In Drumheller, Alberta’s self-proclaimed Dinosaur Capital, a giant Tyrannosaurus figure has become an unlikely player in municipal politics. The looming question is whether Tyra the Tyrannosaurus will cast a meaningful shadow over the upcoming civic election.

Tyra, a fiberglass and steel replica known locally as the “World’s Largest Dinosaur,” is slated for decommissioning in 2029. That date has stirred public debate about the future of the landmark and how to steward its legacy in a town shaped by dinosaur lore.

As city council candidates begin presenting platforms, Tyra has emerged as a symbolic measure of how Drumheller will balance tourism, heritage, and fiscal prudence. Although the dinosaur itself won’t be voting, its fate is woven into the choices voters will face.

Drumheller’s identity is inseparable from paleontology; it sits amid the Alberta Badlands, a region rich with fossil finds and dramatic landscapes.  The town is already known for the Royal Tyrrell Museum, among Canada’s foremost paleontology collections, which draws thousands of visitors annually.  Its exhibits trace the arc of life millions of years ago and anchor Drumheller’s tourism-driven economy.

Any decision about Tyra’s future will need to reconcile competing interests. Some residents see it as a critical tourist magnet worth preserving; others warn of the long-term maintenance costs and question whether resources might be better spent elsewhere.

Meanwhile, interest in dinosaur tourism in Alberta remains high. Enthusiasts embark on “dinosaur road trips” across the province’s badlands, following routes that thread through sites of excavation, hoodoo formations and interpretive trails.Drumheller is often featured as a base for exploring dinosaur attractions, with Tyra playing a starring role in the town’s “dinosaur brand.”

That brand has weight in a civic campaign. Candidates may be judged by their plans for Tyra: how it will be maintained, whether it should be relocated or altered, and how much public funds might be committed to preserve it. For voters, Tyra offers a lens through which to evaluate broader visions for Drumheller’s future.

In the coming weeks voters will begin assessing not just platforms on roads, housing or services, but how deeply each candidate values the town’s prehistoric roots—and whether Tyra’s silhouette will cast comfort or cost onto Drumheller’s next chapter.