Ken Hammond knew there was a time capsule somewhere at the former Orillia District Collegiate and Vocational Institute (ODCVI).
The retired educator, who was a teacher and then a principal at the school, contacted local historian David Town, who got in touch with the crew that is currently demolishing the building at West and Borland streets.
“He saved it from destruction,” Hammond said Friday morning at Orillia Secondary School, where students, staff and school board officials gathered to see what was in the time capsule from 1949.
Hammond, who started at ODCVI as a shop teacher in 1950 and was principal when he left in 1981, had the honour of pulling the items out of the capsule.
“This triggered many other memories from when I was there,” said Hammond, 93. “I was remembering the good times with staff and, particularly, the extracurricular events we had.”
One by one, Hammond pulled pieces of history out of the capsule: copies of the Orillia Packet and Times, Orillia News-Letter, Coldwater News and Globe and Mail; a set of coins and postage stamps; a list of students, staff and board members; and the school yearbook, The Oricolle.
The Oricolle provided a snapshot of the hot issues of the day, such as, “Should John be required to buy a corsage for his girl?”
The time capsule was nestled in a cornerstone that was installed with a new wing of the school in 1949.
Simcoe County District School Board chair Jodi Lloyd joined Hammond in removing the items Friday.
“As someone who studied history at university, I think it’s so important to do this type of thing,” she said. “Most of this would have been lost if someone hadn’t done this.”
She said it was an honour to reveal the time capsule’s contents alongside Hammond.
“It’s very exciting to see Mr. Hammond’s excitement. He was a significant part of the history of this school,” she said.
When ODCVI closed, its student body merged with that of Park Street Collegiate Institute in 2013. That school was then demolished, and Orillia Secondary School was built in its place, opening in 2016.
Principal Peter Bowman said the time capsule’s contents will provide a learning opportunity for current students.
“I’d love for them to thumb through these newspapers,” he said. “If you want to know the issues of the day, go through the Packet and Times from 1949.”
That’s what Sam Greco plans to do.
“For them to think of putting this type of stuff in a time capsule is astounding,” said Greco, prime minister of the school’s student council. “Since OSS is a combination of OD and Park, having that knowledge of one of those schools is amazing.”
Members of the public will have a chance to check out the items this weekend. They will be on display in the Orillia Secondary School atrium Sunday between 1 and 2 p.m.
