Northern Alberta dinosaur museum gets thumbs up

The Philip J. Currie Dinosaur Museum will break ground this springafter the County of Grande Prairie donateda further $3 million to the project last week.

"Im absolutely overjoyed," said project executive director Brian Brake in a news release Monday. "Its incredibly gratifying to see these regional players step up to make this museum a reality."

The projects plans are to tender in January 2013, break ground in April 2013 and open the museum in June 2014, said Erika Sherk, with the Pipestone Creek Dinosaur Initiative.

Last summer the future ofthe museumseemed in jeopardy after organizers learned they weren't getting $10 million in federal funding.

Since then the City of Grande Prairieupped itscontribution by$2 millionand the MD of Greenviewdonated another $150,000.

The county's donation brings the total amountpledged to $19.5 million.

The museums construction management firm, PCL Construction, and architects Teeple Architects are already working on the tendering process. The building is fully designed.

The project hopes to raise the remaining $7 millionwith asponsorship program giving donors the chance to have their name attached to a variety of museum components, including dinosaur skeletons, classrooms and the theatre, among other fundraising efforts.

The 41,000-square-foot museum, located in the town of Wembley off Highway 43, will include a dinosaur gallery of large skeletons from the region, an oil and gas wing, a theatre, two SMART-technology classrooms and a lab where visitors can watchpalaeontologists at work.