When Saltair resident Norm Knopp turned 60, his wife Laurie had a surprise in store: one 80 million years in the making.
Instead of a typical birthday celebration, Laurie arranged for Norm to spend the day on an active fossil dig in Morden, Manitoba. The Canadian Fossil Discovery Centre conducts its digs on land that was once mined for bentonite, a fine volcanic ash that now forms layered deposits rich with fossils. These former quarry sites have become a treasure trove for paleontologists and amateur fossil hunters alike.
For Knopp, it was more than just an unexpected gift. It was the fulfilment of a childhood dream.
“Growing up in Ottawa, I used to go to the Natural Science Museum,” he said. “When I saw my first dinosaur, my first T. rex, which is mounted in the museum there, I was just enthralled with seeing something so large that existed so long ago.”
Decades later, Knopp joined a team of paleontologists and university students working to uncover the remains of a newly discovered mosasaur. This marine reptile ruled the inland seas during the Cretaceous period.
“They were the top water predator for that period,” Knopp explained. “They were an air breather, so they would actually come up. They did not have gills.”
At the dig site, a 120-acre expanse layered with shale, bentonite and fossilized history, Knopp made a major find: a mosasaur tail vertebra.
“The vertebra is between 70 and 80 million years old,” he said. “When you see the picture, it almost fills my entire hand. And that’s one of the smaller ones.”
It wasn’t buried deep underground, but rather found in the overburden — a pile of discarded earth left behind by mining operations that once bulldozed the area for bentonite. While the miners weren’t interested in fossils, what they left behind has become a rich hunting ground for paleontologists.
“It's an amazing thing when you actually get to pick something up that is so old,” Knopp said. “You really start to think, OK, how long has this thing, and this world been here? And how has it changed through millions upon millions of years?”
Knopp’s name will now appear on the recovery team list for the mosasaur skeleton being excavated at the site, which staff have nicknamed Walt. The dig team keeps records of everyone who contributes to a recovery.
While the large vertebra had to stay behind for further research, Knopp was allowed to keep some smaller finds, including fish vertebrae and fossilized burrows left behind by ancient ghost shrimp.
He’s already thinking about going back.
“Most of [the site] has not been touched whatsoever. There are definitely more creatures under the soil and under the overburden that they will be able to discover for decades to come.”
The experience was not only awe-inspiring, but surprisingly accessible. For just over $200, the Centre offers one-day digs that include a tour of the museum, access to working dig sites and expert guidance.
“All I can say is that anybody who’s interested in doing something like this, and doesn't think that they can actually do it, it is doable,” said Knopp. “You can go and live out a fantasy or a childhood dream. And they’re always looking for people to go.”
Knopp said the trip was unforgettable: a chance to connect with the boy who once stared up at a T. rex in awe.
“It brought me right back to that idea and the fantasy of one day holding something like that in my hand. And it made that fantasy come true.”
