Coastal erosion is unearthing ancestral bones on this B.C. Gulf Island
A walk past a cemetery can conjure many emotions – sadness, fear and finality. But rarely does it conjure the idea of actually seeing a deceased loved one again.
On British Columbia's Gabriola Island, however, coastal erosion is unearthing more than just memories.
"I come here and I go, 'What am I going to do about this?' says Jared Hooper, chair of the Gabriola Cemetery Commission.
The cemetery sits atop of a 10-metre cliff on South Road and faces Mudge Island to the west. The land was donated in 1882 by Magnus Edgar, an early settler who is also buried there along with his family.
"It’s a lovely peaceful cemetery,” he says. "Except for the problems we are having with bank slipping away."
Hooper's job is to watch over the island's only cemetery – a cemetery that's slowly sliding off a cliff and into the ocean.
"You can't stop it," he says. "You might as well let nature take its course."
Some of the island's earliest pioneers are buried on the bluff, with graves dating back to 1882.
Approximately 15 of those settlers are buried on what's called a midden, a refuse dump for domestic waste that was used by Snuneymuxw inhabitants centuries ago.
“That midden is full of broken clam shells and artifacts,” Hooper adds.
Geologists have told the cemetery that the lower area of the cemetery near the water is much softer because of the midden.
"It’s sliding seaward over harder layers lower down that go right down to the beach," says Hooper.
With the bank eroding by about 20 to 25 centimetres per year, and the caskets long since decomposed, the problem calls for some out-of-the-box thinking.
"I've got that wire basket hanging over the edge so they don't just fall down to the beach," Hooper says. "You can throw a million dollars at it and it’ll fall down in a number of years."
Leg bones exposed on a bluff on Gabriola Island, B.C. (CTV News)
He's slowly collecting the bones until full skeletons can be relocated up the hill and these unsettled settlers can settle once again.
"These bones, they are going to be coming out of the bank for who knows, 20, 30, 40 more years?"
Hooper has connected with some of the living relatives of the settlers buried on the island and they are OK with relocating the remains once the time comes, he says.
For those plotting their own burials on the island, there's still plenty of room in the back, Hooper says.
"We've got lots of room left for cremations – maybe 100 spots or more."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
'Summer of discontent': Federal unions vow to fight new 3-day a week office mandate
Federal unions are launching legal challenges and encouraging public sector workers to file "tens of thousands" of grievances over the new mandate requiring federal workers to return to the office at least three days a week in the fall.
Watch fighter jet pilots pummel fake enemy ship off coast of Philippines
The United States and Philippines held annual joint-training drills just off the Southeast Asian nation’s western coast on Wednesday. Military forces sunk a 'mock' enemy warship – the BRP Lake Caliraya, which was a decommissioned tanker made in China.
'Ozempic babies': Reports of surprise pregnancies raise new questions about weight loss drugs
Numerous women have shared stories of 'Ozempic babies' on social media. But the joy some experience in discovering pregnancies may come with anxiety about the unknowns.
OPINION What King Charles' schedule being too 'full' to accommodate son suggests
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
'I killed four people': Trial hears video evidence of Jeremy Skibicki at Winnipeg trial
“I killed four people,” alleged serial killer Jeremy Skibicki told two homicide detectives during a recorded interview played as evidence in his trial Wednesday.
AstraZeneca says it will withdraw COVID-19 vaccine globally as demand dips
AstraZeneca said on Tuesday it had initiated the worldwide withdrawal of its COVID-19 vaccine due to a 'surplus of available updated vaccines' since the pandemic.
Seafood, eat food: Calgary Stampede releases Midway menu
The Calgary Stampede has released its menu of sweet, salty and spicy treats available on the Midway for the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth.