Beginnings

Since 2003, the County has been working on plans to develop the Pipestone Creek dinosaur Bonebed, both as a paleontological research area for students from around the world and as a potential tourist destination. Located 19 kilometers west of the City of Grande Prairie and approximately 16 kilometers south of the Town of Wembley, the bonebed dates back 72-73 million years. It is one of five most significant dinosaur bonebeds ever discovered. The bonebed, which is the size of several football fields, contains the remains of a new species of Pachyrhinosaurus - one of the rarest and least understood horned dinosaurs. The site at Pipestone Creek has already yielded more than 3500 bones including the bones of 40 differenct animals.

In 2004, the County, assisted by the Province and the Town of Wembley, began a series of road improvement initiatives in the area South of Wembley. Later the County bought a parcel of land that would assure them long term access to the site. Grande Prairie Regional College (GPRC) has created and begun offering paleontology related programs that included unique opportunities to conduct on-site research work for students during the summer months.

The County, in partnership with the City of Grande Prairie, Peace Region Economic Development Alliance, GPRC, the Grande Prairie Chamber of Commerce and key community supporters, formed the RDDDM Society, to create a world-class dinosaur museum on a 10 acre site in the Town of Wembley that will showcase items from the Pipestone Creek bonebed and the region's rich fossil resources.