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 in Richmond Hill.

Church representative says he is 'not aware' of allegations

Michael Smee · CBC News · Posted: Jan 09, 2025 4:00 AM EST | Last Updated: January 9

Broken and displaced tombstones lie stacked along the edge of the Headford Cemetery. Both the city and the BAO are investigating. (Mike Smee/CBC)

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."

Richmond Hill Coun. Karen Cilevitz, who chairs the heritage committee, says she was 'horrified' when she saw the construction underway at the heritage property. (Mike Smee/CBC)

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.

Some tombstones broken, stacked near fence

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.

Local historian Joyce Horner noticed the construction work going on at the heritage site, and reported it to Coun. Cilevitz, who relayed the complaint to city staff. — Local historian Joyce Horner stands by the old Headford United Church. She noticed the construction work going on at the heritage site and reported it to Coun. Cilevitz, who relayed the complaint to city staff. (Mike Smee/CBC)

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.

"I was absolutely horrified by what I saw," Cilevitz said. "I couldn't believe what had been done here — most importantly that those headstones had been removed.

"This is hallowed ground. This is a cemetery."

After that visit, Cilevitz prompted the city to launch an investigation.

2nd time church has faced criticism over cemetery

This is the second time since it bought the property in 2020 that the church has been embroiled in controversy over the cemetery it oversees.

In 2022, the church impeded the burial of a Toronto-area man who'd recently died of COVID, even though the family owned a plot in the cemetery

Grass has been removed from parts of the cemetery as well and Horner worries that some unmarked graves where paupers were buried may have been disturbed in the process. (Mike Smee/CBC)

The bereavement authority was also involved in that case. The family of Louis Tsotsos, 67, who died in January, 2022, was eventually allowed to bury him in the family plot after months of delays.

"It's been very disheartening and distressing on all of us," Tsotsos's niece, Christina Nastas, said at the time.

"We are unable to bury my uncle, who's now sitting at [a] funeral home in limbo."

The Tsotsos family had owned a burial plot at the cemetery since 2014, and two other family members were already buried there. But when the cemetery changed hands in 2020, no one informed the family, who no longer have any relatives in the area.

At the time, the bereavement authority's Brazeau criticized the church for impeding the burial. He said the church had ignored repeated orders from the BAO to allow the family to bury Tsotsos in peace.

"It's quite frankly shameful," said Brazeau at the time. "The family should not be going through this. I mean, after all, they're grieving the loss of a loved one."