City Government

Time Capsule Exhibit Now Open

August 19, 2008 – The contents of the time capsule found behind a plaque in City Hall this July are now on display in the lobby of the Victoriaville Civic Centre. The Time Capsule Exhibit is open for public viewing from 8:30 am – 4:30 pm Monday through Friday. The time capsule was originally sealed in 1903 and added to in 1966 when the current City Hall was built. Upon opening the capsule, contents included historical items ranging in date from 1874 to 1966.

"There was never any record kept of what went into the time capsule in 1903 or in 1966," said Matt Szybalski, City Archivist. "So this discovery was a surprise. This is part of our City's history. There are many unique items, including photographs that are now available to the public for the first time in 42 years. When the time capsule is re-sealed the digital copies will be the only copies we have of these."

The exhibit will remain in Victoriaville Civic Centre until renovations to City Hall are complete at which time the contents will be resealed along with new present day items of importance and replaced in the wall of City Hall.

A digital exhibit of the items in the time capsule as well as the history of the City Halls of Port Arthur, Fort William, and Thunder Bay is also now available online at www.thunderbay.ca/archives. The digital exhibit will be available indefinitely.

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Contact: Matt Szybalski, Corporate Records Manager – Archivist, 625-3390