Two time capsules were buried at Niagara College Welland Campus today, promising future generations a unique glimpse of College and community life in Niagara in the 20th and 21st centuries.
A time capsule originally buried on the campus grounds in 1977, along with a second capsule designed to mark the recent redevelopment of the Welland Campus, were both buried within a wall in the Welland Campus Learning Commons.
The 1977 capsule was unearthed during the recent construction; it has not been opened and its contents are unknown. Research showed the capsule was buried to mark the College’s tenth anniversary in 1977, with the intent that it be opened 100 years later in 2077. The new capsule is to be opened during Niagara College’s centennial year in 2067. The capsules will be buried behind a specially-constructed wall, with plaques that indicate their location and when they are to be opened.
“As we celebrated the rebirth of the Welland Campus in 2011, we thought this would be a great way to share the Niagara College story with future generations,” said President Dan Patterson. “We’ve included a wide range of items that demonstrate why our College and our community were such special places in the early 21st Century.”
Determining the contents of the new capsule was part of the Welland Campus Grand Opening activities in the spring of 2011. Suggestions were submitted from NC students, staff and the broader community. A contest was held to select a staff member who was given the opportunity to include personal items in the capsule. The winner, Julie Stuart, an Academic Upgrading professor and apprenticeship project officer, submitted a family photo, a letter and a copy of the book “Shack” written by William Paul Young.
“I’m passionate about many things, but there are three that are greatest of all: my family, literacy and my faith,” said Stuart. “It’s an honour to have the opportunity to have items that represent these important parts of my life included in the capsule.”
The remaining contents represent all areas of the College – from athletic uniforms, learning equipment and technology to wine and beer from the College’s teaching winery and brewery and a copy of the school newspaper, the Niagara News. (See full list of items below).
Completed in Spring 2011, the redevelopment of the Welland Campus saw the construction of new and expanded facilities that include the Applied Health Institute, Athletic Centre, Student Centre, Library and Learning Commons, Academic Wing and Rankin Technology Centre expansion. It was part of a two-year, $90 million project that also included the construction of the Wine Visitor + Education Centre and expanded culinary facilities at the Niagara-on-the-Lake Campus.
Niagara College offers more than 100 diploma, bachelor degree and advanced level programs at campuses in Welland, Niagara-on-the-Lake, and Niagara Falls. Areas of specialization include food and wine sciences, advanced technology, media, applied health and community safety, supported by unique learning enterprises in food, wine, beer, horticulture and esthetics. For more information visit NiagaraCollege.ca.
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For information, contact:
Gord Hunchak
Acting Vice President, Student and External Relations Niagara College
905 735-2211 ext. 7773
905 650-7820 (cell)
ghunchak@niagaracollege.ca
Items in the Niagara College Time Capsule (2011)
Photobook assembled by the NC Marketing and Communications Department
Photo of Welland City Council
Copy of City of Welland’s “Made In Welland” magazine
Niagara College Knights athletic uniform
Copy of a local newspaper
Official staff list from 2011
Copy of the Niagara News student newspaper
Photo of the 2011 Student Administrative Council
Chef’s jacket from the Canadian Food and Wine Institute
Bottles of Niagara College Teaching Winery wines
Bottles of First Draft, brewed by the Niagara College Teaching Brewery
Menu from the Niagara College restaurant, Benchmark
Menu from the Welland Campus student centre, The Core
Videos from the Broadcasting: Radio, Television and Film program
Niagara College “#1 foam finger”
Cell phone and Blackberry
NC recruitment publications
NC buttons and pens
Copy of the College magazine, encore
Letter, family photo and copy of William Paul Young’s “Shack” (submitted by staff member Julie Stuart)
