Our Story

Fossil Realm’s story begins in 1984, when Jim Lovisek and Liz Komisar founded the Toronto Nature Centre—a science camp that inspired curiosity about the natural world through workshops, live animal presentations, and field trips. Its small fossil and mineral gift shop became an unexpected success, gradually growing into a full-time store in Toronto that attracted collectors from across Ontario.

Liz Komisar, formerly Media Relations Director at the Royal Ontario Museum, helped shape a culture of openness, education, and care that remains part of Fossil Realm’s foundation. Photo Credit: Miss Chatelaine (1978).

Toronto Nature Centre campers explore a local wetland. The camp introduced youths to the natural sciences through ambitious field trips and engaging classroom projects. 

In 2002, their son Peter Lovisek launched Fossil Realm as an online venture, building on a lifelong interest in fossils, minerals, and natural history. Early sales on emerging digital platforms brought museum-quality specimens to a wider audience, while reinforcing the company’s emphasis on accuracy, presentation, and trust.

With the launch of FossilRealm.com in 2012, the business found its stride. A dedicated showroom in Toronto followed, where collectors could view significant fossils and geological works in person—a space that balanced accessibility with quiet professionalism.

Peter Lovisek exhibiting at the Bancroft Rockhound Gemboree (2013). In the early years of the company, many specimens were displayed at trade shows across Ontario.

Inside the Fossil Realm showroom in Toronto, Ontario (2015). Located in a 2000 square-foot warehouse, it was open to the public several times a year from 2012 to 2017.

By 2017, Fossil Realm had moved entirely online, focusing on global acquisitions and private sales for collectors and institutions. Over time, its work came to centre on careful sourcing, documentation, and placement—activities that naturally evolved into advisory and brokerage services.

Select collaborations included acquisitions for the University of Waterloo Earth Sciences Museum, the CosmoCaixa Science Museum in Barcelona, and the Museo delle Culture di Lugano (MUSEC). These experiences reinforced Fossil Realm’s belief that fossils are more than collectibles—they are bridges between science, culture, and personal meaning.

Peter Lovisek poses with "E.T." - a famous Camarasaurus skeleton on disaplay at the Aathal Dinosaur Museum near Zurich, Switzerland.  

In 2024, Fossil Realm opened a gallery and office in Ottawa’s Glebe neighbourhood, reintroducing a physical presence for private showings and consultations. The space reflects the same philosophy that has guided the company from the beginning: respect for natural history, and a commitment to connecting people with objects of lasting significance.

Today, Fossil Realm operates as a specialist gallery and consultancy dedicated to fossils, meteorites, and minerals. Its work combines personal engagement with digital accessibility, offering clients insight, context, and discretion in an ever-evolving field.

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Fossil Realm Gallery in the vibrant Glebe neighbourhood in Ottawa.