Butalas leave a legacy through conservation area

When it comes to leaving a legacy, Sharon Butala and her husband Peter thought outside the box.
In 1996, the couple donated 13,108 acres (5,300 hectares) of land to the Nature Conservancy of Canada for conservation purposes.
"Only 1,200 acres had ever been broken. That's a big enough block for biodiversity," Butala, a well-known Saskatchewan author, told those gathered for the annual Leave A Legacy luncheon on Tuesday.
The land, now known as The Old Man on His Back Prairie and Heritage Conservation Area, is located near Claydon and Eastend.
Butala said Peter, who died last August, "could not bear the thought of his grassland being plowed over" and looked for a way to preserve it. When Sharon saw a Nature Conservancy of Canada ad in a magazine, "I knew immediately this was what we were looking for."
After several years of working with government and other groups, an order-in-council was passed allowing the establishment of the conservation area.
"There had never been such an arrangement made in the province before," said Butala, adding the resulting fame was not the objective.
"Peter wanted people to know that he was doing this for all the right reasons," she said, adding the area now "belongs to all the people of Saskatchewan and of Canada. I cannot imagine a more wonderful legacy."
Butala said such moves are not just the province of those with lots of money.
"Ordinary people can do this."
However, with the time and effort involved, it's important to make arrangements sooner rather than later.
"If you're thinking of doing something like this, don't wait until you're on your deathbed."