Her Honour, the Honourable Iona Campagnolo, Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia, has accepted an invitation from the Tumbler Ridge Museum Foundation (TRMF) to become its Honorary Patron. This follows Her Honour's May visit to Tumbler Ridge in which she was escorted through the TRMF's new Peace Region Palaeontology Research Centre by palaeontologists Rich McCrea and Lisa Buckley, TRMF Vice President Charles Helm and Mayor of Tumbler Ridge Clay Iles.

She was presented with a replica of a Theropod footprint from the museum's Wolverine site that now hangs proudly in her office. During the tour, Her Honour expressed admiration for the scientific research being undertaken and also praised the Museum Foundation for communicating the momentous finds to a broad public response. Boasting outstanding palaeontological 'firsts', the Tumbler Ridge site has yielded Dinosaur remains that are rocks that have been dated to some 93 million years, while most of Canada's Dinosaur finds are in the 75 million year range. Expert palaeontological research has revealed that North Eastern British Columbia was once home to some of earth's most fearsome reptiles. With interest from palaeontologists across the world, Tumbler Ridge has become a centre for exciting scientific research in this field.

An Honorary Patronage is given to assist in enhancing the profile and prestige of the Tumbler Ridge Museum Foundation. The Foundation is providing an exciting new educational opportunity into the past of the planet and adding a vital new area of economic diversification to the Peace River Region.

The Honourable Iona Campagnolo, Lietenant Governor of British Columbia, being shown dinosaur bones in the Peace Region Palaeontology Research Centre by palaeontologist Lisa Buckley.
Photo credit: John Mager.

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