed a brass box about 45centimetreshigh and about 10centimetreswide. Flahertymobilized her coworkers to track down the woman who had tipped them off: Heather Kennedy.

"It was an emotional time for her, as she got to see the contents of the time capsule her dad has passed away now. But inside that time capsule as well was a little school picture of Heather, from 1973."

The Victoria Road Recreation Centre has been under construction since March 31, 2016 for extensive renovations to its pool, parking lots and water and sewer infrastructure.

Initially the recreation centre renovations were to cost $15.1 million and would take 12 to 15 months.The grand re-opening of the Victoria Road Recreation Centreis now set forJune 24.

As for the brass box, it's destined back underground. Flaherty said the city plans to use the same box as a time capsule that will be buried this summer and dug up again in another 25 years.