Parks Canada has permanently discontinued hiking permits for Mount Stephen in Yoho National Park following repeated thefts from the internationally renowned Burgess Shale fossil sites, as originally reported by CTV News.
The decision affects scrambling permits that previously allowed hikers to summit the popular peak in British Columbia. The move comes after two American hikers were caught removing fossils from the protected UNESCO World Heritage Site in August 2024, resulting in convictions and fines of $4,750 each.
The Burgess Shale, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980, contains exceptionally preserved fossils from over 500 million years ago—predating dinosaurs by hundreds of millions of years. These ancient marine fossils have revealed previously unknown species and provide crucial insights into early animal evolution.
This latest incident follows a more serious case from 2020, when 45 fossils were illegally removed from sites within Kootenay, Yoho, and Jasper national parks. That investigation, involving Parks Canada wardens, the RCMP, and the Longueuil Police Department, resulted in what Parks Canada called "the largest fine that has been levied to date for the removal of fossils from the Burgess Shale"—a $20,000 penalty plus five months of house arrest.
The ban affects Mount Stephen specifically. Surveillance cameras monitor 12 Burgess Shale sites across Yoho and Kootenay National Parks to deter fossil theft.
Despite the Mount Stephen closure, Parks Canada continues to offer guided hikes to other Burgess Shale locations, including Walcott Quarry, Stanley Glacier, and previously accessible areas of Mount Stephen's trilobite beds. These guided tours allow visitors to see and touch some of Earth's oldest animal fossils while ensuring the protection of these irreplaceable scientific resources.
Under the Canada National Parks Act, removing any natural objects including fossils, plants, or animals from national parks is prohibited. Parks Canada emphasized that each research expedition to the Burgess Shale requires proper permits, and all fossils remain property of the Government of Canada.
The fossils' value extends beyond their scientific importance—they also attract black market interest due to their rarity and the exceptional preservation of soft-bodied organisms rarely found in the fossil record.
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