By The Canadian Press - Nature Conservancy of Canada

Nature Conservancy Expands Protected Land in Alberta’s Southern Foothills

Apr 13, 2016 | 10:40 AM

ALBERTA – An environmental charity is adding a large portion of untouched grassland and foothills to a protected area in southwestern Alberta.

The Nature Conservancy says the historic King Ranch will come under a conservation easement that already protects a wide swath of land southwest of Calgary.

The King Ranch is located along the Cowboy Trail (Highway 22) in the wildlife corridor linking the Bob Creek Wildland Park (the Whaleback) and the Porcupine Hills Forest Reserve and in close proximity to other properties with Conservation Easements, including the Waldron Ranch.

Then King Ranch was a historic cattle operation owned by an eccentric pair of brothers who lived in a log cabin despite being multimillionaires.

Numerous stories have been written chronicling the legend of the two brothers-Harrold and Maurice-who purchased the land in the 1920’s and lived together as perpetual bachelors in the same log cabin on some of Alberta’s most valuable land.

Nighttime construction on Hwy 3 in Lethbridge starts April 17

Apr 17, 2025

SASHA launches #BuyABed fundraiser to support vulnerable Lethbridge residents

Apr 04, 2025

$20K grants available: TELUS STORYHIVE Pan-Asian Edition opens applications April 1

Mar 18, 2025

By the time the brothers died in the 1990s the ranch was worth millions, but Harrold and Maurice lived frugally without electricity in self-imposed isolation for the better part of a century. They were known to wear old pants held up by twine, choosing to invest every penny into their beloved ranch.

NCC’s conservation easement on this significant stretch of working native grassland prevents further development in the area and will assist in the conservation of water quality, flood mitigation, and the maintenance of important watershed along Alberta’s southern foothills. It is also a wildlife corridor that facilitates the movement of large carnivores such as bears and cougars.