The City of Red Deer quietly celebrated its 108th birthday on Thursday.
The less-than round-numbered birthday didn’t warrant any of the fireworks that marked the city’s centennary in 2013 — and it’s just as well.
The pandemic would have precluded any hoopla or celebrations, anyway.
Eight years ago, in a pre-COVID era, Red Deerians marked 100 years of city status with the burial of a 50-year time capsule in City Hall Park. It contained photos, messages from Red Deerians, and popular culture artifacts designed to show people in 2063 what life was like in Red Deer in 2013.
Life has already changed, thanks to COVID-19. But things will hopefully soon return to normal as more Red Deerians get vaccinated and the COVID-19 pandemic wanes.
The already quaint time capsule is buried on the northside of the park, near a bench and plaque that states “Happy birthday, Red Deer.”