Time Capsule Opening and Art Gallery Sculpture Unveiling

By Breena Hebron

What an exciting night we had! Despite the rain, the Kerrobert Courthouse Restoration Society put on a great function with nearly 200 people in attendance. What made the night even better was that there were, in fact, items in the time capsule!

Prior to the Time Capsule opening, the Museum was open for tours and the Courthouse was filled with great music from our own Frank Beausoliel, Brandy Osterhold and Kara Lee Sieben. The Kerrobert Courtroom Gallery committee then hosted the unveiling of a new sculpture in the center of the Courthouse ground just as the rain stopped and the sun began to shine. This incredible sculpture was made by former resident Wes Leonard, former resident of Kerrobert and son of Freeda and Barney Leonard. It will stand as a permanent reminder of the importance of art and culture in our community.

The crowd returned inside and filled the main foyer in anticipation of the exciting event. The evening was made even more special by guests: Rosemarie Falk, MP; Ken Francis, MLA; Wayne Mock, Mayor of Kerrobert; Stan Pitura, retired Judicial Officer from 1978 to the Courthouse closing in 1996; Jean Norris, Kerrobert resident since 1920; and missing was John Tomechek WWII Veteran and long-time resident of Kerrobert.

The Time Capsule Opening program consisted of words from many of the dignitaries present as well as letters from the Saskatchewan Hertiage Foundation; Frank Korvemaker a retired archivist and construction historian; and David Orr our last resident judge. His words were brief but important to share, “Occasionally, I’d get up and walk past the sleeping houses to the edge of town (never a long walk). After I’d breathed in the air of the grain fields for a while, I’d contrive to walk home past the Courthouse as dawn broke. Then I’d trudge up the hill toward home. The other night I dreamed I did that. I woke up feeling just splendid. What a great town and what good people. My best to all of you.”

The time of the opening had come and the crowd, the media and all dignitaries had waited patiently to see what could be inside. As the Mayor drew back the top of the copper lid a silence fell over the crowd in anticipation. Once the lid came off the courthouse was buzzing with excitement at the realization that there was something inside. As the Kerrobert museum’s summer student curator this year, I was given the honour of pulling out the objects myself. Slowly, and with very shaky hands, I retrieved each of the artifacts. There were four separate objects in the box which were:

• A paper with the handwritten words “Data from Wilson & Wilson Ltd., General Contractors, Regina”

• A program from a banquet held by the Kerrobert Bar Association on July 21st, 1920

• A stack of newspapers

• An unidentifiable folded paper object

We did not unfold any of the papers at this function due to the fear that they might be damaged. However, a professional will be contacted in the hopes that we can receive expert guidance on how to further proceed with the artifacts. Despite this, some information can be gleamed from what has already been seen. For example, Wilson & Wilson were the contractors hired to build the courthouse back in 1920, with the low bid of $145,750. The Kerrobert Bar Association would have been a group of lawyers. The top paper on the stack of newspapers appeared to be one of the Kerrobert Citizen’s, probably from the day the time capsule was sealed. Beneath that paper was another newspaper which had a different font, though it is unsure where this newspaper might have originally come from. Additionally, the stack of newspapers appeared to have a stapled book or booklet stuck to the top of it, which was unidentifiable. As for the unidentifiable folded paper object, anybody’s guess could be right. Some have speculated it might be a letter from the architect, Maurice W. Sharon. Some have even said they think it might be love letters.

Although some may be disappointed that the time capsule held “only papers” many realize that a time capsule speaks to more than what it holds. It speaks of hope and faith of knowing that someday, maybe 102 years later, a group of excited citizens will gather together to see what is inside; it speaks of pride from those who filled the box knowing that their hard work should be marked with something as special as this; and it speaks of the importance of small-town people celebrating what and when they can despite difficulties. The people who filled the box could not have known that 102 years later so many incredible changes would occur, but one thing that remains is that this small town is great, our people are good and it’s a wonderful place to be.

As the great-great granddaughter of Frank Ball, Town of Kerrobert Councillor in 1920 and of Christina (McCulloch) Snell, the first woman to work in the Kerrobert Courthouse from 1919 to 1922, I was honored and blessed to be part of this historic event.

Items from the 1920 time capsule were revealed on June 23.

Christina (McCulloch) Snell (far left) was the first woman to work in the Kerrobert Courthouse from 1919-1922. The other women in the photo are unidentified.