A time capsule has been found at the Alberni Valley Museum, and curator Kirsten Smith is hoping someone can help them locate the owner.
The heavy metal box sat forgotten on a shelf at the museum for more than two decades, an engraved plaque on the top and a folded letter taped in plastic to the front of the box the only record of what it is. The inscription reads “Memories in time; graduating class of ‘92; to be opened 2017.”
Smith discovered the box when a new vertical storage system was installed in the museum a few years ago, and everything on the old shelves was inspected and moved.
“We just found it on a shelf. Not being an artifact, it wasn’t catalogued. There’s a letter saying we agreed to store it,” she said.
The letter describes the box as metal, sealed, 17 inches long by 12 inches wide and 6.5 inches deep. “The above mentioned time capsule has been accepted by the Alberni Valley Museum for storage from the [Alberni District High School] graduating class of 1992,” it reads.
“The Museum will store this capsule in safe storage until 2017, or until requested for its return, in writing, by Meghan O’Brien, 1992 graduating class member.”
Former museum manager Jean McIntosh signed the letter as well as O’Brien, but no phone number or address was left with the capsule, and neither McIntosh nor Smith know how to reach O’Brien.
“The year isn’t over yet; we may still hear from her,” Smith said, adding that she had done a brief online search but didn’t come up with any leads.
“I don’t know; maybe she has forgotten too.”
The Class of ‘92 is organizing a reunion for later this year; Smith is hoping someone will be able to put them in touch with O’Brien, so the museum can return the time capsule.
“It’s theirs to open, but now that it’s been here, we’re curious to know what’s in it,” Smith said.
Anyone with information can call education curator Shelley Harding at the museum at 250-720-2523.