Judah Tyreman is not your average 13-year-old.
He started the Sesula Mineral and Gem Museum and Rock Shop in Radisson, Sask., a town of around 500 people.
“It’s just fun, you get to teach. You get to tell everyone about all the different things, instead of playing on your device all the time, you get to touch the earth,” Judah said.
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It all started a few years ago, when his father bought him a rock polisher.
“The story I usually tell is, don’t buy your kids a rock polisher and don’t home-school them and you’ll be fine because this is what blew up out of that,” Judah’s mother Kim Tyreman joked.
Judah was then introduced to eBay, where he started purchasing rocks online.
From there, he inherited an entire rock collection from Stewart Sesula, a Saskatoon rock-dealer, who Judah would eventually name the shop after.
From ammolite to meteorites, the rock shop features pieces from around the world, ranging in value from a few dollars to over $5,000.
Judah’s parents said they haven’t financially contributed to his project, which has become self-sufficient.
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“I’m the only rock shop that is half museum and half rock shop, so instead of charging admission like a museum, I just sell things,” Judah explained.
“It pays for the rent, and all the new supplies for building on and on.”
Together, Judah and his younger sister Avi, 7, co-run the shop. Her favourite part is touring visitors around the museum.
“I get to learn from other people where they come from. It’s a lot of fun touring and I get to learn about rocks too,” Avi said.
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The rock shop has attracted visitors from as far as the rocks come from. People from Brazil, Australia, Germany and various other countries have toured.
“Lots of people from all over the world, because they travel from B.C. We’re on that main highway, so there’s lots of people,” Kim said.
The museum is open six days a week from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. CT.
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