The discovery of a third meteorite by one man in Manitoba shows the province is a dumping ground for rocks from space.

Derek Erstelle of Winnipeg has become the first Canadian to discover three separate meteorites, planetary scientists at the University of Calgary have confirmed. Across the country, 68 meteorites have been found.

"The third was incredible," said Erstelle said of the discovery last October.

Erstelle's hunt for space rocks began five years ago when he was walking with a friend who tried to move an unusual looking rock that turned out to be a 4.5 billion-year-old meteorite worth about $50,000.

The Métis artist, who makes carvings out of antlers, rocks and driftwood, doesn't have any formal scientific training.

"This third find was made testing a theory, that a meteorite dumping zone lies in eastern Manitoba," said Alan Hildebrand, a planetary scientist at the University of Calgary and co-director of the Prairie Meteorite Search. "The obvious culprit to put those meteorites there is the Laurentide ice sheet."

Erstelle used binoculars, a metal detector and a map that showed how glaciers melted during the last Ice Age to focus his most recent search .

There could be thousands of meteorites in Manitoba's Whiteshell area, near the province's southeastern border with Ontario, said Scott Young, a planetarium manager at the Manitoba Museum.

"Hopefully,more people will go out and beat the bush and look around, or just bring in the rocks from that area that they've had on their mantlepiece," he said.Meteorite hunters have found eight space rocks in Manitoba, but the museum is seeking one for its collection.

Hildebrand agreed, saying he hoped the most recent discovery will lead to a rush of meteorite seekers in Manitoba. The rocks are worth up to $10 a gram, but the scientific value and bragging rights are priceless.