A Nova Scotia cemetery abandoned nearly a century ago could be given new life as a group of concerned locals work together to give it a facelift.
The tombstones have been toppled, cracked and buried in underbrush in a wooded area near Glace Bay, N.S. since the cemetery closed in the 1920s.
For resident Weldon Yates, those decades of neglect and disrepair are unacceptable. He says he doesn’t want the memories of those buried there to be lost.
"It shouldn’t be left in this condition, out of respect," Yates told CTV Atlantic.
Yates first stumbled upon the gravesite as a child, about 65 years ago. There were fewer trees back then, he says.
"We used to come out here and play but now it’s like a jungle," he said. "It’s a disgrace."
Yates is now working with a group of concerned neighbours to speak out in hopes of bringing together the necessary funds and manpower to spruce up the forgotten cemetery.
It’s a challenging feat. Many of the tombstones are embedded into the forest floor, and a few are split in pieces. In addition, Yates says the thick brush will need to be cleared away – a task that may require a backhoe.
The cost of repairs to cemeteries typically comes from the presiding parish. But with the cemetery long-abandoned, the funds simply aren’t there.
"I would think it would have to be volunteer-driven, both with the personnel doing it and also with the funds," said Donald MacGillivray, spokesperson for the diocese of Antigonish.
But locals insist that the repairs should be made out of an act of compassion.
"As a mother, I have two daughters, I can’t even imagine what this lady went through when she lost this child," nearby resident Beverly Brown said as she stood over one gravestone. "To look at the grave today it just breaks my heart."
With files from CTV Atlantic
