Demolition workers found a time capsule near the chapel in a portion of the general hospital that was expanded

Mayor Matthew Shoemaker says a surprise time capsule found among the rubble of the former general hospital may not be the only one that will be discovered.

“I think we kind of had an expectation there’s probably a time capsule, if not more than one, in the building somewhere, but we didn’t know where it was,” said Shoemaker in an interview today, a few hours after the capsule was opened.

Shoemaker said the time capsule was found by demolition workers with Green Infrastructure Projects, near the chapel in a portion of the general hospital that included an expansion which was completed in 1963.

“It was handed over by GIP to our staff,” Shoemaker said.

The time capsule was built using a short length of copper pipe, welded closed on one end, and a screw-on top on the other.

It was opened this morning in Shoemaker’s office, with the mayor; CAO Tom Vair; Larry Girardi, project manager of port development at the City of Sault Ste. Marie; and Sault Museum executive director William Hollingshead in attendance.

Inside was a copy of the Sault Daily Star newspaper from April 29, 1963, some pamphlets for a capital campaign, some medallions and typed pages, among other items.

Typewritten pages included contributors to the $4-million capital campaign and a list of doctors and the Grey Sisters working at the hospital at the time. 

A timeline on one of the pages indicated the City of Sault Ste. Marie had put forward $1 million for the expansion.

“It was interesting to see that in April they started this capital campaign and by September or October they had all the money raised,” said Shoemaker.

One pamphlet about the hospital carried the title The Doors that Never Close.

“That was ironic, given the the context we’re dealing with now,” Shoemaker said.

The time capsule and its contents were entrusted to the Sault Museum after its opening.

Shoemaker said the oldest parts of the building, going back as far as 1899, may hold more secrets to be uncovered during demolition.

“Hopefully there will be more time capsule discoveries to come. We’re not sure, but we we think there may be an original one in there,” he said.