Canadian Fossil Trail

There are many important fossil sites across Canada. In fact, there is a trail of them and here are a few we suggest…

The Western Trail

The Eastern Trail

1.) Courtenay and District Museum and Paleontology Centre

Courtenay, BC, Canada
Phone: (250) 334-0686
Operation: Year round
Web: www.courtenaymuseum.ca

The Courtenay and District Museum, located in downtown Courtenay, is open on a year round basis and provides fossil tours throughout the year. Known for its late Cretaceous marine fossils such as the 13 metre long elasmosaur and the new species and genus of mosasaur, Kourisodon puntledgensis, the museum welcomes visitors from around the world.

2.) Discover Comox Valley

Courtenay, British Columbia
Phone: 250-334-3234 Toll-free: 1-888-357-4471
Fax: 250-334-4908
Web: <www.discovercomoxvalley.com” target=”_blank”>www.discovercomoxvalley.com

Nestled between the Beaufort Mountains and the Strait of Georgia, the Comox Valley is a distinctive collection of small communities, farms and forested areas located on the central east coast of Vancouver Island. It contains an endless variety of beaches, mountains, quaint rural attractions and vibrant downtown centres. The Comox Valley is one of the most diverse recreational and cultural destinations in the world.

3.) Royal British Columbia Museum

Victoria, British Columbia
Open daily 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, closed Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
toll-free: 1-888-447-7977
Web: www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/

The Royal BC Museum inspires the curious to discover the remarkable province of British Columbia – its natural history, its modern history and the history of its First Peoples through twenty-six thousand square feet of highly realistic displays.
The Natural History gallery portrays the great range of living things in the province’s coastal forests and on its sea coasts. Museum-goers see a full-size reconstruction of a Woolly Mammoth and walk through a realistic diorama of old growth forest. At the entrance to the gallery a small display features Ice-Age remains from mammoth and mastodon, bison, lodgepole pine and marine shells.

4.) Kelowna Museum

Kelowna, British Columbia
Phone: (250) 763-2417
Operation: Year round.
Web: www.kelownamuseum.ca

Marvel at Eocene bird fossils (one from the bee eater family) and flora fossils from the Interior of B.C.. Displays and school programs on fossils and dinosaurs. Natural history and human history themes.

5.) Fraser Fort George Regional Museum

Prince George, British Columbia
Tel. (250) 612-1612
Web: www.theexplorationplace.com

The Exploration Place is situated in Fort George Park on the banks of the Fraser River just east of downtown Prince George. The palaeontology gallery has many full sized dinosaurs including a 24 metre long Mamenchisaurus. Children can examine a hands-on T- Rex skull or hunt for fossils in the dinosaur dig bed. Discover what B.C.’s dinosaurs and other animals of that time may have looked like, based on fossil trackway evidence from across the province.

6.) Mistahaya Wayatinaw Tourism Cooperative

Tumbler Ridge, BC
1-800-891-0566
www.grizzlyvalleyco-op.com

MWTC is a group of ecologically minded tourism operators offering excursions into the heart of the Northern Rockies. All tours feature a large educational component and include activities such as interpretive hikes, birding, outdoor yoga practices and multi-day backpacking treks. MWTC is proud to showcase recently discovered dinosaur trackways and track-beds. Join MWTC for an interpretive tour of these trackways; surrounded by canyons, forests and waterfalls. Explore the area’s geological history. Revisit the time when this mountainous land was an ocean shoreline. Join us for a nighttime lantern tour and discover a world unseen in daylight, where dinosaur tracks and fossilized roots seem to come to life.

7.) Tumbler Ridge Museum Foundation

Box 1981
Tumbler Ridge
BC
V0C 2W0

The Tumbler Ridge Museum Foundation coordinates: research, displays, collections and education programming related to the area’s rich fossil heritage. Tumbler Ridge has become renowned for dinosaur trackways found by two local boys in 2000 and a subsequent find in 2002 of B.C.’s first dinosaur skeleton; identified as the oldest dinosaur in western Canada which will be excavated in the summer of 2003. The area is also home to impressive Triassic fish and marine reptile fossils, numerous coral fossils, and Cretaceous plant fossils.

