A Richmond Hill church is in sizzling water — once more — over the heritage cemetery that it oversees.
Each the Bereavement Authority of Ontario, which regulates licensed cemeteries within the province, and the Metropolis of Richmond Hill say they’re investigating situations on the Orthodox Church of the Nativity of the Mom of God, previously the Headford United Church, on Leslie Avenue in Richmond Hill.
Alongside the cemetery’s northern edge, 4 stacks of tombstones — some clearly damaged — are seen, with the turf round them stripped away. Shrubs have been eliminated, and piles of earth now line the cemetery’s perimeter. The parking zone has additionally been excavated and closed off, and a big dumpster now sits at one finish.
The parking zone excavation is very regarding to Joyce Horner, an area historian and former member of Richmond Hill’s heritage committee, as a result of she says it might imply unmarked paupers’ graves have been disturbed.
“It is devastating,” Horner mentioned. “That is a part of Richmond Hill’s heritage. These are all my pals and neighbours buried right here.”
Richmond Hill Coun. Karen Cilevitz, who chairs the heritage committee, says she was ‘horrified’ when she noticed the development underway on the heritage property. (Mike Smee/CBC)
Horner pioneered the hassle within the late Nineties that gave the previous Headford United Church and its adjoining cemetery, established within the mid-1800s, designation underneath the Ontario Heritage Act. Designation means a property can’t be demolished or considerably altered with out particular permission from the municipality.
In response to the Act, altering a heritage website with out municipal approval carries fines of as much as $1 million. The proprietor may also be ordered to pay the price of returning the property to its earlier state.
It is unclear what triggered the bereavement authority’s present involvement on the church. Communications director David Brazeau instructed CBC Toronto solely “there are points with the cemetery’s situation that we’re investigating with the municipality.”
Metropolis of Richmond Hill employees additionally supplied no particulars in regards to the probe.
A consultant of the church, recognized solely as Rev. Pavlo, mentioned in an e-mail to CBC Toronto he was unaware of any investigation into goings on on the church property.
“In response to your request, the Church isn’t conscious of the details you alleged in your message and, as such, can’t present any remark presently,” he mentioned.
Some tombstones damaged, stacked close to fence
Particularly upsetting to Horner is the truth that Richmond Hill’s planning committee received funding about 15 years in the past to have a number of the crumbling tombstones within the cemetery refurbished.
“We put some in sleeves, the bits and items, stood them up and tried to affix what we might again collectively,” she mentioned. It is unclear whether or not these restorations have been affected by the work on the church property. However some tombstones look like clearly damaged and stacked close to a boundary fence.
Native historian Joyce Horner stands by the previous Headford United Church. She seen the development work occurring on the heritage website and reported it to Coun. Cilevitz, who relayed the grievance to metropolis employees. (Mike Smee/CBC)
When she seen these adjustments on the church in mid-November, Horner says she went to Coun. Karen Cilevitz, who chairs Richmond Hill’s heritage committee.
“I used to be completely horrified by what I noticed,” Cilevitz mentioned. “I could not imagine what had been achieved right here — most significantly that these headstones had been eliminated.
“That is hallowed floor. This can be a cemetery.”
After that go to, Cilevitz prompted the town to launch an investigation.
2nd time church has confronted criticism over cemetery
That is the second time because it purchased the property in 2020 that the church has been embroiled in controversy over the cemetery it oversees.
In 2022, the church impeded the burial of a Toronto-area man who’d just lately died of COVID, though the household owned a plot within the cemetery
Grass has been faraway from components of the cemetery as nicely and Horner worries that some unmarked graves the place paupers had been buried could have been disturbed within the course of. (Mike Smee/CBC)
The bereavement authority was additionally concerned in that case. The household of Louis Tsotsos, 67, who died in January, 2022, was ultimately allowed to bury him within the household plot after months of delays.
“It has been very disheartening and distressing on all of us,” Tsotsos’s niece, Christina Nastas, mentioned on the time.
“We’re unable to bury my uncle, who’s now sitting at [a] funeral residence in limbo.”
The Tsotsos household had owned a burial plot on the cemetery since 2014, and two different members of the family had been already buried there. However when the cemetery modified arms in 2020, nobody knowledgeable the household, who not have any relations within the space.
On the time, the bereavement authority’s Brazeau criticized the church for impeding the burial. He mentioned the church had ignored repeated orders from the BAO to permit the household to bury Tsotsos in peace.
“It is fairly frankly shameful,” mentioned Brazeau on the time. “The household shouldn’t be going by way of this. I imply, in spite of everything, they’re grieving the lack of a beloved one.”
