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Calgary City Hall Time Capsule Dug Up After 110 Years

It's a snapshot of a city on the brink of growth.
Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi poses with the 110-year-old time capsule retrieved from City Hall on Nov. 8, 2018
Twitter/@cityofcalgary
Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi poses with the 110-year-old time capsule retrieved from City Hall on Nov. 8, 2018

More than a century ago, members of Calgary's city council gathered items important to the city at the time and sealed them in a copper box, placing the box within a cornerstone of City Hall.

Today, mayor Naheed Nenshi pulled that box out, revealing a snapshot of a small city just beginning to grow.

The capsule was put in place on Sept. 15, 1908, by then-mayor Arthur L. Cameron. At the time, Calgary's population was only 12,000 people, and the province's vast oil resource had yet to be discovered.

The capsule was removed as part of the current rehabilitation of Historic City Hall.

In the box were 27 items, including copies of newspapers, coins, a New Testament, and an Album of the Dominion Exhibition (the precursor to the Calgary Stampede.)

The City of Calgary says more photos of the contents will be available and HuffPost Canada will update this post with those photos.

In the meantime, here's a full list of the contents:

  • A copy of the New Testament
  • Bylaws from The City of Calgary
  • A 1907 financial report from the City
  • A 1907 City of Calgary voters' list
  • Album of Dominion Exhibition from 1908
  • Report of Grand Lodge of Masona of Alberta, 1908
  • Report of Grand Lodge of Oddfellows of Alberta, 1908
  • Report of General Hospital, 1907
  • Report of school board, 1907
  • Tercentenary stamps dated to 1908
  • Coins, 50c, 25c, 10c, and 5c, Dominion of Canada
  • Copy of the history of the Roman Catholic church, 1907
  • Medal of the Chairman of the police department
  • Medal of city comptroller
  • List of members of the fire department
  • Report of Knox church in Calgary
  • List of members of the police department
  • Proceedings of synod of Church of England for Western Canada.
  • Minutes of the Alberta conference of the Methodist church.
  • Year book of the Central Methodist church
  • Report of Baptist church
  • Copy of The Daily Herald
  • Copy of Morning Albertans
  • Copy of special edition of The Albertan
  • Copy of The Daily News
  • Copy of The Eye Opener

Check out the unveilings of more incredible time capsules from around the globe:

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