8.) District of Tumbler Ridge

PO Box 100 Tumbler Ridge
V0C 2W0
250-242-4242
www.district.tumbler-ridge.bc.ca/

The District of Tumbler Ridge is committed to making this area a destination for visitors interested in exploring B.C.’s ancient and contemporary natural history; from millions of years ago to today! Visit downtown Tumbler Ridge and find out more about historical and recreational activities in one of the most beautiful and untouched areas of British Columbia. Guided tours along a beautiful hiking trail are now available to a number of footprint sites including unique lantern tours.

9.) Northern Rockies Alaska Highway Tourism Association

Fort St. John, British Columbia
Phone: (250) 785-2544
Toll Free: 1-888-785-2544
Web: www.northeasternbc.com

This is one of the richest palaeontolgical regions in the province of British Columbia. Recent dinosaur and trackway discoveries make a visit to this area an adventure back in time. There are a number of circle tours that can be taken in this area to visit communities that have millions of years of history. Make a Peace Region Dinosaur Tour a destination activity and visit member sites in this guide as well as other communities in the region: Mackenzie, Chetwynd, Tumbler Ridge, Dawson Creek, Pouce Coupe, Taylor, Fort St. John, Hudson’s Hope and Fort Nelson.

10.) Columbia Shuswap Regional District

Sicamous, British Columbia
Phone/Fax: (250) 832-5200
1-800-661-4800
Web: www.shuswap.bc.ca

The Columbia Shuswap region is located halfway between Calgary and Vancouver along the Trans Canada Highway. Take a leisurely drive to see some of its history and view the dairies, orchards in this spectacular lake and mountain region. Plan to stay awhile and take the time to stroll or hike on the many hiking/cycling trails. There are trails that will accommodate the casual walker or the ardent hiker. Experience the quiet of our forests and hear the rushing of magnificent waterfalls. The Columbia Shuswap area is known as “The Gateway to the Rockies” and leads the traveler to the world renowned Yoho Burgess Shale.

11.) The Yoho-Burgess Shale Foundation

Field, British Columbia
Phone: (250) 343-6006
Guided Hikes: 1-800-343-3006 July – September
Operation: Year round.
Web: www.burgess-shale.bc.ca

High in the Canadian Rocky Mountains is a fossil find of epic proportions, The Burgess Shale. Discovered in 1909 in Yoho National Park by Charles D. Walcott, the Burgess Shale provides a glimpse of what life was like on Earth – 505 million years ago! It was designated as an UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981, and later became a protected site within the Rocky Mountain Parks World Heritage Site. The Burgess Shale Foundation conducts guided hikes to the Burgess Shale and Mt. Stephen fossil beds from July to September. To get to the Walcott quarry, you hike a scenic trail a distance of about 10km, taking about 3 hours. Only guided tours permitted.

12.) Yoho National Park/Parks Canada

Lake Louise, Alberta
Phone: (403) 522-3833
Operation: Year round.
Reduced services September – May.
Web: www.parkscanada.gc.ca/pn-np/bc/yoho

Yoho National Park is one of four Rocky Mountain Parks jointly declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1984, in recognition of this unique area and of the exceptionally well preserved pre Cambrian (515 million years ago) fossils of the Burgess Shale. The park is located in the province of British Columbia along the western slopes of the Continental Divide. The town of Field is located in the park and provides basic services. Services are also available in Golden, B.C. (55 km west of Field) and in Lake Louise (27 km east of Field).

