Gravestones falling into river at Cape Breton cemetery
It's a pretty enough spot for a final resting place, but some of the graves in the Centre Glen Cemetery, a pioneer cemetery in Big Baddeck, N.S., have fallen victim to nature.
"The cemetery is currently falling into the river,” said Jeffrey Parks, an antique dealer in nearby Middle River, N.S., who has been checking up on the cemetery for a few years now.
Parks says during that time about 10 graves have been lost and at least two headstones have fallen into the river.
"I've pulled one out and laid it somewhere along the bank,” he said. “There are multiple depressions that have fallen in. I have found pieces of coffin, I’ve found handles. I know one person has even found a human skull along the river."
Victoria County warden Bruce Morrison says this isn't the only case in the area where river and brook washouts, along with erosion, have exposed graves.
"Once the community has left and the church has left from our homesteaders, the graveyards are left and we're starting to see the impact,” Morrison said.
An example came nearly 10 years ago, when human remains could be seen sticking out of a cliff below a graveyard in Ingonish, N.S., back in April 2014.
The question is, what can be done in cases like these?
"At this point we're not sure,” Morrison said. “We have advised community groups that are interested to approach the province of Nova Scotia to see if there's funding to help remediate the sites and do some reconstruction on the graves."
The Centre Glen Cemetery is in a remote area.
It's a 10-minute walk through the woods just to get to the cemetery, which makes it harder for anyone to do anything about it.
However, Parks says doing nothing isn’t acceptable either.
"You shouldn't leave peoples' remains to float down the river,” he said.
Many of the headstones in cemetery date back to the 19th century, but at least one person was buried there as recently as 1985.
While he’s eager to see a solution found, Parks agreed that options for a fix are limited.
"The only thing that could be done is either you move the headstones and the graves back further on the dry side, or have the river rerouted somehow,” he said.
For more Nova Scotia news visit our dedicated provincial page.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6972910.1721665918!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
Harris praises Biden's 'unmatched' legacy, claims many of the delegates she needs for the nomination
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris moved swiftly Monday to lock up Democratic delegates behind her campaign for the White House after President Joe Biden stepped aside amid concerns from within their party that he would be unable to defeat Republican Donald Trump.
WATCH LIVE 'We failed,' says Secret Service director grilled on Trump assassination attempt
Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle said Monday that her agency failed in its mission to protect former U.S.President Donald Trump during a highly contentious congressional hearing with lawmakers of both major political parties demanding she resign over security failures that allowed a gunman to scale a roof and open fire at a campaign rally.
Hollywood reacts to Joe Biden exiting the U.S. presidential race
Hollywood was quick to react to the news that U.S. President Joe Biden was ending his bid for re-election and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris.
Prince George is 11 -- see his birthday photo
Prince George has turned 11, and as per tradition his proud parents have released an official portrait to mark the occasion.
Two-thirds of Canadians polled say they 'desperately' need interest rates to go down
A new survey says the Bank of Canada's recent interest rate cut did little to change Canadians' negative perceptions about their personal finances.
Israel orders evacuation of part of Gaza humanitarian zone as war's toll passes 39,000 Palestinians
The Israeli military ordered the evacuation Monday of part of a crowded area in the Gaza Strip it had designated a humanitarian zone, saying it is planning an operation against Hamas militants there.
Wildfire forces evacuation of B.C.'s Barkerville gold rush heritage site
Visitors have been told to avoid B.C.'s historic Barkerville gold rush town, which is among several areas in the province's Cariboo region under evacuation orders due to the massive Antler Creek wildfire.
LeBron James to be Team USA's male flag bearer for Olympic Opening Ceremony
NBA legend LeBron James has been selected as Team USA’s male flag bearer for the Opening Ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games.
The pilot who died in crash after releasing skydivers near Niagara Falls has been identified
Officials on Sunday released the name of a pilot who died in a skydiving flight after her passengers jumped from the aircraft near the Niagara Falls.