Family members of people buried in a Nova Scotia graveyard are devastated after discovering that bushes were cut down, flowers were ripped up, and sentimental items were removed from their loved ones’ final resting places without their knowledge. Maggie Kalkman, who lost her daughter to a miscarriage in 2017, was shocked to find that her daughter’s grave marker had been moved without her consent. She rescued the stone but is hesitant to put it back due to fear of it being removed again. Similarly, Rebecca Crisp had the daffodils she planted at her brother’s gravesite torn out, depriving her family of a meaningful symbol of his childhood.
Jack Joudrey, a member of the committee that maintains the cemetery, explained that the decorations were removed to aid in the maintenance of the graveyard, which was proving difficult in its previous state. The committee had issued notices in the local paper and put up posters in the community before the cleanup, but not all families were contacted directly due to the large number of graves. While some families are content with the tidied appearance of the cemetery, others like Melissa Eye feel that the communication about the cleanup was inadequate. Many families, including Eye’s, lost sentimental items during the cleanup process, leading to a sense of anger and upset within the community.
The lack of communication surrounding the cleanup at the Gaspereau Cemetery has left many families feeling disrespected and heartbroken. Kalkman and Crisp were blindsided by the removal of items at their loved ones’ resting places and were not given the opportunity to save them beforehand. The removal of sentimental objects linked to memories and personal connections has intensified the grief experienced by these families. Despite some families being pleased with the improved upkeep of the cemetery, others feel that the process was invasive and lacking in sensitivity towards their grieving process.
The committee that maintains the cemetery has acknowledged that communication could have been handled better and is exploring ways to enhance their outreach to families with loved ones buried at the Gaspereau Cemetery. Eye, whose family lost a glass top on her mother-in-law’s plot during the cleanup, emphasized the sacred nature of the cemetery and the need for respectful treatment of the gravesites. She, like other families affected by the cleanup, is seeking a better understanding of the decision-making process that led to the removal of sentimental items and decorations from the burial grounds.
The emotional toll of discovering that items had been removed from the gravesites of their loved ones without their knowledge has left families like Kalkman, Crisp, and Eye grappling with feelings of anger, upset, and disrespected. The sentimentality attached to the removed decorations and items adds an additional layer of pain to their grieving process. As families navigate their way through this upsetting situation, there is a collective desire for improved communication and sensitivity regarding the maintenance of the cemetery and the preservation of the memories held within its grounds. The hope is that through better communication and understanding, families can find solace and closure in knowing that their loved ones’ resting places are being respectfully cared for.
