Time capsule honours efforts of St. Boniface Hospital front-line staff in pandemic’s fog

It’s a fairly safe bet that for most Manitobans, the COVID-19 pandemic was an extended nightmare they’d like to purge from memory.

But front-line staff at St. Boniface Hospital, who were confronted with some of the worst the then-novel coronavirus brought to Winnipeg and elsewhere in the province, have contributed items to a time capsule to preserve the remembrances for the next generation of health-care workers.

The letters, photos and other pandemic-related material was sealed at the facility Tuesday and will remain so until March 12, 2050 — exactly 30 years after the first case arrived at the hospital.

It will serve as a reminder of the herculean efforts that were made by staff working in the fog of fear and uncertainty, St. Boniface Hospital CEO Nicole Aminot told a news conference Tuesday.

“Our front-line workers were faced with immense and unprecedented pressures as they put themselves in harm’s way to ensure the health and well being of our community,” she said.

“This was a journey we all traveled together without knowing when or how it would end.”

Among the items, one bright pink letter written by a student read: “You are all heroes.” Another letter, written by a staff member, had the message: “We all lost two years of our lives.”

As nurse Mercy Yusuf slowly made her way along the items displayed on a table before they were locked away, it appeared as though difficult, sad memories were flooding back.

She worked as a health-care aide on the floor of the hospital designated for patients battling the virus in 2021.

“We survived it,” Yusuf said while looking at a student’s letter. “We went through a lot, but we still came out strong.”

Staff contributed the majority of the items. The capsule contains masks, COVID-19 test kits, social distancing signage, and letters from students sent to medical staff during the pandemic.

Postcards written by hospital staff in June 2023, sharing stories and reflecting on their experience after the pandemic, are included, too. Instructions and a letter to future hospital administration were sealed along with the artifacts.

The project will help those still working in the hospital to remember and move on, said Karen Fowler, president and CEO of the St. Boniface Hospital Foundation.

“Today we close a chapter of our shared history of the incredible efforts and resilience shown by the people within these walls during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Fowler.

“Let’s make sure that the legacy of this moment in our history will never be forgotten.”

Yusuf said she hopes future hospital workers will think of the strength shown by nurses and doctors.

The sealed box will be kept in the hospital’s Buhler Gallery until it’s time to be opened.

matthew.frank@freepress.mb.ca

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