It's a project that would be 40 years in the making, and it would take the city into its centennial.

The Youth of Today Society is proposing individual time capsules that would be opened in another 40 years – 2050, the city's 100th anniversary – and the society's officials are asking for the city's help to pull it off.

Lance Burton is a director with the organization focused on offering life skills and employment programs to disadvantaged youth. He brought forward the capsules idea to Whitehorse city council at its meeting last night.

"We would like to start as soon as possible,” he said, after outlining the idea.

The group wants to sell the individual time capsules to raise money for its Angels Nest facility on Jeckell Street.

Anyone could buy a capsule to be opened by whoever they choose in 40 years, Burton said, suggesting it may be of interest to schools, groups or individuals wanting to hand something down to future generations.

A website would be among the marketing tools used to sell the capsules, with the society set to create it.

But Burton is also hoping the city will assist with promotion, he said as he outlined the city's potential role.

Along with helping out with promotion, Burton said, his group would like the city to help find a permanent location for the capsules and assist with a ceremony to close the main site holding the capsules for four decades.

It's not clear whether the capsules would be buried or placed in an above-ground facility.

Just how much each individual capsule would cost is unknown.

He suggested the city might even want to assign a specific staff member to work with him on the project.

Questioned by Coun. Florence Roberts about whether he had spoken to the city's parks and recreation department about it, Burton said he hadn't, opting first to approach council with the idea.

Burton walked away with no firm commitment from council, but officials were set to discuss it today during their weekly morning meeting that follows the day after every council meeting.

"It's an interesting project,” Mayor Bev Buckway told reporters immediately after last night's meeting. She hasn't heard of anything similar happening in the city, she added.

Before offering the city's support though, Buckway said she wants to see what comes out of discussions today and the impacts it could have on the city.