Deux-Montagnes, August 27 2021 – The mayor of Deux-Montagnes, Denis Martin, surrounded by members of the municipal council, former elected officials of the City and dignitaries, opened, on August 18th, two time capsules buried behind a stone in the town hall’s fireplace in December 1981 and in August 1996. This journey through time was done during a press conference on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the City of Deux-Montagnes, during which Mayor Martin also closed the time capsule specially designed for the 100th.
1981’s time capsule marking the 50th anniversary of the town hall
The first time capsule opened on August 18th was sealed on December 4th, 1981 by Mr. Clifford D. Parr, mayor of the Cité de Deux-Montagnes from 1974 to 1982, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the inauguration of our town hall.
Opening the Plexiglas box measuring 8″ by 8″, Mayor Martin had the honor of unveiling several elements reflecting the composition of the municipal council of 1978-1982 and of the municipal administration at that time. This includes the 1981 budget (revenues and expenses) and a copy of the very first municipal newsletter, then entitled L’Écho Deux-Montagnes, printed on newsprint and distributed to every door in June 1979. Also included in the capsule: photos of elected municipal officials and managers in office, the pin and flag of the City, an embroidery of the coat of arms and coins from 1981.
1996: new historic elements added to the 1st capsule
Under the stone of town hall’s fireplace was buried a second time capsule, adding to the first one, created to mark the 75th anniversary of the City of Deux-Montagnes. Former mayor Pierre-Benoît Forget had the pleasure of attending the unveiling of its contents, after having sealed it himself 25 years ago. Former city councilor, Pierre Laparé, was also alongside Mayor Denis Martin to review certain parts of Deux-Montagnes’ history, as objects and documents were extracted from the capsule.
Like the one from 1981, this capsule contains the flag and pin of the City, a second pin bearing the effigy of the 75th anniversary and the municipal newsletter of August 1996. In addition to these elements, a special 75th anniversary publication in the local newspaper La Concorde, the February 21st, 1996 edition, was inserted. It also contains the minutes of the municipal council meeting of August 8th, 1996, the August 18th, 1996 editions of La Presse and The Gazette , a road map of the Deux-Montagnes territory, as well as a copy of the book “Ville de Deux-Montagnes 1804-1994”, written by Stéphane Plante.
2021 – The tradition continues
Last March, the festivities surrounding the City’s 100th anniversary kicked off with a call to the people of Deux-Montagnes, including schools, to collect the testimonies of citizens for future generations. Several school staff also saw this project as an interesting writing exercise. The goal? Preserve the testimonies in a stainless steel tube until they are revealed to the public during the festivities of the 200th anniversary of Deux Montagnes.
At the end of a selection process, 13 letters of different categories were selected in order to bequeath a significant sample of Deux-Montagnes’ memory of 2021. The youngest were invited to imagine Deux-Montagnes in the future, by letter or through a drawing. Others were invited to introduce themselves, introduce their school and greet readers of the future. Citizens could also share their predictions: what will the city look like in 100 years and how will the world have evolved?
« Readers of the future will discover to what extent the COVID-19 pandemic will have impacted life in our time, as evidenced by a few passages from the selected letters. They will also see how the environment and the issues surrounding global warming were at the heart of the concerns of past generations. », underlined Mayor Denis Martin while hoping that the situation will have evolved favorably in 100 years.
In addition to these letters from citizens, objects bearing the image of the 100th anniversary were inserted in the 3rd capsule, as well as publications distributed in 2021 reviewing the history of the city and the centenary festivities (municipal calendar, L’Express newsletter, etc.). Other documents attest to the financial reality of the administration in place, such as the explanatory leaflet on the tax bill, or aim to give a faithful image of the City in 2021, such as the brand new Citizen’s Handbook.
Remember that the 100th anniversary time capsule will be buried on the site of the future parc du Centenaire, which should see the light of day in 2022. In the meantime, it will be on display in the library.
