'Special to the world': Supporters hope to save beloved Drumheller dinosaur

Tyra the Tyrannosaurus, the lovable landmark that towers over the Drumheller skyline in the heart of the Canadian Badlands, is facing an extinction-level event and is pictured in Drumheller, Alta., Tuesday, April 1, 2025.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

A plan to send Tyra the tyrannosaurus, the popular tourist attraction that towers over the skyline in Drumheller, Alta., into proverbial extinction has sparked demands that she be spared.

The town of 8,400 northeast of Calgary bills itself as the Dinosaur Capital of the World. Home to the famed Royal Tyrrell Museum, the community also has statues of dinosaurs that look like they’ve crawled out of “The Flintstones” cartoon greeting people on the streets.

• The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App

There’s an extinct reptile riding a motorcycle. A triceratops in a frilly dress sits on a bus bench. Another dinosaur wearing a fireman’s hat and holding a hose is poised outside a fire station.

The biggest is Tyra, standing across from the intersection of Gorgosaurus Street and Tyrannosaurus Drive near a visitor information centre. A nearby ice cream stand offers fossils, T-shirts and dino toys.

The 25-metre-high figure, four times the size of a real T. Rex, attracts 150,000 visitors a year, serving as the backdrop to hundreds of thousands of tourist photos over the last quarter of a century.

Tourists can climb 106 stairs through her innards to stand inside her mouth and look down.

But she’s set to become history at the end of 2029.

Built in 2000, the giant dinosaur fit into the industry of the town, with its vast fossil finds and museum, which hosts over 130,000 fossils.

While the town owns the land where she’s located, the Drumheller & District Chamber of Commerce owns the attraction. And the chamber said the dinosaur is set to be dismantled when the lease runs out.

“We developed a new strategic plan last year, and part of it was to look at the dinosaur and the future of the dinosaur. So the board knew there was a limited lifespan of the dinosaur, and these decisions had to be made,” said the chamber’s executive director, Heather Bitz.

She said the chamber has received public backlash. The reaction was expected, as there’s an emotional attachment to Tyra, she said. But it’s not a move the chamber intends to back away from.

“I don’t believe so at this time. We’re firm on our decision,” she said.

Mayor Heather Colberg says the news came as a shock, and the town has demanded meetings with the chamber and Travel Drumheller.

“We are the dinosaur capital of the world and the world’s largest dinosaur has been very iconic in our community. We’re going to look for some solutions,” she said.

“Where there’s a will, there’s a way, and the community’s very passionate about their dinosaur. You can see from all the discussions going around — the community loves the dinosaurs, and so do many people who come and visit.”

She said because the chamber owns the dinosaur, there would need to be an agreement.

Bitz said there have been extensive repairs to the dinosaur over the years, including the steel structure in 2023. But she doesn’t think Tyra can be moved safely.

“I don’t think the answer is rip it down — that’s an ‘if we can’t have it, nobody can’ answer,” said local businessman AJ Frey. “To me, it’s like if ... you said, ‘We had fun with the Eiffel Tower, but we’re tearing it down.’

“This may not be designated as a world heritage site or a monument ... but it’s special to the world, and I want to make sure it stays where it is.”

Frey started a petition to save Tyra, and it has more than 20,000 signatures.

He said he would like to see her turned over to a non-profit and kept where she is.

“The actual citizens can decide what they want to happen here and what they want to do with the pool of money if it’s run properly.”

Julia Fielding, executive director of Travel Drumheller, says Tyra is an important part of the tourism section and hopes a solution can be found to save her.

“Sometimes you need a little kick so we can decide really what we want to do as a community,” said Fielding.

“We’ve got five years to determine what happens. We are that dinosaur capital of the world and we want to keep that. Is Tyra the way and, if so, how do we save her?”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 6, 2025.

Bill Graveland, The Canadian Press