I can’t remember exactly what month it was, but I think it was the Fall 1993 term when we got the time capsule* together.

I do recall that it was Joy Shaw, the executive director of the students’ association at the time – who was basically the glue that held the students’ association together – who got us organized to figure out what to put inside the time capsule. It’s been a long time, so my memory is a bit foggy on exactly what is in there and I’m curious to see what we’ll find once it’s opened. 

Back when we sealed the time capsule, I was in my second year of MacEwan’s University Transfer Bachelor of Arts program and getting ready to head off to finish my degree in political science at the University of Alberta. I had always been interested in politics and was a member of student government in high school, so when I moved to Edmonton from Tofield to go to university, I decided to join the students’ council and was the Arts and Science rep at the Mill Woods Campus. Then, when City Centre Campus opened and my program moved there during my second year, I ran to be one of the vice-presidents on that campus’s students’ council. 

And while I may not recall the details of the time capsule, I do remember that, even though it was a new campus, it still felt like MacEwan. When you walked down the hall, your instructors and classmates knew who you were. You didn’t just feel like a number.

My time on the Griffins canoe team also really stands out in my mind. We had a mixed-doubles team that raced against different colleges throughout Alberta. That year, the provincials were held on the North Saskatchewan River near where the Re/Max Field baseball stadium is today. It was a lesson in how difficult paddling upstream can be, but it was also a lot of fun – and we ended up with a bronze medal. 

My time at MacEwan has a lot of good memories and really set the tone for the rest of my learning.

–Steven Francoeur

Steven Francoeur completed MacEwan’s University Transfer Bachelor of Arts program in 1994. He went on to complete his Bachelor of Arts in political science at the University of Alberta before spending 22 years working for the federal government as a marine communications and traffic services officer and a member of the RCMP. He is currently working on his master’s in counselling psychology. 

*Opening the time capsule located between Griffins Landing and Starbucks in Building 6 is part of the university’s 50th anniversary celebrations. Watch for details later this month!