Dying Saskatchewan farmer's will goes down in history

Whenever I give seminars, there is always some lively discussion about the form a will must take. From videotaping to witnesses to sticky notes, my audiences come up with tons of interesting "what if?" questions for me. But one rule is constant across Canada; wills must be in writing. As for what a will must be written on, the courts are pretty open-minded. Not everyone has a pen and paper handy during his last moments.

Sixty-five years ago, a Saskatchewan farmer became trapped under his tractor. Fearing he would not survive the incident, he scraped some words onto the fender of his tractor. Unfortunately, he was correct that he would not survive, and those words became his will. It sounds a bit like an urban legend, but it is a true story. You can read more about this unusual will and the effect it has had on wills law by clicking here to see an article from www.globalnews.ca.