Family recovers time capsule from Summerset Manor

Dick Wedge suspected "something was up" when his children took him out for a special dinner for his 84th birthday in November.

But he wasn't prepared for the surprise they had in store for him.

Photographs and more

Dick's children presented him with what appeared to be a homemade copper box filled with trinkets and treasures from the 1960s when his fatherHenrywas an MLA in Charlottetown.

"I looked inside and realized it was the old newspapers from back in the day, from back in the '60swhen all this came about."

Dick's children found the copper time capsule tucked behind the cornerstone of the Summerset Manor as it was being demolished earlier this year, he said.

It was "quite the surprise," he said.

Advocate for seniors

The Summerset Manor stood for more than 50 years in Summerside before the province decided to tear it down over the summer. The building hadbeen vacant since 2012.

The time capsule included old photographs of the cornerstone of the building being laid, a list of names of the people who were there for the ceremony and a speech made by Henryon the day the manor first opened.

He owned a pharmacyuntil he handed the business over to his son in 1965 so he could go on and pursue a career in politics.

Henrywas named Islander of the year in 1965and was known as a vocaladvocate for senior citizens.

One of his projects was launching a program dedicated to housing for senior citizens, which led to the construction of the Summerset Manor.

"I guess there's probably not too many 84-year-olds that got that kind of a birthday present," Dick said.

The family has plans to mount the cornerstone on marble or granite on Dick's property.

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