While 2016 has been spent celebrating the last 100 years of Westlock’s history, a new project unveiled homecoming weekend July 1-3 will help give residents 50 years from now a window into present-day Westlock.
The town’s 100th Anniversary Committee is currently assembling ideas for a time capsule project that will help leave a legacy of the town’s centenary.
“When it’s opened, it will let people see what the differences are between now and 50 years from now,” said committee member Rose Olson.
Committee members are currently gathering ideas for the project, which will be sealed later this year and scheduled for opening in 2066.
Throughout the town’s three-day centenary celebrations July 1-3, organizers were busy canvassing ideas for what kind of items residents would like to see stored in the capsule.
When asked what residents suggested, Olson was tight-lipped, saying only that an announcement would be made sometime before the committee is disbanded at the end of December.
“We do have a list that I’m not going to divulge, but some of them are very, very unique,” she said.
With between 30-40 new ideas for the committee to parse at their Aug. 23 meeting, Olson said that the next stage of planning will be to narrow things down size-compatible entries.
“Keep in mind, the capsule isn’t that big. It’s large enough to put things in but not large enough to fit something like a big piece of clothing.”
Olson did say that a substantial percentage of submissions were photo related, which is an easy way to give future residents an idea of what life was like in 2016.
There were also several requests for photos of Westlock’s centenary celebration.
Entries also need to be vetted for technological viability, said mayor Ralph Leriger.
While it might seem like a good idea to include a USB key or flash drive in the capsule’s limited space, digital technology may not be compatible when the capsule is opened in 50 years.
“We have to think about technology as well. A flash drive might not work then,” he said.
“What will life be like 50 years ago from now? Will there even be money? What will the cost of things be?” Olson added.
Residents were also quizzed on what they would like done with the capsule once it is sealed later this year.
The capsule, custom-fabricated by Westlock-based Wabash Manufacturing, is so aesthetically pleasing that the committee would like to keep it above ground, Olson said.
“It’s too beautiful to put in the ground,” Olson said. “We may put it in a glass case and put it on display.”
