Alberta man donates land for conservation to honour late brother
An Alberta family north of Edmonton is paying tribute to their brother by preserving the land he loved.
Norm Parrent has donated 279 acres of his range to the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC), ensuring the land and the diverse ecosystem it hosts remain unchanged – just the way his late brother would have wanted.
"He didn't like change," Norm said.
The Parrents were homesteaders and the family have owned land on the south shores of Wakomao lake, near Clyde, Alta., since 1906. Four generations later, Paul and Norm Parrent continued to work the land.
When Paul died in 2020, his younger brother Norm wanted to do something special to honour his life as a steward of the land.
"He was a very kind and gentle fellow that enjoyed nature. And we just thought it would be fitting to have this piece of property left natural in his memory," Norm said.
The land is made up of wetlands, accented by patches of forest. It's a rich ecosystem that supports a variety of wildlife, the NCC said, and the project is part of conservation efforts in the Beaver Hills and surrounding areas, with four other conservation projects within 33 kilometres of the Parrent property.
The Parrents have been keeping cattle on the land for 50 years, and that won't change either. The land will be protected from development, but Norm will still be able to graze his herds in the pastures that Paul loved and cared for.
"You never check livestock in this pasture without thinking about him. It's what he did," Norm said.
"It's a way to hang on to his memory a little bit."
With files from CTV News Edmonton's David Ewasuk
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Cisco reveals security breach, warns of state-sponsored spy campaign
State-sponsored actors targeted security devices used by governments around the world, according to technology firm Cisco Systems, which said the network devices are coveted intrusion points by spies.
Student anti-war protesters dig in as faculties condemn university leadership over calling police
Students protesting the Israel-Hamas war at at universities across U.S., some of whom have clashed with police in riot gear, dug in Saturday and vowed to keep their demonstrations going, while several school faculties condemned university presidents who have called in law enforcement to remove protesters.
opinion RFK Jr.'s presidential candidacy and its potential threat to Biden and Trump
Although it's still unclear how much damage Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s candidacy can do to either Joe Biden or Donald Trump this election, Washington political columnist Eric Ham says what is clear is both sides recognize the potential threat.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
I just don't get Taylor Swift
It's one thing to say you like Taylor Swift and her music, but don't blame CNN's AJ Willingham's when she says she just 'oesn't get' the global phenomenom.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Hamas is reviewing an Israeli proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza, as possible Rafah offensive looms
Hamas said Saturday it was reviewing a new Israeli proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza, as Egypt intensified efforts to broker a deal to end the months-long war and stave off a possible Israeli ground offensive into the southern Gaza city of Rafah.
'The world is too messy for bureaucratic hurdles': Canada still bars Afghanistan aid
Ottawa has plans to finally stop blocking Canadian development aid to Afghanistan this year.
Russia renews attacks on the Ukrainian energy sector as Kyiv launches drones at southern Russia
Russia launched a barrage of missiles against Ukraine overnight, in attacks that appeared to target the country's energy infrastructure. Meanwhile, Russia said its air defense systems had intercepted more than 60 Ukrainian drones over the southern Krasnodar region.