Photo: Glacier Media

A massive fossil recovery along highway 29 between Tumbler Ridge and Chetwynd has secured four large blocks, the largest weighing in at 17,000 pounds.

The recovery was months in the making, requiring coordination and support from a crane operator, the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, Argo Road Maintenance, the Tumbler Ridge UNESCO Global Geopark, and Tumbler Ridge Museum staff.

"We're enormously grateful to the many volunteers who donated significant time and infrastructure to accomplish this ambitious recovery project. One highlight among many fossil treasures salvaged for posterity is a dinosaur track showing vividly preserved skin impressions," says museum curator Dr. Andrew Lawfield.

The other three samples will be kept under wraps for now as a collaboration of international experts works with local researcher and museum volunteer, Dr. Charles Helm, to interpret the findings.

Helm had this to say about the museum’s latest acquisitions: “The results, I believe, will be globally significant and will be complemented by a recent spate of further discoveries within the Tumbler Ridge Geopark. It has been an incredible field season.”