The Fernie Cenotaph has been graced with a temporary, 100-year addition, after the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 36 – aka the Fernie Legion – installed a time capsule to be opened in 2126.
The capsule – which is full of images, messages, and artifacts from the Fernie Legion today and over the last century of its existence – was sunk 5 feet into stony soil in the courthouse grounds, at the foot of the Cenotaph.
Fernie Legion President, Jennifer Cronin (pictured above) said that she hoped that the capsule would teach the community in 100 years about what life in Fernie was like in 2026, and about the work the Legion did to support veterans and the community.
Installing the Fernie Legion time capsule involved digging through a few feet of stubborn river rock in the Fernie Courthouse Grounds. The capsule will be opened in 2126.
“I am so excited for that to happen. I hope that what we’ve done and what we’ve put into the capsule will be something that will be meaningful to them when they open it,” she said on November 9, ahead of Remembrance Day, after supervising the installation of the capsule.
“We have a letter from our outgoing Mayor Nic Milligan in there, and I put a letter in there that will explain what the climate of the world and of Fernie is at this time.”
Besides images and messages, the capsule includes commemorative stamps, keepsakes from veterans’ families, and donated items.
The whole project was a community effort: The capsule itself was built by local business Summit Works; the commemorative plaque was donated by JJ Gawryluk of Cherished Memories; the concrete block was cast by Marty Garrett; and the hard work digging a hole for the capsule was done by Scott Lauinger of Fernie Tow-All Rentals.
“When we say what went into the time capsule, there are so many things not in the capsule that went into the time capsule,” said Cronin. “It was a community effort.”
The installation of the capsule represents the tail end of a year of commemoration for the Fernie Legion, which celebrated 100 years of operating in 2026. Earlier in 2026, the Legion hosted a block party, and coordinated the installation of a commemorative crosswalk in downtown Fernie.
Photos and words by Scott Tibballs