13.) Grande Cache Tourism & Interpretive Centre & Grande Cache Chamber of Commerce

Grande Cache, Alberta
Phone: (780) 827-3300
Operation: Year round.
Web: www.town.grandecache.ab.ca

The Grande Cache Tourism and Interpretive Centre is located on Highway 40, at the south entrance of the town of Grande Cache, known to residents as “the best kept secret of the Rocky Mountains in the province of Alberta”. If you like a wilderness experience and enjoy some of the comforts of home, Grande Cache is an excellent destination and can be reached by taking a relaxing scenic drive midway between Hinton and Grande Prairie along the northwest boundary of Willmore Wilderness Park. The Centre houses displays depicting Grande Cache’s natural treasures, unique history, and culture. This includes full animal mounts, ice age artifacts, aboriginal history, fur trading memorabilia, and geological development in the Rocky Mountains. An exhibition on Dinosaur Trackways gives the visitor an opportunity to learn more about this unique area’s palaeontological history.

14.) Grande Prairie Museum

Grande Prairie, Alberta
Phone: (780) 532-5482
Operation: Year Round
Web: www.grandeprairiemuseum.org

Grande Prairie Museum presents fascinating stories from the time of the dinosaurs to the pioneer era of the early 1900s and beyond. Two display galleries, regional archives and 12 buildings in a heritage village setting make up the museum complex along Bear Creek. 2002-2003 is an exciting time as the museum expands to a second venue and enlarge the present facility. The new Heritage Discover Centre opens summer 2003, featuring interactive displays, an animated Pachyrhinosaurus, survivor games, learning theatre and temporary display gallery.

15.) Grande Prairie Regional College

Grande Prairie, Alberta
Toll Free: 1-888-539-GPRC
Web: www.gprc.ab.ca/

16.) The Calgary Zoo, Botanical Gardens and Prehistoric Park

Calgary, Alberta
Phone: (403) 232-9300
Operation: Year round.
Supporting Agency: The Calgary Zoological Society
Web: www.calgaryzoo.ab.ca

The Calgary Zoo’s Prehistoric Park is unique to the world. Retreated within its 6.5 hectares boundary is an image of Western Canada as it might have appeared when dinosaurs resigned supreme. More than 100 species of plants and a collection of life sized dinosaurs reflect our present understanding of that ancient time. Once your step back in time is completed, complete your world tour and visit the rest of our 900 residents. Don’t miss the newest exhibit – Destination Africa!

17.) Prehistoric Animal Structures (PAST)

East Coulee, Alberta
Phone: (403) 822-2120
Operation: Year round.
Reduced services September – May.
Web: www.past.ab.ca

PAST is a company of international stature which specializes in mounting skeletons for exhibitions and museum displays. It has extensive experience in articulating skeletons of dinosaurs, both original bone and cast, as well as fossil and recent mammals and reptiles. The company was formed in 1989 and has since produced mounts for numerous museums and institutions. Some of the most recent work has been for the movie X-Men 2, and the restoration of Seismosaurus.

18.) The Royal Tyrrell Museum

Drumheller, Alberta
Phone: 1-888-440-4240 (North America);
(403) 823-7707 (within Alberta)
Operation: Year round.
Supporting Agency: The Royal Tyrrell Cooperating Society
Web: www.tyrrellmuseum.com

The Royal Tyrrell Museum, located 90 minutes northeast of Calgary, Alberta, is the only Canadian museum devoted exclusively to studying and exhibiting ancient life through fossils. At the Royal Tyrrell Museum, you can explore fascinating displays of dinosaurs and other ancient life, take part in dynamic interpretive programming and catch tantalizing glimpses into current paleontological research. You can help dig up dinosaurs on one of our exciting hands-on excavation tours. Or you can tour the Museum Gallery with an audio guide. Nestled in the badlands on the Red Deer River, this world-class facility is the destination of over 350,000 visitors each year.

