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(Update)
A piece of Hamilton’s history has been unearthed at Gore Park. Crews working on revitalizing the cenotaph found a scroll buried deep below ground.
Crews were working right here. When they discovered something remarkable — either a time capsule or a scroll. Officials aren’t sure yet but they have some clues. Whatever it turns out to be, it’s been under the ground for over 90 years.
In a place built to honour those who lost their lives in World War I, the ghosts of years past may have been found. It’s a brass tube covered in dirt with what looks like degraded paper flaking off. We don’t know yet what if anything is inside but a local historian thinks she knows what was wrapped around the outside. Margaret Houghton found a newspaper article from 1923 mentions a scroll being placed inside the Cenotaph.
The president of the Canadian Club at the time is quoted as saying: “This is no empty tomb. Within its depths lies a scroll bearing the names of 1,800 Canadians who gave their lives in the cause for right and freedom.”
About 500 people were said to be at the unveiling of the Cenotaph in 1923 to commemorate the lives lost in World War I.
Ian Kerr-Wilson is with Heritage Department Hamilton: “This was a very important event for people. The war was fresh, they were doing something for the future. They’re saying we want to communicate to generations from now. It will be interesting we’ll get to see inside their brain.”
The city of Hamilton’s Heritage Department had planned to open the tube Wednesday but decided to do more research before attempting it.
Kerr-Wilson says there is no time line for attempting to open the capsule. He says even if there’s nothing inside, the capsule itself is an important piece of history.
