Edmonds community residents are attempting to freeze time, at least for the next 26 years.
In a joint project by the City of Burnaby and the Edmonds Seniors Society, dozens of items collected from residents will be part of a time capsule that won't be opened until 2040.
"It came about when the city decided to build a brand new community centre," Laurie Woolley, Burnaby's coordinator of seniors services, told the NOW. "When the seniors were told they would be relocating from the original community centre to the brand new, shiny centre, we recognized that they never really did anything to capture their history and memorialize it in any way."
On March 14, the time capsule will be ceremoniously locked inside the Edmonds Community Centre near the Edmonds Street entrance.
"The city runs the centre, but the seniors have an imagination too, and they made it a home away from home," Woolley said. "We wanted to make sure that wasn't forgotten."
Ernie Fernandez, president of the Edmonds Seniors Society, said more than 40 years of history will be in the capsule.
"The place is just going to fast right now," he said of the new centre. "It's only been open for several months and we've doubled our membership activities. Baby boomers are all active in sports, games and swimming. The place is just buzzing."
Fernandez said the seniors have been collecting items from the public, as well, to add to the capsule. Items include pens, pins, newspaper clippings and a 25-foot collage with pictures, stamps and other items to commemorate the last 40 years.
"A lot of the stuff was very interesting to look at," he added. "Some of those members are still alive today, and looking at the age difference, what you look like 40 years ago, was very interesting."
For the city, it's been a fun experience to organize the time capsule as a way to celebrate the community, according to Dave Ellenwood, director of parks and recreation.
"You never know what's going to be a really interesting part," Ellenwood added. "The fun is trying to anticipate things, like compact discs. What might not be interesting at the time, who knows what they are in 25 years."
Ellenwood said the best part of the capsule is, to him, the notes about what community means to you.
"It'll be an educational piece for the community," he added.
The dedication ceremony is on March 14 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Edmonds Community Centre. It's a $1 drop-in to the family friendly event. For more information, call 604-297-4838.
