A Living Legacy

Ann Cross, founder of the Ann and Sandy Cross Conservation Area

A living classroom lies on Calgary’s doorstep. The largest private land donation in Canadian history, the Ann and Sandy Cross conservation area, created in 1996, is one of many legacies left to Albertans by community benefactors Ann Cross and husband Sandy, who passed away in 2003. Just southwest of Calgary, the 4,800 acres of rolling hills are dedicated to conservation education and protecting Alberta’s wildlife habitat. How can we turn a rich place for now into a great one for the ages? The Cross family matriarch offers a few suggestions.

AV: Why was it important for your family to leave this legacy to Albertans?
Ann Cross: So they know what Alberta looked like before the city encroached. At least they’ll have this much of the natural land to see. I think that was what Sandy’s whole aim was – he was quite positive he wanted everything left as nature had put it there, and it hasn’t changed that much.

In the beginning you didn’t think it was a good idea though.
AC: No, I didn’t. But then as things progressed I thought it was a wonderful idea because the land didn’t get turned into a racetrack for cars, and that’s what would have happened. At least it’s preserved for 99 years. We had an argument with [then premier] Ralph Klein over it, and he agreed to 99 years.

What do you imagine Calgary will look like a hundred years from now? Do you see the conservation area still existing?
AC: Yes, that was Sandy’s dream. Sandy always said that in time it would be like Central Park in New York – that everything would be growing up around [it], and that was his vision for it.

If you had one idea, small or big, that could help make Alberta a great place for years to come, what would it be?
AC: To have more parkland. Right now it’s just a mass of cars going in and out on all the roads, isn’t it? There’s not enough parkland for people; you have to go all the way to Kananaskis to get out of the city.

How do you feel when you walk through the conservation area?
AC: Rather proud of the thing that Sandy did. Everyone wondered how he could afford to do it, but he didn’t take that into consideration. He wanted to leave something that wouldn’t be touched.

Who was Sandy?
AC: Sandy was the cleverest man that I’ve ever known. He was very quiet about it and he had many good friends, and they all admired him. But he had a busy, busy mind. He had many interests and he was very, very generous. Oh, heavens, more things were given to the Glenbow Museum than you can imagine. He was a great collector, and had a large collection of pictures, most of which are now in the museum.

What did he do for a living?
AC: He was a rancher. He bred purebred cattle.

How did you meet?
AC: Someone introduced me to him. I was a widow and he was a bachelor. He asked me to marry him and I said, “No! I have five problems; I don’t need another one.” Anyway, about five years after that I met him again, and he was quite serious, so we got married. And we had, I must say, a wonderful life together.

Why is philanthropy so important to your family?
AC: What else can you do with it? You don’t want to sell it. A lot of people sell a lot and they’re not any happier if they do have thousands of dollars. Sandy could never see the point in that. He would rather leave a lasting legacy long after he was gone.

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