Council members, a number of other dignitaries and residents in attendance had the opportunity to discover a selection of objects, letters and drawings carefully preserved over the past 25 years, offering a glimpse of Laurent’s reality at the beginning of the 21st century and the third millennium.

In addition to a collection of artifacts from the past, the opening of the capsule revealed testimonials filled with a wealth of humanity, imagination and hope for the future. Dozens of children’s drawings and writings, mainly from participating elementary schools, describe their prediction of a technological future through the invention of advanced cellphones, electric cars and ultra-high-speed aircraft.

Items submitted by residents following a contest included a soccer ball, a Britney Spears CD, advertising flyers and a t-shirt in the colours of Saint-Laurent’s summer day camps.

An exhibit is currently being prepared to give the public a chance to admire these testimonials to the past. 

Many people who had originally placed the items in the capsule in 2000 attended the ceremony, some coming specially from Toronto for the occasion. Also present were former employees of what was still Ville de Saint-Laurent at the time and who helped set up this project a quarter of a century ago. 

On our way to 2043…

In anticipation of Saint-Laurent’s 150th anniversary, the time capsule will once again be sealed on September 20. Between now and August 25, the borough is therefore inviting residents to fill in a form on its website in order to suggest items that they will then have to bring to borough hall so that these can be rediscovered in 2043.

This time capsule represents a real bridge between generations. It reminds us of where we come from and prompts us to reflect on the development of our community. In rediscovering these objects and messages from the past, we can take stock of all the progress that has been achieved and also note the constancy of certain values that still unite us today, such as intercultural harmony, protection of and improvements to the environment, innovation and the feeling of belonging to Saint-Laurent. I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to all those who helped make this event such a success as well as those who contributed toward the creation of this capsule in 2000.