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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
As the last screw was detached from the metal box, the thundering of drum-rolling hands on laps of nearly 40 students sitting cross-legged on the William McDonald Middle School gymnasium floor intensified last Thursday evening.

Madelon Haener, who has a daughter in Grade 8 at William McDonald Middle School, signs the guest book at the school's time capsule opening event on Nov. 22. 2012. - Katherine Hudson/NNSL photo

The dramatic event marked the opening of a time capsule in front of an audience of more than 250 people, which was also live-streamed on the Internet.

Thirty years ago, a time capsule committee of students and teachers at what was then called William McDonald Junior High School put relevant items into a time capsule. It sat in cement near the front door of the school until earlier this month.

"We're about to time travel back to 1981/82. The time capsule club was formed to send a message to the future, a gift that we will receive tonight," said Andre Corbeil, organizer and MC of the event.

Wearing protective gloves to ensure artifacts weren't harmed, Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre conservator Rosalie Scott removed each item one at a time. She explained to the crowd what each piece was, and passed it down a long table to two Grade 8 students from the school who organized the artifacts.

Out came sports ribbons, pins, Yellowknifer and News/North articles, brochures from Giant Mine, SportNorth and the City of Yellowknife, a Rubik's Cube in its original packaging, and perhaps the biggest treasure, a questionnaire predicting the future of Yellowknife and the NWT. It was answered by such community members as John Parker, then commissioner of the NWT, former mayor Mike Ballantyne, as well as city councillors and MLAs of the day. The questionnaire stated to its respondents that the capsule wouldn't be opened for 40 to 50 years, or until the school – which was newly built in 1981/82 – was to be demolished. Organizers of the time capsule opening ceremony opted for an earlier date to celebrate the 30-year anniversary of the school.

Some predictions revolved around the estimated population of Yellowknife in 40 to 50 years, if Yellowknife gold mines will still be in operation, if the Mackenzie Highway will be paved or improved upon and the most timely question: Do you think there will be a bridge over the Mackenzie River? The Deh Cho Bridge between the south and Fort Providence is set to open today.

The future population predictions of the capital city ranged from 15,000 to 100,000. Most respondents said there would be a bridge across the Mackenzie. Bob MacQuarrie, then MLA for Yellowknife Centre, was optimistic enough to hope "the summer mosquito problem will have been solved."

Corbeil said it was clear from the components of the capsule that the 1982 plebiscite on dividing the territory was the hot topic of the day.

"Even something very minor like including the territorial flag, well the reason for that is they didn't know that that would exist in the future," said Corbeil, pointing also to the questionnaire's query if Yellowknife was still going to be the capital of the NWT.

Corbeil said now, the big task is to go through the artifacts slowly, scanning and photographing them and putting the images and information on the school's website. The capsule's items will be retained in a display case by the main office of the school. The items on display will be rotated periodically as there isn't enough room for everything from the time capsule all at once.

The capsule was a treat for past students and teachers of William McDonald Middle School, as well as the present students.

"The really cool thing about it is every day, every time I went to school, you pass it. It's right before you go upstairs. You didn't really notice it all that time and it's really cool to see what was actually there inside the wall," said Grade 8 student Ally MacInnis.

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