A time capsule from the late 50's was found in a cornerstone attached to St. Paul's United Church on Lakeshore.
Image Credit: Contributed
November 26, 2014 - 7:29 PM
KELOWNA - Progress may have torn down the old St. Paul's United Church on Lakeshore, but a little piece of history, discovered in a 57-year-old cornerstone, will be a reminder of the past for years to come.
During the last phase of the deconstruction, masonry workers found a box, welded shut, inside a specially-carved out section of one of the large cornerstones.
Nobody knew it was there.
St. Paul's spokesperson Sue Goodwin was on the worksite the day the box was removed from the stone for the first time in over half a century.
"It was so exciting," she says. "The cornerstone was actually designed for the box. It had been beveled to hold what we later found out was a time capsule."
St. Paul's Church opened in 1957 and Goodwin believes that is when the time capsule was placed into the stone. Who put it there will remain a mystery until the box is opened sometime in the next couple weeks.
"We couldn't open it because it had actually been welded shut," Goodwin says. "We like not knowing what's inside but we're definitely going to open it soon."
Goodwin says they have contacted the Kelowna Museum to get their thoughts on how the box should be opened.
"We want to get a little bit of historic, professional help so we can preserve whatever is in there," she says. "Our project manager hopes it's a war bond worth a lot of money."
Goodwin says the contents of the box will eventually be incorporated into the new six-storey, $20 million Arts and Worship Centre expected to be completed early 2016.
"It's not about just tearing down the old and making way for the new," she says. "The past is important too."
Chairman of St. Paul's board Judy McAulay and Reverend Doctor Richard Chung with the time capsule found under St. Paul's United Church.
Image Credit: Contributed
To contact the reporter for this story, email Adam Proskiw at aproskiw@infotelnews.ca or call 250-718-0428. To contact the editor, email mjones@infotelnews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
News from © iNFOnews, 2014