Ammonite Mining in Canada

Traveling to Canada

Because of COVID restrictions, getting into Canada from the US was tough. We needed our passports and vaccination status uploaded to the ArriveCan app ahead of time. (Editors note: as of 10/1/22, proof of vaccination is no longer required to enter Canada. Always confirm international travel requirements before going on your trip).

After crossing the border, it took us about an hour to drive to where we planned to dig for ammonite. You could get there quicker, but we were driving a large RV. It takes longer to get anywhere, but we can easily set up camp in the mining areas, especially when they're in the middle of nowhere.

Ammonite from Enchanted Designs

We had previously contacted Tom, the owner of Enchanted Designs, one of Alberta's biggest ammonite companies. We first met him at his store and office in Lethbridge. Tom showed us the entire process — from his inventory to cleaning and polishing and finally to the finished pieces. He had some fantastic ammonite and ammolite specimens there. We bought many pieces on the spot. They were just too good to pass up. We spent almost four hours there and learned a ton from Tom and his team.

Next, we visited their ammonite mine. Even though it was also in Lethbridge, it was still about a 30-minute drive away. Although it was a good-sized operation, only a few people remained because it was the end of the mining season.

Most of the time, you just watch the mining process. However, they uncovered some ammonite while digging the grounds when we were there. It was quite exciting to see!

Digging for Ammonite

While it was great to see that find, we wanted to do our own digging. So, they introduced us to John Reed, their local expert and our guide for the day. He took us to the "steep" side of one of the rivers where they manually mine for ammonite.

He showed us what to look for, how to dig, and where to dig. We spent about 4-5 hours along the river that day. It was very hot and sunny without much shade. Not easy work. We found a few small pieces but nothing to write home about. We were glad we bought what we did at the main office!

This trip was more about the fun of mining together and hearing John's stories about his finds and experiences over the years. He told us about the Kainai First Nations people who own the mining rights to the land on the other side of the river. He also told stories about the poachers he had to scare off, especially at night.

Saying Goodbye

We stopped close to 8 pm that night, said our goodbyes to John, and jumped back in our RV. We had found a small campground nearby where we stayed for the night. While it was just a quick 2-day trip, it's amazing what we learned. We were delighted with what we purchased.

Take a look at more finished ammolite gemstones by Moriarty's Gem Art.