Time capsule to be opened in Chilliwack this weekend to mark Legion’s 100th anniversary

CHILLIWACK – Chilliwack residents can witness a bit of history and honour the Royal Canadian Legion’s 100th anniversary at an event in downtown Chilliwack this weekend.

The Royal Canadian Legion Branch 295 in Chilliwack invites residents to attend the official opening of a time capsule from 1986.

The time capsule was encased by the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 4, founded in Chilliwack in 1926, and was slated to be opened in 2026 to commemorate the Legion’s 100-year anniversary.

Krista Smith of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch says Branch 4’s membership declined to a point where it could no longer support itself, and the remaining members and memorabilia were transferred to Branch 295 in 2021. To best support the wishes of Branch 4 membership and integrate it as an event in conjunction with the Legion Centenary, a time capsule ceremony will be commemorated during the weekend of the 80th Anniversary of the Dedication of All Sappers Cenotaph.

Conceived in 1944 during the Second World War by Lieutenant-Colonel Norman Coulson Mitchell, VC, MC, Commandant of Camp Chilliwack, the cenotaph project, known as Operation Granite, was undertaken by Sappers of the Royal Canadian Engineers. They quarried the massive stone locally and transported it by military rafts and vehicles. The Sappers, using their own skilled carvers and designers, created and erected the cenotaph. From July 17-19, 2026, Branch 295 will commemorate the 80th anniversary of the All Sappers Cenotaph and the Royal Canadian Legion’s 100th anniversary.

The time capsule ceremony will be held this Saturday, July 18 at 1:30 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Park, 45820 Spadina Avenue. To celebrate its 100th anniversary, Royal Canadian Legion membership is free for 2026.

From July 17-19, 2026, Branch 295 will commemorate multiple milestones with multiple events. Learn more on the website at https://operation-granite-ii.info/.