Leslie Ann Chandler

Leslie Ann Chandler

NCC Donor

In honour of his wife’s passion for nature, Keenan Seattle donated funds from her estate to a conservation project in their home province.

Leslie Ann Chandler was born in Saskatchewan and grew up on a farm near Southey, Saskatchewan, where she loved to explore beautiful prairie landscapes and connect with nature. She married Keenan Seattle in 1980, at Southey Lutheran Church.

Leslie Ann obtained her teaching certificate when she was 20 and graduated with distinction from the University of Regina. She received her master’s degree from the University of British Columbia. Leslie Ann cherished being a teacher and taught Grades 2, 3 and 4 for 38 years. She adored her students and loved to share her appreciation for wildlife with them.

Leslie Ann especially loved cats, and the couple provided shelter for many years, caring for over 30 injured and abandoned cats. She was also a director for the Animal and Earth Guardians Inc., formerly Cousins Conservancy Inc. The couple has donated to many charities to help protect animals and nature. Leslie Ann became ill in 2017 and lost her battle with cancer in July 2018.

Keenan and Leslie Ann’s donation to the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) will help conserve endangered grasslands near Buffalo Pound Lake. The conservation project, located 40 kilometres from Moose Jaw, consists of native grasslands that help filter the drinking water for approximately one-quarter of the province’s population. The area is also home to wildlife listed under Canada’s Species at Risk Act, such as Sprague’s pipit, bobolink, American badger and northern leopard frog. To learn more, visit conservegrasslands.ca.