Meet Buster, the new dinosaur from BC

Yes, Alberta and Montana are famed for their amazing dinosaur discoveries, but did you know British Columba was also home to these extraordinary pre-historic creatures?

Massive species once roamed BC’s ancient forests and that’s very much the emphasis of Dinosaurs of BC, a new exhibit that’s bound to excite children and families at the Okanagan Heritage Museum this summer.

Star attraction is the ‘Iron Lizard from the Sustut River.’ Nicknamed ‘Buster’, he’s a rare plant-eating dinosaur and relative of the iconic horned creatures known as Triceratops.

They had big heads, deep jaws and parrot-like beaks but lacked the horns and frills of their more famous ceratopsian cousins.

Buster was discovered by accident by geologist Kenny F. Larsen when he spotted a large pointed claw at the bottom of a cliff while he was working on the BC Rail line, north of Smithers, in 1971. It turned out to be one of the most complete dinosaur skeletons ever found in the province.

Through research done by the Royal BC Museum’s palaeontology team, the exhibit highlights just how many ancient creatures once called these lands home.

Follow the footsteps of tyrannosaurs and ankylosaurs, and see beautifully preserved marine fossils.

The exhibit runs until September 30.