Dino-might is a free press in Winnipeg

Contrary to scientific evidence, dinosaurs migrated to Canada in semi-truck trailers and large and small forklifts.

Jurassic Quest – North America's traveling exhibit – has arrived in Winnipeg with dozens of life-sized dinos, kicking off its 2024 Canadian tour of the prehistoric production.

At the RBC Convention Center Thursday morning, crews were filming animatronic approximations of creatures from the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. By noon on Friday, the empty hall was supposed to turn into an ancient playground.

“We usually work until midnight and then finish tomorrow morning,” says Samira Lyons, an employee of the company. “We have trees and flowers; it is very picturesque. And each scene is a timeline of dinosaur existence.”

Jurassic Quest aims to enlighten entertainment by grouping dinos with species from another era in enclosed enclosures. The show covers the reptiles' 165 million year reign on earth, with an army of small stationary and large animatronic animals like Spinosaurus, Carnotaurus and Tyrannosaurus, programmed to grind their teeth, move their heads and wag their tails.

The three-day event also includes plenty of modern day silliness.

Lyons, aka Ranger Sam, is a face painter and Utahraptor trainer. On weekends, he teaches visitors Diego and Jojo, the carnivores, to dance and perform basic commands such as spin and sit.

“Both of them may have bad behavior,” Lyons says of his charges. “Jojo is our lady dinosaur and Diego is our male dinosaur. They might knock things over on stage; they are really stupid and stubborn.”

Her advice for kids who might be scared of realistic-looking insects?

“Make sure there's no chicken in your pockets,” he says.

Baby dinosaurs and their handlers will also be roaming the exhibit. Crystal Bogle is the trainer in charge of Trixie, a petite Triceratops. Audiences for Jurassic Quest shows are usually full of pint-sized paleontologists.

“They all love dinosaurs and love to tell us which one is their favorite. They know things (about dinosaurs) that I don't, so I'm always learning something new,” says Bogle.

Bogle also works with Trixie at the face painting booth between tours. Although there are dinosaur masks, dinosaur scratches are the main attraction.

“They come in normal and scratch their face and leave (fake) blood. It's a big seller,” he says.

Other interactive activities include a self-guided scavenger hunt, predator tug-of-war, dinosaur rides, actual fossil displays, archeological digs and bouncy houses (socks required).

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