Quebec Resident Faces $20K Fine For Stealing Fossils From 3 National Parks In The Rockies

A Quebec resident got more than they had bargained for when they were fined $20,000 and sentenced to five months of house arrest after it was discovered that they had removed 45 fossils from three national parks across B.C. and Alberta.

According to Parks Canada, it is the "largest fine that has been levied to date" for the removal of fossils from the site due to the "seriousness of the offence".

Parks Canada said they had initially been tipped off by a member of the public about fossils being taken from the Burgess Shale – one of the most significant fossil sites in the world – in B.C. in the summer of 2020.

An investigation into the report led them to obtain a search warrant by fall 2020. Wardens from La Mauricie National Park and the Québec Waterways, and the Longueuil Police Department carried out a search of a private residence in the Montreal area on November 20, 2020, where they found 45 fossils.

The stolen fossils were checked by an expert from the Royal Ontario Museum and were found to have originated from sites within Kootenay, Yoho, and Jasper national parks in the Canadian Rockies.

The majority of the fossils found had come from the Burgess Shale Marble Canyon Quarry in Kootenay National Park, an area which is not currently accessible to the public, Parks Canada said.

As a result of the investigation, the individual was sentenced to not only forfeit the 45 fossils, but they also received a $20,000 fine and a five-month conditional sentence order which includes a curfew.

Parks Canada said the hefty fine demonstrated the seriousness of the offence and the importance of the site.

"The money from the fine will go to the Environmental Damages Fund and be used to support projects that restore nature and conserve wildlife and habitats," they added.