Current and former staff and students from Peter Greer Elementary School gathered in the gymnasium on Jan. 9 to open a 25-year-old time capsule. 

Retired teacher librarian Bonnie Alguire was the mastermind behind the millennium capsule. 

"Everybody was very nervous whether the power would go out, whether our computers would cease to operate," Alguire said. When everything seemed like life as normal come January 2000, Alguire and other school staff put the lock on the capsule and hoisted it up in the library rafters to stay. 

As the librarian, Alguire included in the capsule a Harry Potter book, the most popular book sold at the previous school book fair with a price tag of $6.40. 

The capsule also included old magazines and flyers, a purple Millennium Beanie Baby, Pokemon cards, and a copy of the Lake Country Calendar dated Jan. 5, 2000. 

School Principal James Minkus announced at the end of the formal capsule opening assembly that a new capsule will be put together to be opened in 2050. 

Minkus noted that when the original capsule had been put together that Indigenous peoples in Canada did not yet have the right to self-governance. 

"When we're thinking about what artifacts we are going to put in our new time capsule as we move forward and reflect on our ongoing commitment to act toward truth and reconciliation we need to make sure that the time capsule reflects our commitment to that action."

Following the assembly, former staff and students had a chance to take a look at the capsule items up close and read the pieces they left for their future selves.