Welcome to our website
Just fishin'
VIPS Taughton Field Trip
Dan, Cory, Heidi, John, Rod & Ken
Hornby Island Field Trip with students
Betty and Jean at Camp Escalante
Diving for fossils - Lake Cowhichan - Jean, Betty & Mike
The Vancouver Island Paleontological Society (VIPS) is a non-profit society of professional and amateur paleontologists based in Courtenay, British Columbia, Canada.
The Society was formed after the discovery of a large marine reptile called an Elasmosaur along the banks of the Puntledge River.
The 80 million year old fossilized skelton was found by Mike Trask and his daughter Heather in 1988.
"Evolution is life to continue"
Anonymous, November 14, 1999
August 17-20th, Courtenay BC
Florence Filberg Centre
2018 Symposium Announcement
Please note all Symposium Registrations will be handled through
the Courtenay Museum. View Registration Form for details.
Upcoming Field Trips and Lectures for 2018
(updated as of March 6, 2018)
Download information on VIPS's 2018 field trips and events here.
To the members of the VIPS:
The VIPS plans to have field trip each month.
We also have a VIPS meeting on the second Wednesday of each month.
All are welcome.
Most field trips leave from VIPS 's President Dan Bowen's place.
Please call him: 250-897-5026 and/or meet at 2120 Stewart Ave.,
Courtenay, BC.
Events will be update periodically at the VIPS Facebook Page.
Did you know?
The oldest rocks on Vancouver Island are Devonian in age (ca. 370 m.y.) and include
sea-floor and terrestrial volcanic rocks as well
as some limestone of the Sicker and Buttle Lake Groups.
Introduction to Paleontology
Courtenay Museum