THUNDER BAY -- St. Ignatius High School kicked off their 50th anniversary celebrations by installing a time capsule in the 100 wing hallway.
Both former and present students/staff were on hand on Thursday to place various items in the capsule.
The school wished to incorporate elements of both its past, and its present to reflect a successful and its diverse 50 years.
Arnold Bortolussi spent 17 years both as a teacher and principal at St. Ignatius High School and he said he wanted to be there to honour the history of the school that meant so much to him.
“It was part of my blood,” Bortolussi said. “When we open it for whatever the next anniversary is, people can reflect back, they might have great aunts or great uncles who were part of this.”
Bortolussi's most sentimental donation included a cassette tape of the prayer of St. Ignatius.
“Every morning we would open the day with that prayer.”
Tenth-grade student Daytona Shaffer volunteered to read the opening remarks in front of her first period class. She said she wanted to honour her school’s history.
“I’m a really, really proud Falcon. I love my high school,” she said. “I wanted to honour our past, to where we are now.”
“I think our history, it’s a big part of St. Ignatius.”
Daytona said her history class brainstormed ideas, and decided to put a plush doll of their mascot - Freddy the Falcon - and a St. Ignatius pop socket to reflect the trendiness of the cell phone generation.
St. Ignatius will continued its 50th anniversary celebrations with a barbecue and alumni soccer game on Friday.
