Seven grave markers were knocked over last week in Surrey Centre Cemetery.
The graves stones were nearly all one metre or taller in height and were in the pioneer section of the cemetery, where most graves are more than 100 years old.
鈥淚t鈥檚 absolutely horrible,鈥� said Michael Gibbs, president of the Surrey Historical Society. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 understand why someone would do something like this.鈥�
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Sue Bryant, a member of the Surrey Historical Society, said she first heard about the vandalism April 26 through the 鈥淔riends of West Cloverdale鈥� Facebook page.
鈥淚 went up right away and took a bunch of photos,鈥� said Bryant. 鈥淪everal of the older headstones on the City side of the pioneer section of the cemetery were damaged.鈥�
Deeply saddened to see the damage caused by vandals at the Surrey Centre cemetery in the pioneer鈥檚 section. Some of these headstones were over a century old.
鈥� Surrey Historical Society (@SocietySurrey)
The damaged grave markers include families such as: McCallum, Elliott, Acorn, Wood, and others.
Bryant gives cemetery tours and is very familiar with the stories of the families that are interred in the graveyard.
鈥淭his is very sad, given some of the damaged headstones date back to the late 1800s, early 1900s, and at least two are of children less than a year old.鈥�
Bryant said the pioneer grave sites occupy a part of the graveyard that is somewhat secluded.
鈥淵ou can鈥檛 see the area from any houses. I鈥檝e been there late at night and I鈥檝e seen a lot of people hanging out there.鈥�
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Bryant said the only other vandalism at Surrey Centre Cemetery that she can remember happened about 25 years ago.
鈥淚n the mid-90s, a big group of (gravestones) were vandalized.鈥�
Gibbs wondered if, given the profile of the pioneers, the historical value of the pioneer section, and its century-old markers, it wasn鈥檛 time for some more security.
鈥淚 think we need some cameras in here,鈥� noted Gibbs. 鈥淭his cemetery is part of our heritage.鈥�
鈥淐emetery staff have started the process to repair the monuments which were vandalized last week,鈥� wrote Laurie Cavan in an email to the Cloverdale Reporter. 鈥�The contractor expects to have the repairs completed by the end of this week (May 1).鈥�
Cavan, the general manager of the Parks, Recreation, and Culture department, said the repair work will restore the grave markers in such a way that they鈥檒l retain their historic appearance.
鈥淭o prevent future vandalism, the repaired monuments will be fastened with a metal rod through the monument into its base,鈥� added Cavan. 鈥淚t is rare for historic monuments in Surrey to be defaced or damaged by acts of vandalism.鈥�
editor@cloverdalereporter.com
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