19.) Dinosaur Provincial Park

Patricia, Alberta
Phone: (403) 378-4342 (Park info year round);
Toll free Alberta 310-0000
Tour Reservations: (403) 378-4344 (mid-May to mid-October)
Operation: Year round.
Supporting Agency: Dinosaur Natural History Association
Web: www.gov.ab.ca/env/parks/prov_parks/dinosaur

About two hours east of Calgary, Alberta, the gently rolling prairie grasslands suddenly drop off, plunging the visitor into a whole other world of hoodoos, pinnacles, coulees and buttes. Many who visit these badlands for the first time describe this sudden transition as if they have taken a wrong turn and somehow ended up on the moon. Strange land formations rise up on all sides, sculpted by wind and water into hauntingly beautiful shapes sunbathed in terra cotta, bronze and amber. A trip to Dinosaur Provincial Park is also a 75 million-year foray back in time. This region was then a subtropical paradise populated by turtles, crocodiles and sharks — and featuring lush vegetation similar to the coastal plains of the south-eastern United States today. Here, on the shores of the Bearpaw Sea, dinosaurs once hunted and mated — and ultimately met their demise, leaving an amazingly rich fossil and bone record for us to discover today.

20.) Mesozoic Wrex Repair

Warner, Alberta
Phone: 403-642-2227
mesowrex@telus.net

A company dedicated to working “behind the scenes” on preparation, molding and casting of fossils. Mesozoic WRex also carries out national and international field work. Located in Milk River Ridge Country, this area is well known for archaeological history as well as recent history such as Whoop-Up Trail and Writing On Stone Provincial Park which has both First Nations and RCMP history. There is also the Twin Rivers Grazing Reserve and surrounding area, which was nominated as a Special Places 2000 area. The Milk River Ridge is also rich in Geologic history. It is the southernmost extent of the last glaciation 11,000 years ago. Visitors are welcome by appointment.

21.) Devil’s Coulee Dinosaur Heritage Museum

Warner, Alberta
Phone: (403) 642-2118.
Operation: 7 days a week(May – September, long wkends) Winter hours by appt.
Web: www.devilscoulee.com

Devil’s Coulee is Canada’s first discovered dinosaur nesting site. On May 24, 1987, Wendy Sloboda, a 19 year old from Warner, Alberta, found small fossil fragments on the Milk River Ridge. The rest of the story is history……this was the first find of dinosaur eggs in Canada and they were identified as the eggs of a Duck –Billed dinosaur! Devil’s Coulee Dinosaur Heritage Museum is home to a large variety of palaeontological and heritage displays. Many are hands-on. Educational programs for schools and groups are available year round. Open seven days a week from the Victoria to Labour Day long weekend. Also Tour the nesting site with staff of the museum.

22.) Dinosaur Natural History Association

Dinosaur Natural History Association
Brooks, Alberta
Phone: (403) 793-8065
Operation: Year round.
Web: www.dinosaur.ab.ca

Based in Brooks, Alberta, Canada, the Dinosaur Natural History Association supports and raises funds for Dinosaur Provincial Park. Operating both the Field Station Bookstore and the Dinosaur Service Center, the association provides special services to Park visitors.

23.) Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park

Maple Creek, Saskatchewan
Phone: (306) 662-5411 (Saskatchewan) / (403) 893-3777 (Alberta)
Operation: Year round. Reduced services
September – May.
Supporting Agencies: Heritage Association of Cypress Hills; Fort Walsh National Historic Site.
Web: www.cypresshills.com

There’s a mystique about Cypress Hills in southwest Saskatchewan and southeast Alberta. Elevation takes you into a secret place with forests of pine and spruce, mixed with lush fescue grasslands. Escape into a world of fresh trickling springs, crisp clean air and the sights and sounds of moose, elk and deer.In Canada’s first and only “Interprovincial” park, visitors can experience the beauty of unique geology, bountiful wildlife and interesting history at Fort Walsh National Historic Site. Guided tours by reservation. Interpretive and educational programs. Camping, accommodation, golf, lakes, equestrian trails, bird watching, fishing, panoramic views. An oasis on an open prairie.

24.) Fort Walsh Historic Site

Maple Creek, Saskatchewan
Phone: (306) 662-2645
Operation: Late May to mid-October.
Supporting Agencies: Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park
Web: www.parkscanada.gc.ca/lhn-nhs/sk/walsh/index_e.asp

Situated adjacent to the West Block of Cypress Hills Provincial Park, Fort Walsh National Historic Site provides interpretation of events that led to the formation of the Northwest Mounted Police, and the early years of frontier policing. Visitors can “slip back in time” to an earlier age, and experience the trials and rigors of the early Mountie’s life. Farwell’s Trading Post is a reconstruction of one of the posts that operated on the western plains prior to the arrival of the NWMP. There, interpreters will draw you in to the world of the fur and whiskey trades. The visitor reception centre offers a museum, theatre, and food service.

