Quebec entrepreneur, 93, donates cherished island after protecting it from city sprawl

For most of his adult life, Thor Vikström has watched the seasons change and the birds come and go from the small Quebec island he's owned that sits opposite his riverside home in Laval, Que.

At 93, he says he's at peace knowing the land — nestled between Montreal and Laval — will remain protected long after he's gone now that he's donated it to the Nature Conservancy of Canada.

Called Île Ronde, the seven-acre island is a nearly untouched habitat in the middle of an urban centre. It sits in the middle of Rivière-des-prairies, near Lake of Two Mountains, where the Ottawa and St. Lawrence rivers meet.

Wedged between two major cities, it's easy to miss. But its forest and marshland is teeming with biodiversity. 

As urban development in the area progressed over the years, many of the surrounding shores were built up — but the island has remained in its natural state.

Vikström has owned and cared for the land since the late 1960s, when he built his family home in Laval and fell in love with his view of the island. He convinced its former owner to sell, so he could keep it untouched.

His recent donation ensures it will be protected for generations to come.

"I trust my children; I'm sure they'll protect the island. But what happens after my children [are] gone?" Vikström said in an interview with CBC News at his home in Laval, Que.

"It's just a good feeling in my heart. I know this will be there forever."

Vikström is the sort of person who knows what he wants and goes for it. He cracks a joke as he introduces himself.

"My name is Thor. And you know what that means? The Thunder God."

Vikström says he knew he was going to marry his late wife the moment he met her — and told her so.

The couple moved to Canada from Sweden with their first-born son in 1962 and built a life in Quebec, eventually founding Scanada, a successful family company.

As an entrepreneur in the hydraulics industry, Vikström was in the business of building up; he was even consulted on the construction of the CN Tower.