Here's what was found in a 1996 time capsule at an Ottawa elementary school
The year was 1996. Independence Day was one of the big movies at the box office, the Macarena was on top of the music charts, and it was also the year that students at W.E. Gowling Public School in Ottawa filled a time capsule.
On Thursday, students, staff and alumni opened the capsule, unlocking memories from the past.
"I thought it was really interesting. I didn’t expect for there to be a lot of letters and notes," said Elliott, a Grade 6 student at the Ottawa school.
"I found everything so cool," said Sadie, another Grade 6 student. "I like the letters that some of the people wrote and the drawings."
The school dates back to 1946. As the school was celebrating its 50th anniversary in 1996, students filled the time capsule.
Among some of the items uncovered during Thursday’s assembly, there were many letters, pictures, a t-shirt with various languages, a cassette tape, and a weekly guide to what’s on TV.
Some of the items found in a time capsule created in 1996 by students at W.E. Gowling Public School in Ottawa. (Peter Szperling/CTV News Ottawa)
"I’ve never seen that before," Sadie told CTV News Ottawa.
For former student Amy Gorshe, the memories all came back.
"Coming here today, I had no idea what I put in there. As soon as the box opened, I went, 'Oh, that’s right.' There was the letters, there was the pictures, there was the newsletters."
OCDSB Superintendent of Instruction Prince Duah attended the school 40-some years ago,
"All of the friends I still have today were from this school, or from this school community; and so, coming back to see the capsule, coming back to see the students is reminiscent of the way it was when I was a young child."
Some other students that attended the school in the past may be familiar with CTV News viewers. Now-retired CTV News Toronto news anchor Ken Shaw attended the school, as well as CTV News Ottawa’s Stefan Keyes.
"I used to come here when I was in Kindergarten — all the way up to Grade 6," Keyes told the students at the assembly.
In the capsule, Keyes found a letter he wrote when he was 8 years old.
"It was emotional; honestly, it was really telling," he said. "I wrote about my family, I wrote about my friends, and those are the things that are still important to me to this day."
The school plans to fill another time capsule this year. Principal Caretta Williams DeVeiro says it will contain items from classes, and, "The school will be putting in a mask, and a face shield, and everything COVID related."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.