By Christine Kilfoil
York Street Public School, nicknamed “The Castle” due to its appearance, is a heritage school located in Lowertown. The junior kindergarten to Grade 6 pupils come primarily from the immediate neighborhood. Grade 7 and 8 students come from the area and feeder schools: R.E. Wilson, Queen Mary, Rockcliffe Park, Manor Park and Viscount Alexander Public School. York Street also plays a prominent role in the books of children’s author Brian Doyle, who is a graduate.
In 1996, in celebration of its 75th anniversary, a time capsule was buried by students to be opened at its 100th anniversary in 2021. Due to COVID restrictions, the capsule could not be opened last year for the official 100th anniversary. However things had improved enough this year for the time capsule to be opened in 2022. The capsule was dug out and opened by the eager students.
The students involved in opening the capsule were impressed with what the previous generation of students had chosen to feature in the time capsule. The capsule had been filled with items from 1995-1996 representing what was popular at the time and stories of the news of the day. The capsule included items such as a Sears catalogue, a two-dollar bill, an OC Transpo bus pass, a popular toy at that time called a Pogg and a mixed tape of popular music from the late 90s. It also included some news articles about Prime Minister Chrétien and copies of popular books for kids such as the Goosebumps series.
What was most interesting were the letters students had written about their plans for the future, their lives and their interests at that time. There were stories about the Toonie, some of which separated. This caught the interest of the children. Mickey Mouse also was featured in a lot of the kids’ stories.
The capsule contents reflected the international composition of the students at the school. It contained many stories of the children who described the countries where they were born and included things like coins from their home countries. Karen, a current York Street Grade 7 student, was struck by the letters the former students had written about what they wanted to be when they grew up. “I wonder what had happened in their lives. It would be nice to know what they did later in life.”
Students were also surprised by inclusion of “Archie” comics that were popular at the time. “I was surprised by the fact they had put the Riverdale comics in the capsule because today it is now a popular TV show based on those characters.” said Athenes, a student involved in opening the capsule. “They would have had no way of knowing that the characters from those comics would become a very popular show on Netflix called ‘Riverdale,’” she explained.
The students of York Street are preparing another time capsule to be buried and opened on the 125th anniversary of the school. It will be buried for only 24 years because of the one-year delay in opening it due to the pandemic. All of the classes in the school will be participating by writing letters about themselves. The Grade 4 class is writing a letter to the future. Dahbia imagines what it will be like to write down your dreams for the future and then check back in 25 years to see what you have done.
The capsule will include things like fidget spinners and popular music on a USB stick. Ibrahim intends to include some crypto currency like Bitcoin. Nourceen wonders what students in the future will think whether future students will be impressed by what York Street students have lived through, such as COVID, and what they will think about things like the phones student use today.
The time capsule is an important link for York Street students and the community to both our past and hope for the future.