Category Archives: Did You Know

A two-stage rocket departs for space on a clear day in Churchill. Photo by Ken Pilon. By Tamika Reid, Volunteer Researcher, and Roland Sawatzky, Curator of History, Manitoba Museum   Churchill, Manitoba is well known for its scenic arctic landscape, polar bears, and vibrant northern lights, but did you know that Churchill was once home to the most active rocket range in Canada? While the Churchill Rocket Range was in…

Tyndall Stone contains many beautiful fossil corals. (MM-I-3407) By Dr. Graham Young, Curator of Geology and Paleontology, Manitoba Museum   When you hear the word “fossil”, you probably think of giant dinosaurs, or perhaps marine reptiles such as Morden’s “Bruce”, but fossils actually include all evidence of past life. Fossils may be the remains of plants or animals, such as leaves or bones, and they also can be tracks or…

Asteroids pass close to the Earth quite often, but most are small. A large asteroid approaching Earth is cause for concern. Image: NASA By Scott Young, Planetarium Astronomer At the Manitoba Museum, we know that just about everyone loves dinosaurs. It’s easy to understand why. Dinosaurs grew to enormous sizes, existed all over the planet, and ruled the Earth for about 165 million years. Then, they disappeared –all at once–…

See giants like Giganotosaurus and other rarely seen dinosaurs from the other side of the world. By Dr. Graham Young, Curator of Geology & Paleontology   Several years ago, as a part of my efforts to keep in touch with other evolutionary scientists, I attended a paleontology conference at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto. During that conference, I visited a new exhibition developed by ROM scientists, showing dinosaurs that…

Celebrate, investigate, and initiate change. From April 22 – 24, the Manitoba Museum is offering three days of special programming to celebrate Earth Days 2022. Visitors are encouraged to investigate the effects of climate change and initiate change to protect the Earth. Special Planetarium shows, a Green Energy Workshop in the Science Gallery, and the Earth Days Trail through the Museum Galleries reveal how water provides for and challenges Manitoba’s…

By Dr. Diana Bizecki Robson, Curator of Botany   During the pandemic, many people have experienced increased stress levels due to illness, work difficulties, and isolation. But many of us have discovered there is solace to be had in the natural world. In 1984, biologist E.O. Wilson noted that “biophilia”, or a “love of nature”, is a normal part of human psychology. We don’t just love nature; we need it…

To really feel the vastness of the universe, sometimes all you have to do is look up. You can see some amazing sights from your backyard, but to get the best views you may need to travel a little. At Expedia.ca, we love getting lost in the beauty of the cosmos. When we learned that The Manitoba Museum’s Planetarium offers tours of the night sky in the planetarium show, “Live…