Broken gravestones, ripped up grass: Richmond Hill church facing investigation over cemetery conditions

A Richmond Hill church is in hot water — again — over the heritage cemetery that it oversees.

Both the Bereavement Authority of Ontario, which regulates licensed cemeteries in the province, and the City of Richmond Hill say they are investigating conditions at the Orthodox Church of the Nativity of the Mother of God, formerly the Headford United Church, on Leslie Street in Richmond Hill.

Along the cemetery's northern edge, four stacks of tombstones — some obviously broken — are visible, with the turf around them stripped away. Shrubs have been removed, and piles of earth now line the cemetery's perimeter. The parking lot has also been excavated and closed off, and a large dumpster now sits at one end.

The parking lot excavation is especially concerning to Joyce Horner, a local historian and former member of Richmond Hill's heritage committee, because she says it could mean unmarked paupers' graves have been disturbed.

"It's devastating," Horner said. "This is part of Richmond Hill's heritage. These are all my friends and neighbours buried here."

Horner pioneered the effort in the late 1990s that gave the old Headford United Church and its adjacent cemetery, established in the mid-1800s, designation under the Ontario Heritage Act. Designation means a property cannot be demolished or  significantly altered without special permission from the municipality. 

According to the Act, altering a heritage site without municipal approval carries fines of up to $1 million. The owner can also be ordered to pay the cost of returning the property to its previous state.

It's unclear what triggered the bereavement authority's current involvement at the church. Communications director David Brazeau told CBC Toronto only "there are issues with the cemetery's condition that we are investigating with the municipality."

City of Richmond Hill staff also provided no details about the probe.

A representative of the church, identified only as Rev. Pavlo, said in an email to CBC Toronto he was unaware of any investigation into goings on at the church property.

"In response to your request, the Church is not aware of the facts you alleged in your message and, as such, cannot provide any comment at this time," he said. 

Especially upsetting to Horner is the fact that Richmond Hill's planning committee won funding about 15 years ago to have some of the crumbling tombstones in the cemetery refurbished.

"We put some in sleeves, the bits and pieces, stood them up and tried to join what we could back together," she said. It's unclear whether those restorations have been affected by the work on the church property. But some tombstones appear to be clearly broken and stacked near a boundary fence.

When she noticed those changes at the church in mid-November, Horner says she went to Coun. Karen Cilevitz, who chairs Richmond Hill's heritage committee.