The culprit was the thaw and heavy rains that came down recently in this area. The section involved is the oldest section (southern section) of Edgehill Cemetery in Colpoy's Bay, Albemarle Township, South Bruce Peninsula, Bruce County, Ontario.
The creek above the cemetery overflowed. The graves in this area are from the early 20th century.The Grey Bruce Health Unit sent an inspector to assess the situation.
The full newspaper article from December 31, 2008 "No threat from grave damage" is on the newspaper's site with photos by James Masters shown in a video. Mayor Gwen Gilbert is quoted
that she expects recommendations on repairs once the municipal office reopens next week.
Staff will be making some recommendations as to how to restore the site as quickly as possible while maintianing the dignity of the persons and the families involved.
The cemetery is closed from public visitiation as a safety measure until work can be done. The municipality placed a notice in the December 30 edition of the newspaper "Notice to Relative of Persons buried in Edgehill-Colpoy's Bay Cemetery. "The municiaplity is attempting to contact relatives of those graves involved and maintain the security and dignity of the area."
This is the first time I have heard of flooding and erosion problems in cemeteries in this area. I am pleased that the municipality is trying its best to protect the area and to preserve the sanctity of this cemetery.
3 comments:
I think it's very good that this damage is being taken seriously. Thanks for sharing this information.
JANET, Thanks for this report. I'm sorry the cemetery was damaged by erosion but it is so good to hear that steps have been taken to restore the burials.
Terry
Thanks Diane and Terry. I am going to keep watch in the newspaper to see if they post updates and I will pass this information on to readers.
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