Investigation into fossil heist leads to $20K fine from Parks Canada

Parks Canada has recovered 45 stolen fossils after an investigation spanning from Lake Louise to Montréal, foiling a plot to sell the fossils on the black market, officials say.

Removing fossils or any natural objects from national parks is against the law under the Canada National Parks Act.

The investigation began in the summer of 2020 when wardens in Lake Louise were tipped off that fossils had been removed from the Burgess Shale, an area renowned for fossil research spanning Yoho and Kootenay National Parks, on the west side of the Alberta boundary into British Columbia.

That November, police searched a home in the Montréal area.

Park wardens from La Mauricie Park, Québec Waterways and the Longueuil Police Department recovered 45 fossils.

Parks Canada says an expert from the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) has determined the fossils originated from sites within Kootenay, Yoho, and Jasper national parks.

The accused, who Parks Canada has not identified, has returned the fossils. He was fined $20,000 and given a five-month conditional sentence with a curfew.

In a release, Parks Canada says this is the largest fine ever issued to date for the removal of fossils from the Burgess Shale, and demonstrates the seriousness of the offence and the importance of this site.

"It just goes to show the importance of those fossils to Parks Canada, and it's and the importance that we place on protecting those fossils," said Friesen.

"This was a complex investigation that demonstrates Parks Canada’s commitment and support from partner agencies to protect Canada’s natural heritage," said the release.

Parks Canada says money from the fine will go to the Environmental Damages Fund and will be used to support projects that restore nature and conserve wildlife and habitats.

A researcher from Mount Royal University (MRU) with experience and knowledge of the Burgess Shale says he is relieved the plan was thwarted by Parks Canada.

"The Burgess Shale was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980. So stealing fossils from the Burgess Shale would be like pilfering from the Great Pyramids of Egypt or the Parthenon in Athens," said Paul Johnston, associate professor in the earth and environmental science dept at MRU.

Officials are still working to determine what do next with the fossils, which are considered a window into the cambrian era, of marine invertebrates millions of years before land animals evolved.

"We could use them for informative displays in a Parks Canada location, we could return them in place to the fossil quarry. Or we could also work with our reward partners at the Royal Ontario Museum," said Supt. Francois Masse, Parks Canada official based in Lake Louise.

He added, "they do hold in trust for the government a number of fossils, and use them for teaching, research and display purposes as well. Those are all options on the table."

The maximum fine for an indictable offence for the unlawful removal of fossils from a protected park is $100,000.