City Unveils Burlington 150+ Anniversary Time Capsule at Council

Burlington 150+

Jan 17

Written By

In 2023, to help recognize and celebrate Burlington's 150+ anniversary, the Mayor's Office launched a Time Capsule project!We received an enormous amount of wonderful suggestions from across the community and thank each and every one of you for sharing your feedback with us to ensure we had a time capsule that included objects that truly reflected our city.At our Jan. 16, 2024 Burlington City Council meeting, we unveiled the time capsule and its contents to the community. Click/tap here to view the presentation that was shared with Council and the public: Burlington 150+ Time Capsule Presentation at Council_Jan. 16, 2024.We are looking into having the Time Capsule and its contents on display for a period of time in the clear display cabinet outside of Council Chambers.Burlington’s journey to become the municipality we know today started on Sept. 9, 1873, when the villages of Wellington Square and Port Nelson merged to become the Village of Burlington. The ‘+’ in Burlington 150+ is a very special and key part to the recognition of 150 years of Burlington because it acknowledges the Indigenous Peoples who were on this land for a millennia before that.We recognize the land we now know as Burlington has an Indigenous history that goes beyond 150 years — and we honour and recognize the diverse Indigenous Peoples who have lived in this area and acknowledge Burlington is on Treaty Lands of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation.To reflect this understanding, the City created a special “Burlington 150+” identifier that used four shapes and colours with:

green representing nature and the land;
yellow symbolizing unity and our multi-cultural community;
light blue symbolizing freedom while living in peace and harmony; and
orange representing our commitment to Truth and Reconciliation.

WHY A TIME CAPSULE?

"Burlington’s 150+ anniversary has a history that goes beyond the date of when the Village of Burlington was formed and acknowledges the Indigenous Peoples who were caretakers of this land long before. Putting together a time capsule to mark and celebrate this milestone is a wonderful way to engage everyone in our community and see what they view as representative of Burlington and our local neighbourhoods. Once assembled and unveiled, this will be a lovely keepsake for our community now and for future generations — it will also give them an opportunity to learn a little bit more about the Burlington of the past." -- Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward

TIME CAPSULE CONTENTS:Burlington's Key to the CityLaunched by Mayor Marianne Meed Ward in 2019, the Key to the City program at the City of Burlington honours individuals and organizations who have made significant contributions to our community. Beautifully designed by Burlington fine art stained glass artist Teresa Seaton, the Key to the City is a uniquely sculptural, multi-coloured piece of artwork that incorporates elements of our natural landscape and city crest, all within the shape of our well-known blue city clock that stands proudly outside City Hall as a gift from our twin city, Itabashi, Japan. The key is housed in a textured glass box that adds to the timeless beauty of this work of art.To date, 9 Keys have been presented and each of the worthy recipients have made significant contributions to the community. Click/tap here for a list of the latest and past recipients.

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PINS & BURLINGTON COIN[gallery ids="34589,34588,34587"]Pins are a wonderful way to show pride in our City, so we've included:

City of Burlington pin with current logo;
Special Commemorative Burlington 150+ pin;
City of Burlington patron pin; and
Burlington Teen Tour Band pins -- classic and special commemorative 75th anniversary.

The Burlington Teen Tour Band is a Key to the City recipient and have served the community for more than 75 years (since 1947) as our global musical ambassadors. BTTB is a much-loved and much-revered group among Burlington's residents.Additionally, we included a special Burlington Coin that is a popular exchange item for residents who travel beyond our borders to represent their city, club or country while participating in the activities they enjoy.

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HONOURING INDIGENOUS HISTORY AND TRADITIONSIndigenous Peoples, including the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, have been caretakers of this land for a millennia before the City of Burlington was established. The time capsule honours Indigenous history and traditions with the inclusion of:

An Indigenous Medicine Bag prepared by Indigenous Elder and Healer WhiteEagle Stonefish. We are told the Medicine Bag is very sacred and represents the connection between the Creator and Indigenous Peoples. Inside the bag is:
- Tobacco -- meant to take prayers to the Creator and provide protection for the Spirit;
- Cedar -- meant as protection for the home;
- Sage -- meant to cleanse the five senses to receive information;
- Sweetgrass -- meant to clear the space around us;
- Healing Rock -- comes from the shore of Burlington Beach and is entrenched with the energy of WhiteEagle and that of her Ancestors; and
- A baby eagle feather -- meant to represent of renewal.

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BURLINGTON POST - BURLINGTON'S NEWSPAPER OF RECORD (LAST PRINT EDITION)The Burlington Post, the City of Burlington's newspaper of record, published its last print edition on Sept. 14, 2023. The smell of a newspaper brings back memories of a weekly ritual for many residents, and the hope is that this copy will maintain its bouquet until 2073.

