Dino fossil collection could soon find a new home in Redcliff

O’Laney has compiled a collection of hundreds of prehistoric fossils that he acquired by purchasing private collections.

“So what we do is we try and identify collections that are left in estates and we try and pick them up and then get them certified with museums so that we can share them with other people,” says O’Laney.

To get the fossils certified O’Laney compiles documents and sends them to the Royal Tyrrell Museum to get a disposition that transfers the ownership from the province to O’Laney.

“We find these collections, we certify that fact that it was before 1978. We then have to collect it all, sort it all, bring it back to the shop, take photos of every single piece, categorize them, put them on a paper with information describing what they are and when they were found,” says O’Laney.

It’s important any fossils O’Laney purchases were found before 1978. That’s when the province passed a law to protect its fossil heritage.

“A person can apply to register that collection as a pre 1978 collection and then they receive a certificate indicating they are the owner of those fossils,” said Dan Spivak, Head of Resource Management with the Royal Tyrrell Museum.

In Alberta you can legally collect a surface fossil you find and hold onto it as a custodian, but the province is still the owner.

The Royal Tyrrell Museum says significant discoveries have been made by people simply enjoying the outdoors and coming across something buried in the dirt.

“It is really important when people find something important that they call us or email us to report the fossil, report the find and allow us the opportunity to see it and comment on its significance, on more than one occasion there have been important finds made by members of the public,” said Spivak.

Last weekend O’Laney was able to use these fossils as a tool to educate children on species found in prehistoric Alberta during a “Day of the Dinosaurs” showcase in Redcliff.

O’Laney hopes to inspire the next generation of paleontologists in southeastern Alberta by encouraging them to get out and explore. He says we are lucky to live in a treasure-trove of dinosaur fossils sites.

“through the years there was a lot of different species of dinosaurs and then cephalopods and stuff like that that evolved here and then we’ve also got the gray clay you see out in the hillsides which is called bentonite clay and it creates a wonderful anaerobic or bacteria free environment under which things can fossilize,” says O’Laney.

O’Laney and his business partner say they are planning to open a brick and mortar shop here in Redcliff where they can display and sell fossils and continue to run educational programs for the community.

Until then more information can be found on the O’Lenay Collectibles Facebook page.

by Brendan Miller

Dino fossil collection could soon find a new home in Redcliff

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