Capsule offers a peek into 2012 Langley

The Lee family, owners of the IGA in Fort Langley, hold up a time capsule containing items such as newspaper clippings documenting the rebuilding process of their store, which burned in January, 2011, a badge from the fire department and signatures of residents and supporters. The capsule was buried where the entrance for the new building will be, and a plaque will be placed over top of it. Concrete for the floor was poured on Monday. The capsule will not be dug up again until the building is demolished.

Miranda GATHERCOLE/Langley Times

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Some day in the far future, the new IGA building in Fort Langley will eventually be demolished.

And when that day finally comes, the developers at that time will find a little present left behind by the residents of today.

A time capsule containing a copy of the Fort Langley Villager Magazine, printouts and newspaper clips documenting the IGA’s history, a badge from the fire department, a business card from Mayor Jack Froese and many other items were all placed in a green metal box and buried in the earth beneath the entrance of the new IGA building on June 16.

Concrete for the floor was poured two days later, securely locking the time capsule away for possibly 100 years or more.

The idea came from owner Robert Lee, who woke up in the middle of the night early last week with a sudden thought that a time capsule should be burred before the concrete is poured. One day it will serve as a reminder to residents in the future about the great community that Fort Langley is today.

“I think it’s a real sign of how much the community misses their grocery store, in particular the Lee family who have run that store since 1975,” said Kurt Alberts, long time Fort Langley resident and organizer of the event. “There’s a lot of eager anticipation hoping the store is up and running soon.”

Dozens of residents and local business owners braved the pouring rain to attend the time capsule burial ceremony and sign their names and well wishes on papers that were also placed inside the capsule.

“It was amazing, there were people rushing around at the last minute to leave their mark, their signature, and make a comment,” Alberts said, adding that is was also interesting to see comments from young people, who wrote about their iPhones and high tech devices that will be archaic 100 years from now.

A plaque will be placed on top of the burial site inside the store once it is finished.