Dinosaur museum future in doubt after funding setback

The future of a proposed dinosaur museum in the Grande Prairie region may be in jeopardy after organizers learned they aren't getting $10 million in federal funding.

The proposed Philip J. Currie Dinosaur Museum was counting on money from the Building Canada Fund, which the province and region were going to match.

"We could start construction tomorrow. We're that ready," said executive director Brian Brake. 

"But now with the way the funding thing has gone over the last little while, we've got to re-evaluate whether or not it's going to be possible to go forward."  

Peace River Conservative MP Chris Warkentin said the government never committed those funds.

"The federal government isn't in the business of building local museums and certainly I don't conceive that the federal government will get into that type of programming anytime soon," he said.

Warkentin believes the project will still go ahead but may have to be scaled back.

So far, organizers have raised about $7 million for the $30 million dollar museum. They hope to raise more funds through their annual Dino Ball fundraiser Saturday in Grande Prairie.