Family donates 636 acres of peatlands near Elma to nature conservancy

A Manitoba family is doing their part to support the ecosystem by making a deal with the Nature Conservancy of Canada to protect 636 acres of peatlands in perpetuity.

The non-profit purchased the property in the Rural Municipality of Reynolds from Vince Proceviat and Karen Antle. The couple agreed to donate 20 per cent of the land’s value in honour of Proceviat’s late uncle, William North.

“This will safeguard clean water, store carbon and support wildlife and communities for generations. The project shows how caring for the land today can have a lasting benefit far beyond our own life times,” said Tim Teetaert, natural area manager with the nature conservancy.

The tract of land is approximately 10 kilometres southeast of Elma and is surrounded by Crown land. It features black spruce bogs, shrubby ferns and a large amount of peat — a natural resource composed of decaying organic matter.

The material acts as a natural carbon sink. It is extremely slow growing, with more than 1,000 years of decay required to generate a single metre of peat, Teetaert said.

He estimated the land is capable of storing in excess of 340,300 tonnes of carbon, equivalent to the annual emissions of more than 382,000 passenger vehicles. The property has a portion of the Monk Creek that winds through the region before draining into the Whitemouth River, which is home to an endangered fish species known as the carmine shiner.

North, who owned the property before Proceviat and Antle, was a relentless steward of Manitoba’s natural landscape. Born in Elma in 1912, he spent his career with the provincial natural resources department, where he was committed to protecting forests and wetlands. He was an active member of Ducks Unlimited for about 75 years, Antle said.

Proceviat, 59, said he spent his youth hunting, fishing and trapping on the land alongside his uncle.

“There were lots of good memories and many fun adventures the whole time that I grew up,” Proceviat said.

“I think he would have been very happy with the decision we made, and the fact that the property itself is actually going to stay in its natural state forever now. It’s a win-win for all of us.”

North was 90 when died in 2003.

Several prospective buyers approached Proceviat and Antle when they listed the property for sale, but the couple wanted to ensure the land was never developed, Antle, 58, said.

“We didn’t want it to go to just anybody,” she said. “You have to protect the wetlands because we all need water and that’s where it comes from. Between carbon storage and land water filters, it’s important.”

The nature conservancy paid for the land through a combination of federal funding, fundraising and private donations. Since its founding in 1962, the non-profit has conserved approximately 50 million acres nationwide. In Manitoba, the organization and its partners have protected just over 70,000 acres, Teetaert said.

He urged other Manitobans interested in making similar donations to contact the conservancy.

“Just as this family chose to leave a legacy through nature, others can get involved by supporting conservation and helping protect areas that matter for future generations,” Teetaert said.

tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca