Social media sleuths help return lost bracelet 75 years later

After about 75yearsonthe sandy bottom of the Ottawa River, a bracelet lostat Britannia Beach decades ago has been returned to its owner'sfamily.

On Aug.16, whilemetal detecting inwaist-deep water near the public beach in Ottawa's west end, Joan Balser's device started beeping.

"I was out in the water and I got tired after two and half hours of not getting hits, butthen I got a hit," she said.

After digging down 15 centimetres,Balser pulled up thebracelet. It wascovered in about sixmillimetresof black tarnish.

After agood clean, Balser was able to makeout the name Wanda Hutchingsengraved in the bracelet, along with the words "Elmwood School"and "Rockcliffe Park."

On the back, etched in cursive, was the name Denny.

Balsersearched the website for Elmwood a privateschool for girls in Ottawa's Rockcliffe Park neighbourhood forinformation and found Hutchingsin a 1944 yearbook photo.She was then a 16-year-old member of the junior badminton team.

At that time, streetcars travelled to the popular beach at Britannia, dropping off swimmers and picnickers.

"I believe she was swimming and the clasp is missing so [the bracelet]was lose and it must have fallenoff," Balsersaid.

She knewher silver find was gold because innine years of metal detecting, she's found very few pieces of jewelry with someone'sfull name etched into it.

And she was determined to find the owner.

"It doesn't mean that much to me, but it means so much to them and it's not about the money," said Balser. "I get a thrill, it's like Christmas."

On Tuesday morning, Balser posted aphoto of the braceletand Hutchings's school pictureon a Facebook group called Old Ottawa Past - Forgotten and Fond Memories, inthe hope someone might recognize the teenager and helptrack her down.

Almost immediately, thepostlit up with replies from people saying they hoped she'd findthe owner, while others searched genealogy and other websitesand sharedtheir findings.

They discovered that Wanda Hutchingsdied in 2011 at the age of 82, and that her married name was Philpott.

"I couldn't believe what people were doing," said Balser."Theywant to hear a feel-good story and a happy ending, and it made me happy to see that."

Silver bracelet found at Britannia Beach, more than 70 years on

5 years ago

Duration 1:03

While using her metal detector, Joan Balser found a tarnished bracelet under 15 centimetres of sand and silt. The bracelet belonged to Wendy Philpott's mother Wanda Hutchings, who may have lost it while swimming at the beach in the 1940s.

Wanda Philpott'sobituary listeda daughter, Wendy. Balsersearched thename onFacebook andfound a Wendy Philpottliving in Ottawa.

Theentire search including finding WendyPhilpott and returning her mother's bracelet took just 12 hours from the time Balserfirst posted the image of the bracelet online.

"Myheart was pounding," Balser said about returning the item."Itwas like the last piece of the puzzle and Iwas excited and happy for her."

'Touched so many people,' daughter says

Wendy Philpott was completelycaught off guardwhen she started receiving online messages from strangers asking if she was Wanda Philpott's daughter.

Then Balser contacted her.

"It's the kind of thingthatcame out of the blue," Wendy Philpottsaid."This is a random act but it's somehow meaningfulthat it's touched so many people."

The two women met at Britannia Beach on Tuesday night.

"Who would think waking up yesterday morning that by that evening we'd be having that discussion and exchanging this bracelet?" Wendy Philpott said."It's not something I expected at all."

She said her mother never mentioned the silver bracelet to her.

"Mother often spoke of her love for Britannia Beach andtaking the streetcar there fordances. She loved it there," her daughter recalled."I think it really meant freedom and joy. It was special, for sure."

Her mother also never mentioned a friend named Denny, the name engravedon the back of the bracelet.

Wendy Philpottisn't sure if she'll wear it, but said it's"precious" to her.

Officials at ElmwoodSchool have invitedBalser and Philpott to sharetheir story with students on Friday.

As for Balser, she said the mystery is only half solved. Now, she wants to find outwho Denny was.