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Rossland time capsule project gets underway

The Rossland Time Capsule will capture all that defines life in Rossland today, says project coordinator Ryan McGill.
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It will be back to the future this fall.

The Rossland Time Capsule Project has fired up the flux capacitor this week and will begin filling a state-of-the-art capsule for sealing in September during Golden City Days.

Project coordinator Ryan McGill first introduced the idea for the project with city council in February with the goal of creating a time capsule landmark that will be “celebrated in its design, cherished and remembered in its preservation, and anticipated in its discovery.”

The Rossland Time Capsule will capture all that defines life in Rossland today, said McGill in a press release.

It's “a snap shot in time of our many recent successes and challenges, and continued celebration of the strength of our arts and culture, recreation, social diversity, and economy,” he said.

A task force had been developed—made up of library, chamber of commerce and other community members—to bring the project into reality.

And now it is open to the public. McGill said people are invited to create something unique and expressive, and truly representative of life in Rossland.

“We can’t determine what people in the future will find meaningful, and it may be that smaller more subtle expressions from individuals could upon discovery be the most cherished objects by Rossland residents 100 years into our future,” he said.

McGill hoped the new time capsule would capture a material snapshot of the present in Rossland, and could include its many successes and challenges like the downtown renovation and potential school restructuring.

“This isn’t a collection of historic artifacts, this is an attempt to capture what we are as Rosslanders today,” he said.

McGill, who had been researching the topic, said there were no similar projects going on in the area.

“As soon as you say the word time capsule, I find mystery and wonder and magic fills the air,” McGill said back in February. “Who hasn’t imagined being a child digging in the yard and finding something lost in time, searching in your grandparents attic… in their old shed for some forgotten treasures? That’s the same magic that will touch us all as a community as we celebrate the many stages of this project.”

There are currently two time capsules in Rossland, said McGill, though neither has the community’s involvement and would likely be filled with architectural drawings of old buildings.

“One waits in a corner of the Bank of Montreal building, placed there during its construction in 1898,” he said. “The other is in the bank vault of the Rossland credit union. Both are what I describe as neither community relevant, nor celebrated.”

As individuals and as a community, the time capsule project is a healthy mental process to undertake, McGill stated, by reflecting on the significance of our own contributions to the community and our community’s contribution to the world.

“Being mentally invested in the creation of a time capsule for discovery 100 years in the future, you cannot help but visit your own mortality and the impression that you are leaving as a individual and as a member of your community,” he said.

Participation from community groups, schools, local business and industry, and individuals will be essential to the success of the project, McGill added, and combined contributions and involvement will help accurately define the community of Rossland.

Rosslanders are encouraged to be involved with this project by submitting something unique to enclose in the capsule. Materials to be considered for inclusion in the capsule must be submitted by the end of July at the Rossland Public Library.

“The capsule is about the size of an extra-large suitcase,” said McGill. “Our goal is to include all the items we will receive, however space and preservation of items will have to be considered as they will pose some limitations.”

A sealing ceremony and celebration will be held on the lawn of the library during Golden City Days in September.

The Rossland Time Capsule Project is supported by the generous contributions by The City of Rossland, Columbia Basin Trust, Teck, Columbia Power Corporation and Shelly Ackerman Designs.

—with files from Arne Petryshen

editor@rosslandnews.com

 

Contributing

Small artifacts are welcome, representations of the arts, digital media, or any other types of expression.

The smaller, more subtle expressions from individuals could, upon discovery, be the most cherished and meaningful contributions 100 years into our future.

The time capsule

The capsule will be about the size of an extra-large suitcase, both air and water tight.

The capsule will be on display throughout the summer along with the gathered contents. A sealing ceremony and celebration will take place during Golden City Days September 2013.

The capsule will be buried at the Rossland Library within the landscaped grounds, marked with a decorative bolder and plaque.

People can contact the project team to talk about a contribution, pass on ideas, or if make a monetary donation or sponsorship to the project. Contact Ryan McGill, project coordinator, at rosslandtimecapsule@gmail.com.