The Vulcan and District Historical Society has finally unveiled the contents of a mystery box that remained sealed for nearly seven decades. The box, constructed from wooden slats bound with wire, was found to contain six meticulously packed first-aid kits from 1958.
Contest Draws Curious Guesses
The society launched a six-week contest inviting the public to guess what lay inside the crate. With clues like the words "Civil Defence" visible on the exterior, a weight suggesting dense contents, and dimensions similar to an old trunk, participants submitted over 300 entries.
Correct and Creative Answers Rewarded
Three individuals who correctly guessed the first-aid kits each received one of the kits, along with promotional items and a print by Roger Middleton, a renowned Vulcan County artist who passed away in 2001. The kits contained various bandages, an eye-ointment tube, stretcher scissors, field medical cards, and pencils.
Prizes were also awarded for the most imaginative incorrect guesses. A local preschool class guessed the box held a monster truck named "Bill," earning them a real monster truck donated by Vulcan's hardware store. An eight-year-old received a prize for guessing dinosaur bones, while other creative entries included a mummy.
Community Engagement and Museum Opening
Throughout the contest, the mystery box toured Vulcan, stopping at schools, the health centre, an ATB branch, a brewery, the library, and a grocery store. The grand reveal took place on a Friday evening at the Vulcan and District Historical Society Museum and Archives, attended by over 40 people.
Bev Knutson-Shaw, the society's president, noted the event's success in generating public interest. "It was good PR for the museum, and it just got people talking," she said. The museum opened for the season the following day.
In a nod to Vulcan's status as Canada's Star Trek capital, the society also prepared a similar box filled with science fiction memorabilia. Next year, the society plans to create another historical guessing game, even if less authentic than this year's contest.
