Manitoba couple donates wilderness tract to conservation in uncle’s memory

More than 630 acres of carbon-storing peatlands in southern Manitoba will now be preserved, according to the Nature Conservancy of Canada.

Over 600 acres of wilderness in southeast Manitoba will be permanently protected after a local family donated a portion of the land’s value to Nature Conservancy Canada in memory of a late uncle.

The nonprofit acquired the 636-acre property in the Rural Municipality of Reynolds after approaching owners Vince Proceviat and Karen Antle when it learned the land was coming up for sale. The couple agreed to sell—and to donate 20 per cent of the property’s value in honour of Proceviat’s late uncle, William North.

Tim Teetaert, natural area manager with Nature Conservancy Canada, said the property is dominated by peatland, a waterlogged wetland where partially decomposed plant material has built up over thousands of years. He said the site stores an estimated 340,000 tonnes of carbon—equivalent to the annual emissions of more than 380,000 passenger vehicles.

“So, by conserving this land, it helps keep those greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere and supports a more stable climate for communities,” Teetaert said. “It is a conservation success story in Manitoba.”

The land, located 10 kilometres southeast of Elma, formerly belonged to North, who was born in the town in 1912 and spent his career with Manitoba’s Department of Natural Resources—working as a fire ranger and on the traplines.

In a statement, Proceviat, who was unavailable for an interview Thursday, said his uncle spent his entire life caring for Manitoba’s forest and wetlands.

“He had a deep respect for the land and believed strongly in protecting these places for the people who would come after us,” Proceviat said. “Donating this land in his memory felt like the most meaningful way to honour that belief. Knowing (it) will be protected forever is exactly what he would have wanted.”

Teetaert said protecting the land—characterized by black spruce bogs and shrubby fens—will also preserve the water quality of Monk Creek, which runs through the property and is home to the Carmine Shiner, an endangered fish species.

“By partnering with Nature Conservancy Canada, this family transformed that personal legacy into a contribution to climate stability, biodiversity protection, and community well-being,” he said.

Since its founding in 1962, Teetaert said Nature Conservancy of Canada has conserved approximately 50 million acres nationwide. In Manitoba, the organization and its partners have protected just over 70,000 acres.

Most of the funding for the transaction came through the federal government’s Natural Heritage Conservation Program, he said.

Teetaert said the next steps for the property include on-site surveys of habitat types, plant and animal species, and existing infrastructure.

“This all goes to inform the long-term stewardship and monitoring of the property to ensure that the peatlands continue to deliver the benefits for generations,” he said.