One of the most notable and largest dinosaurs of the more than 30 that adorn the valley in various locales will sadly have to be put to rest. The Mail reported in its January 26 edition that the dinosaur on Railway Avenue near the Community Futures office was severely damaged. The neck of the concrete and steel dinosaur, one of the largest remaining, had been broken, and many suspected vandalism.
Mike Todor of downtown Drumheller says they are not going to be able to repair the prehistoric beast that helped to make the valley famous.
“It’s too far gone,” said Todor, of the brontosaurus.
He said the chamber made the decision not to repair the dinosaur at a previous meeting. Todor explains he asked for one last chance to look into the possibility of fixing the dinosaur.
“I spoke to a couple people and concluded it wasn’t worth it, which is unfortunate,” he said.
Most of the dinosaurs throughout Drumheller were created by Tig Seland and began their life in Prehistoric Park. The Drumheller and District Chamber of Commerce now own the dinosaurs, and through Adopt-a-Dinosaur, many businesses sponsor the dinosaurs and pool resources to keep the dinosaurs maintained. Currently about 20 of the 33 remaining dinosaurs are sponsored.
The dinosaurs have been an attraction for many over the years, and it is not a rare site to see residents and visitors alike posing with the dinosaurs.
As a downtown merchant, Todor hopes that no more disappear, especially from the downtown core.
“What concerns me is we have so few left downtown, and downtown is supposed to be where they were to go,” said Todor.
The Chamber is starting the Dino Arts program, and is looking for members at large to join them. They have been in contact with art students from DVSS to assist them with the project. Those interested can contact John Shoff at 403-823-2983, or Ed Mah at 403-823-4119.
