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Eight headstones dating all the way back to the 1940s were tipped over this week at Woodlawn Cemetery in Saskatoon.
The City of Saskatoon, which operates the cemetery, condemned the disrespectful actions and didn’t say if it knew who caused the damage.
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The Woodlawn Cemetery has been a fixture in Saskatoon since 1906 and has seen approximately 63,000 burials since it was first opened.
The city said cemetery staff will continue to reset the headstones and will contact any family members they have on file, but noted that there may be some issues contacting family members because of the age of the graves.
The city said extra security is being put in place in the wake of the vandalism, including overnight patrols and extra daily patrols throughout the Easter weekend.
According to the city’s bylaw, monuments are placed in the cemetery at the risk of the licensee of the grave or of the applicant. The city accepts no responsibility for theft or damage resulting from vandalism. The city is also not liable for the loss of or damage to any monument, marker, or other object or planting located in the cemetery.
The city’s bylaw also notes that any monument company employees, contracted employees or authorized individuals carrying out monument work in the cemetery must notify the cemetery office when they arrive, and are responsible for the restoration or repair of any damages to the cemetery grounds or fixtures resulting from their actions.
The cemetery is located on Memorial Avenue and is the only intact Road of Remembrance remaining in Canada.
It was declared a national historic site in 1992, and a plaque was unveiled on August 28, 1994.
In June of 2023, the city hosted a celebration of the 100th anniversary of Next-of-Kin Memorial Avenue in Woodlawn Cemetery.
Immediately following the 100th anniversary commemoration, Saskatoon’s annual Decoration Day and Memorial Service was held at the Soldiers’ Memorial Cairn. Decoration Day provided an opportunity to pay tribute to those brave individuals who lost their lives in the service of Canada.