25.) T-Rex Discovery Centre

Eastend, Saskatchewan
Phone: (306) 295-4144
Operation: Year round.
Supporting Agencies: Eastend Tourism Authority; The Royal Saskatchewan Museum
Web: dinocountry.com

The T.rex Discovery Centre is a palaeontological interpretive Centre located in the community of Eastend, Saskatchewan. Although Eastend is famous for the 1991 discovery of a nearly complete Tyrannosaurus rex (Scotty), there is much, much more to see and do! It is the Centre’s mandate to increase awareness of the very rich and diverse, but often overlooked fossil resources of southwest Saskatchewan. The Centre houses a state-of-the-art palaeo lab that is operated year-round by the Royal Saskatchewan Museum. There is also an interpretive gallery and a collection of touchable interpretive fossils. Fossil quarry tours and day-dig programs are available through the summer.

26.) Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park

Kyle, Saskatchewan
Phone: (306) 375-5525
Operation: Year round. Reduced services September to May.
Web: www.saskparks.net

Steep rugged hills, razorback ridges, wooded coulees, and the expansive waters of Lake Diefenbaker await you at this historic river crossing. Breathtaking vistas, native grassland speckled with wildflowers, and an abundance of wildlife are encountered throughout the South Saskatchewan River Valley. Interpretive trails, programs and program centre; teepee rings, buffalo rubbing stone, cart tracks (from the historic Battleford Trail); endangered species and ecosystems. Visit historic Goodwin House Visitor Centre to view natural, cultural and palaeontological exhibits.

27.) Notukeu Heritage Museum of Archaeology and Paleontology

Ponteix, Saskatchewan
Phone: (306) 625-3340 (Centre Culturel Royer)
Operation: Year round.
Web: collections.ic.gc.ca/notukeu/

Home of the “Mo” elasmosaur (plesiosaur) reptile. Thousands of aboriginal artifacts, some 11,000 years old. View amateur archaeologist Henri Liboiron’s discoveries: flints, pottery, tools, weapons, pemmican, pigments. The museum also offers school and group education programs and tours.

28.) Grasslands National Park

Val Marie, Saskatchewan
Phone: (306) 298-2257
Operation: Year round.
Web: www.parkscanada.gc.ca/pn-np/sk/grasslands/index_e.asp

Grasslands National Park of Canada is the only park in Canada’s national system of parks set aside to protect and present the mixed-grass prairie ecosystem. This is untouched, native land and one of the largest contiguous prairie habitats left in North America. The park is composed of two blocks, the East and West Blocks. The West Block focuses on the Frenchman River Valley with deep coulees, buttes and meandering watercourse. The East Block presents the Wood Mountain Uplands and Killdeer Badlands with rolling hills, bush cover, striated buttes and slopes. The first recorded fossil remains were discovered here by George Mercer Dawson. Common and rare wildlife, hiking, birding, nature – amazing country for those that desire unique, wild places with ample opportunity for solitude.

29.) Ancient Echoes Interpretation centre

Herschel, Saskatchewan
Phone: (306) 377-2045
Web: www3.sk.sympatico.ca/herschel

Take a walk through the Herschel ravines and experience ancient history. The ecology is one of glacial ravines, alkali soil and fresh water springs, creating and environment for many species of grasses, flowers, animals and big game- a naturalist’s paradise. Sixty five million years ago, this area was a large inland sea. In 1990, the fossilized skeleton of a 25-foot plesiosaur was excavated and since then two more have been found. The first one is presently at the Tyrell Museum outside of Drumheller and the other two have not been excavated fully. The Interpretive Center houses other marine fossils that have been found locally and that relay a timeline of events for visitors. The site is known for its native history, the most stunning archeological site contains three petroglyphs and artifacts dating back 1800 years. Site is by guided access only.

