Decades-old time capsule from Portage Place will be saved

The Forks has confirmed that it is now in possession of a time capsule in the Portage Place mall that is set to be open in 2062.

A time capsule in the Portage Place will be preserved for decades to come as the downtown mall in Winnipeg undergoes a major redevelopment.

To commemorate the mall’s opening on Sept. 17, 1987, the time capsule was sealed by politicians and developers with ‘80s memorabilia. For decades, the capsule remained under the Edmonton Court clock in a granite casing.

However, a $650 million redevelopment project means the time capsule—which is not to be opened until 2062—had to find a new home.

Adam Dooley, corporate communications director with The Forks, said the time capsule is now safely in storage at The Forks.

“There, it will be cared for with our other important archives. We will honour the original intent of the time capsule, which means it will be opened … 75 years after it was first created,” he said in a statement.

Dooley said the Forks North Portage Partnership—the organization that owned land at Portage Place—has taken possession of the time capsule.

The time capsule was originally dedicated “to the enduring spirit” of Winnipeggers and to the cooperation of the public and private sectors in redeveloping downtown, according to a plaque affixed on the cover.

The redevelopment project comes after Portage Place was purchased by True North Real Estate Development. Plans for the site include a health-care centre and a residential tower.