It wasn’t easy cracking into a 25-year-old time capsule buried in the belly of the Blue Water Bridge’s second span.
Bridge workers had to cut the metal tube off a bar in the bridge span’s tub girder, where the Seaway Kiwanis Club of Sarnia-Lambton time capsule was interred when the bridge opened 1997, officials said.
Club members then tried to cut the lock away before realizing the lid would slide off, after bridge staff had removed the bolts.
Inside, they found mostly documents from a quarter-century ago – newspaper articles about the bridge opening; photographs of the club’s signature Children’s Animal Farm project in Canatara Park, a bulletin from a club meeting, lists of charities helped by the club, a membership roster for a sister club in Port Huron, a memento pin from a Kiwanis campaign to provide iodized salt to people in Africa to ward off severe iodine deficiency, and tips for people crossing the bridge span on foot in 1997 before it was opened to vehicle traffic.
All are going back in the time capsule – along with some add-ons from the Federal Bridge Corporation that oversees the crossing between Point Edward, Ont. and Port Huron, Mich., said club past president Bob Bettridge, who had the idea to open the time capsule early.
Originally the intention was to open it after 50 years, he said.
“I just thought why not,” he said. “It would be interesting to go back and there was certainly an interest from the people here today.”
A few dozen Kiwanians and bridge corporation officials gathered at the bridge corporation building in Point Edward Tuesday to mark the occasion.
Bettridge, who was among the few Kiwanians still with the club who were originally responsible for packaging the capsule, said it’s contents were mostly a surprise after 25 years.
He noted the club in 1997 was helping 20 charities and today helps 30.
“So it says something about our club,” he said. “Our membership is not bigger, but everyone works a little harder, and with modern technology and whatnot, things are easier to do.”
The celebration Tuesday also focused on the lasting impact of the bridge in the community.
The bridge is a kind of anchor and landmark, but the service of groups like the bridge corporation and the Kiwanis club are what make the community what it is, said corporation CEO Natalie Kinloch.
Officials dubbed the celebration event “a story of friendship and community.”
The second span was built for $37 million in 1997, Kinloch said.
“Inflation on that, it’s going to be a little more,” she said.
That was followed by a $26-million, two-year rehab of the first span that dates to 1938, to bring it up to par, she said, noting since there have been ongoing investments into the bridge plaza.
“Twenty-five years is but a short lifespan in a bridge,” she said. “It’s very young.”
She credited “generations of excellent people” for carrying out the work to date, and noted complete deck rehabilitation for both spans is expected in 2023 and 2024.
Along with the time capsule contents, mementos from the bridge’s opening, like the scissors used to cut the ribbon, were on display.
They’re kept in the bridge corporation building on permanent display, Kinloch said.
Club members weren’t sure Tuesday what all the items removed from the capsule were.
“I think we need to put notes on the future capsule so we know exactly what everything is and why it was so important at the time, Kinloch said.
The resilience of the time capsule and the degree of difficulty getting it open is good testament it should last another 25 years,” Bettridge said.
“Our time capsule was certainly well built.”