Crosses broken as cemetery vandalized
'It was just absolutely devastating,' says Hall Beach hamlet employee
Michele LeTourneau
Northern News Services
Published Monday, July 7, 2014
SANIRAJAK/HALL BEACH
Vandalism at the Hall Beach cemetery was discovered July 2, and by the evening of July 3 most of the damage was contained, but not without a lot of worry on the part of residents.
A wooden cross was damaged at a cherished burial site in the Hall Beach cemetery June 2. - photo courtesy of Veronica Alorut |
"This morning we discovered that our cemetery has been vandalized, severely vandalized," said Tracy Laine, director of finance and acting senior administrative officer for the hamlet, on the afternoon of July 3.
"We had over 30 crosses that were snapped off at the base, and then thrown in the river. All the picture frames that had been leaning against crosses, everything that was glass out there, the vases, everything was smashed.
"It was just absolutely devastating."
Laine said on the morning of June 3, before going in to work, she checked in with Facebook.
"A lady here in town had posted some pictures. And she was saying, 'Look at our graveyard. This is so terrible.'"
As soon as she arrived at work, Laine sent a crew out to take a look. The crew confirmed the vandalism.
"It was just absolutely horrible what they had done to it," said Laine.
A special meeting was called immediately, and held in the afternoon, because the destruction was clearly not "acts of nature. It was vandalism."
The experience was all the more fraught for member of the community because there wasn't a map of the cemetery.
"We're counting on everyone with loved ones there to take the crosses that we pulled out from the river and go and place them where they belong so we can put them back in the ground. Some of them are quite old, so we're looking for elders in town to help figure out if they know whose grave that is."
Very quickly, people moved in to help identify what went where.
Laine added, "this kind of stuff is not acceptable, especially at a cemetery.
"But it's made us realize we have to have the cemetery mapped out so that if it happens again we know where all the headstones go."
By evening, pieces that were strewn around were placed, as best as possible, where they belonged. Repairs will continue.
"It opened our eyes to a few things we need to work on," said Laine, suggesting that young people will need to be taught further about not destroying property.