30.) Royal Saskatchewan Museum

Regina, Saskatchewan
Phone: (306) 787-2815
Operation: Year round.
Web: www.royalsaskmuseum.ca

The Earth Sciences Gallery showcases over 2 billion years of geological and fossil history in Saskatchewan. Travel through time exploring ancient volcanoes, shallow inland seas inhabited by ancient shelled creatures and marine reptiles, the last days of the dinosaurs, the evolution of mammals, and the events during the great ice ages. Visit Megamunch, our roaring robotic Tyrannosaurus rex, and take part in hands-on activities in our newly renovated Paleo Pit.The First Nations Gallery presents the history and culture of Saskatchewan’s first peoples, while the Life Sciences Gallery provides a tour of the province’s ecoregions and discusses the consequences of a growing human “footprint.” The RSM also offers educational and public programs based on the gallery themes.

31.) Canadian Fossil Discovery Centre

Morden, Manitoba
Phone: (204) 822-3406
Operation: Year round.
Web: www.mordenmuseum.com

Take the trip to Morden and descend into the depths of an ancient sea that teemed with amazing creatures. The Museum houses Canada’s largest collection of fossil marine reptiles that ruled the seas during the age of dinosaurs. From scholarly tours to a day of educational fun, the Morden Museum is the perfect destination to learn more about Manitoba’s ancient seaway. Consider going on a Palaeo Tour and become a paleontologist for a day as you search for 80 million-year-old fossils in the Pembina Hills. Home of the Corn and Apple Festival, Morden is located in Manitoba’s “Gardenland” and Pembina Valley country where fields of sunflowers meet the rolling hills of the Manitoba Escarpment.

32.) The Manitoba Museum

Winnipeg, Manitoba
Phone: (204) 988-0665
Operation: Year round.
Web: www.manitobamuseum.mb.ca

The Manitoba Museum – a unique ‘you are there’ journey through time and space! Explore Canada’s heartland, ponder the mysteries of the universe and experience the joy of discovery with hands-on science – it’s all possible – all in one place!

The Manitoba Museum, the province’s largest heritage centre, is renowned for its combined human and natural heritage themes and vivid portrayal of Manitoba’s rich and colourful history. The Museum shares knowledge about Manitoba, the world and the universe through its heritage collections, interpretive galleries, exhibitions, publications, on-site and outreach programs, live Planetarium shows and hands-on Science Gallery exhibits.

33.) Stones ‘n Bones Museum

Sarnia, Ontario
Phone: (519) 336-2100
Operation: March – December only.
Web: www.stonesnbones.ca

A fossil-lover’s paradise awaits in Sarnia. Begin with the Stones ‘N Bones Museum. Museum customers are entitled to generous discounts at local restaurants and accommodation. An optional museum pass offers bargain rates to all eleven area museums. Visitors should be sure to visit one or more of the many public and private (permission required) fossil sites where a wide variety of well-preserved Devonian fossils may be found. Guided group tours are available throughout the season and may be arranged through the museum or at the Rock Glen site.

34.) Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority

Exeter, Ontario
Telephone:(519) 235-2610
Web: http://www.abca.on.ca/

Devonian period fossils can be found along the 4 km of walking trails along the Ausable River gorge. The small, but well-appointed Arkona Lions’ Museum contains prominent displays of these fossils as well as local native artefacts. The museum runs classes on the formation and importance of fossils.

