The Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology’s 2019 Speaker Series starts on January 17, 2019. The first session, “Depth charges, dinosaurs and a lost love found: Amateur fossil collector Maurice Stefanuk,” will be presented by Darren Tanke, Preparation Technician at the Royal Tyrrell Museum.
There are many individuals in the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology’s 30-year history who have contributed to its success as Canada’s dinosaur museum. Maurice Stefanuk (1924 – 2016) was one of the Museum’s first technicians and research assistants. He worked on many of the original specimens that are on display today in Dinosaur Hall. Born and raised in Drumheller, Stefanuk spent his childhood exploring the badlands. During one outing, he found a large carnivorous dinosaur tooth—a small discovery that sparked a lifelong interest in fossils from the area. Stefanuk’s biggest contribution to science was the discovery of two of the best skeletons of the tyrannosaur Albertosaurus in Alberta. One was discovered in 1973 east of Trochu, and the other in 1985, not far from the Museum. Both of these specimens have been used in a number of displays and landmark scientific studies.
In his presentation, Darren Tanke will discuss the life story of Maurice Stefanuk, and his contributions to palaeontology in Alberta.
The Royal Tyrrell Museum’s Speaker Series talks are free and open to the public. The series is held every Thursday until April 25 at 11:00 a.m. in the Museum auditorium. Speaker Series talks are also available on the Museum’s YouTube channel at: youtube.com/c/RoyalTyrrellMuseumofPalaeontology.

RCMP are on the lookout for a Fountain Tire branded truck after a brazen morning theft from Fountain Tire in Drumheller.

Owner Joanne Hodgson said at around 6:50 a.m. on Tuesday, January 15, two individuals in ski-masks drove a truck through the shop’s bay doors and stole a Fountain Tire GMC truck before driving away in the two vehicles.

RCMP say later in the evening, the burgundy Ford F350 used in the incident was involved in rural fuel thefts which “culminated in a male being apprehended at a farm and the truck seized.” The male was arrested and taken to hospital.

The at-large stolen Fountain Tire truck has since been linked to a rash of offences in the Three Hills and Bashaw area and police are asking for the public’s assistance in locating the truck and suspect.

Fountain Tire staff say they feel violated, particularly since the theft happened so close to operating hours, with staff arriving there at around 7:30 a.m.

“We’ve experienced things like this before but not at this magnitude or extent, especially at that time of the morning,” said Hodgson. “I can be thankful my staff was not hurt.”

Fountain Tire’s Damian Boon said the truck is “a rolling billboard” and wondered why anyone would steal it and use it to commit further crimes.

“Who can fathom… In a sense you’d say it’s dumb but in another way they were pretty damn lucky about it.”

If the suspect is located that the public should not approach them as RCMP believe the suspect is armed and dangerous, said Drumheller RCMP Corporal Rachel Pergunas in a release. If anyone has information regarding the truck or suspect, they are asked to contact 911 or your local police station.