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THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC OF 2020-2023While the COVID-19 pandemic might be something many of us would like to forget, it's important to have a symbolic representation of this brief, but significant moment in our city's history. Marked by shortages of products and missed celebrations and events, a COVID-19 mask offered by Burlington Tourism will hopefully remind Burlingtonians in 2073 to protect their health. As well, the hope is that they continue following the example of the Burlington community from the past (2020) who came together in support of each other in such a way that inspired us all -- exemplifying the City of Burlington's motto of "Stand By" one another.

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MAPS OF DIGITAL ARCHIVE & CYCLING PATHS[gallery columns="2" ids="34595,34593"]Maps are a tangible way to showcase where we were and where we are now. A map provided by the Burlington Public Library’s Digital Archive project along with the most current Burlington Cycling map compare humble beginnings with the neighborhoods, parks and landmarks we know today.

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BURLINGTON BELL[gallery columns="2" ids="34596,34597"]Included in the time capsule is a 3D print of the Burlington Bell, provided by the Burlington Public Library using its 3D print machines. The bell is currently located at the Central Branch, but that wasn't always its home.The 1,000-pound Burlington Bell was erected by the Burlington Council of 1894 and hung in the the bell tower of the old Town Hall on the east side of Elizabeth Street, between James and Maria streets. As many people did not have clocks or watches, the bell would ring at 7 a.m. when workers would start their day, at noon (12 p.m.) and 1 p.m. to signal the start and end of the lunch hour, and at 6 p.m. when it was time to go home. When rung quickly, it meant there was a fire and alerted the town’s fire department. The first bell ringer, James Powell, was paid $50 a year in the first few years. Eventually, this duty was included in those of the custodian of the Town Hall.

The bell would eventually be stored behind the Works Department yard until the early 1960s when William Gilbert, Chair of the Library Board, raised $1,400 to install the bell in front of the Elizabeth Street Library, across the street from where the old town hall had been located. The Library's fundraising campaign was completed in 1962, and the bell remained with the Library until it moved to New Street in 1970.

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USB DRIVEWhile we know technology changes and is improved constantly, the hope is Burlington residents in 2073 will have the technology to be able to access the information on this "old" USB drive and view the presentation of the Burlington 150+ Time Capsule, the Burlington 150+ celebration video and pictures of highlights in 2023.

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DETAILS OF THE TIME CAPSULE BOXThe Time Capsule box was skillfully designed and made by local craftperson William Nelsen at Shop Time Studios. A combination of Walnut and Ash wood was chosen as both grow abundantly in Burlington. By including Ash wood in the design elements of the box, we are reminding future generations of the importance of environmental stewardship. It also serves as a reminder of the many Ash trees lost due to the Emerald Ash Borer.THE TIME CAPSULE PLAQUEEvery element of the Time Capsule captures detail about life in 2023 in some way, and the plaque is no different.It measures 6.7 inches across, and is roughly the same size of the most popular cellphone models of 2023, such as the Google Pixel 7 and iPhone 15 Pro Max.The wording provides instruction and reference, and is engraved on a brass coloured plaque. It reads:

City of Burlington

Sesquicentennial Time Capsule

These items were gathered during Burlington's 150+ celebration year in 2023 as a reminder of the rich and deep history of this land -- to be opened on September 9th 2073 for Burlington's 200+ anniversary celebrations.

By order of Mayor Marianne Meed Ward and Burlington City Council

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FOR PROSTERITYTo ensure the capsule is not lost or forgotten, it will be kept at City Hall until it is time for the Burlington City Council of 2073 to open it on Sept. 9, 2073. The presentation of the Time Capsule has recorded by:

Adding it to the public record through the minutes of the Jan. 16, 2024 Council meeting;
Making a copy of this presentation available to the Burlington Public Library’s Digital Archive; and
Registering it with the International Time Capsule Society.
- The ITCS has cataloged and mapped thousands of time capsules registered from all around the world for more than 30 years. This is a free service, run by volunteers and donation of resources.

BURLINGTON 150+ ANNIVERSARY VIDEOPlease view below a special commemorative Burlington 150+ anniversary video shot and produced by Tony Hall of SeeMyClients. Thank you Tony for encapsulating everything that makes Burlington special in this video that I know our community will cherish:CREDITS & GRATITUDEThe Burlington 150+ Time Capsule could not have come together without the following people and our gratitude for their support and efforts:

From Concept to Execution: Mayor’s Office Team – Hannelie van Niekerk, Esther Gibbs, Tristyn Reid, Marie Nash, John Bkila, and Shelby Dockendorff;
Creation of the lovely Time Capsule: William Nelsen – Shop Time Studios;
Engraving by: Jaison – Sherwood Engraving and Signs; and
Contributors: WhiteEagle Stonefish, the amazing residents in the City of Burlington, Burlington Public Library, Michael Boateng - City Operations and Facilities, Tony Hall of SeeMyClients, Tourism Burlington, and Burlington Teen Tour Band.

RELATED LINKS:

City Unveils Burlington 150+ Anniversary Time Capsule at Council

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