35.) Royal Ontario Museum

Toronto, Ontario
Phone: (416) 586-5549
Operation: Year round
Web: www.rom.on.ca/

Dinosaurs roam the ROM in the Dinosaur Gallery, located on the Life Sciences floor. Set in vivid diorama surroundings, complete skeletons bring to life some of the large animals of the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. In the Upper Jurassic display, a Stegosaurus is threatened by two flesh-eating Allosaurus, while the swift plant-eater Camptosaurus hastily retreats. In the Upper Cretaceous display, Albertosaurus — closely related to Tyrannosaurus — towers menacingly. One large duckbill stands in upright alert posture, while another ambles past on an actual dinosaur trackway. A horned dinosaur, Chasmosaurus, pauses nearby. Also from the Upper Cretaceous, a plesiosaur and a mosasaur stand out as powerful swimmers in an underwater setting — a shallow sea that covered much of North America some 70 million years ago. These walk-through dioramas are complemented by video stations commenting on dinosaur types, skeletal structures, habitats, and ways of life. A small theatre tells the story of fossil-hunting in the Badlands of Alberta — one of the richest dinosaur collecting areas in the world.

36.) Canadian Museum of Nature

Ottawa, Ontario
Phone: 613.566.4700
Toll Free: 800.263.4433
Operation: Year round
Web: www.nature.ca

The Canadian Museum of Nature (CMN) is Canada’s national museum of natural history, with a history dating back over 150 years to the origins of the Geological Survey of Canada. The CMN promotes awareness of Canada’s natural heritage through permanent and travelling exhibitions, public education programmes, active scientific research, and the maintenance of a 10-million-specimen collection. At its public exhibitions site in downtown Ottawa visitors can travel through time in our Earth Hall and Dinosaur Gallery. The Museum is now moving forward with plans for a dynamic new Fossil Gallery, set to open in 2006. Using some life-like dioramas, it will examine in detail the crucial period before and after dinosaurs became extinct, and when a new type of animal – mammals – began to thrive.

37.) Parc de Miguasha

Nouvelle, Quebec
Phone: (418) 794-2475
Operation: June 1 – mid October only.
Web: www.sepaq.com

How did fossil fishes and plants live on our planet 370 million years ago? You’ll find out when you visit Parc national de Miguasha, a real gem in Québec’s park system. The park is a unique piece of our natural heritage, fascinating young and old alike with its unusually well-preserved fossils and the light it sheds on a key stage in evolution. Its scientific renown persuaded UNESCO to add Miguasha Park to the World Heritage List in November 1999.

37.) Fundy Geological Museum

Parrsboro, Nova Scotia
Phone Tourism Toll Free:
1-800-565-0000
Operation: Year round (seasonal variations).
Web: http://museum.gov.ns.ca/fgm/

The Museum is a major vacation destination in Nova Scotia. Vacationers from the Maritimes, and abroad, are able to see 200 million year old dinosaurs, or the incredible mineral specimens in the museum’s galleries. The northern shore of the Bay of Fundy is also open to great adventure, and fun to make a visit to the Museum a part of a great vacation.

37.) Joggins Fossil Cliffs World Heritage Committee

C/o Cumberland Regional Economic Development Association
35 Church Street
PO Box 546 Amherst
Nova Scotia
B4H 3A7

The fossil cliffs of Joggins are a world-class palaeontological site, and they have been designated a Special Place under the Province of Nova Scotia’s Special Places Protection Act. Joggins is located near the head of the Bay of Fundy, in an area where the tides are some of the world’s highest (over 15 meters). This tidal action causes steady erosion of the 23 meter high cliffs. The cliffs have yielded fossils which give an unprecedented glimpse into life during the Carboniferous Period, including: a rich variety of flora; a diverse fauna of amphibians; some exciting trackways of the Arthropleura; and, some of the world’s first reptiles.

37.) Reprodactyl Incorporated

Seattle, Washington State, USA
206-782-1128.
Web: www.reprodactyl.com

Reprodactyl Reproduction Services provides expert molding and casting of dinosaurian and other natural history material. With extensive museum experience, our skilled palaeontological technicians can provide you with outstanding reproductions for scientific or personal use. Reprodactyl Inc. offers a wide variety of services to the scientific community and the discriminating natural history collector. Including, but not limited to: Expert moulding and casting of dinosaur or other natural history items for research, display or sale. “In situ” moulding of specimens or natural landforms. Preparation of fossil specimens. Development and production of exhibits, displays, and dioramas, both permanent and traveling. Prospecting for, and collection of natural history specimens and events.