Toppled tombstones restored as 7 teens charged in Mitchell, Ont. cemetery vandalism

Tombstone by tombstone, crews from Kitchener and Stratford, carefully picked up 62 tombstones toppled by vandals.

“We’re very pleased we can put things back together today,” says cemetery board member, Dennis O’Reilly.

Six teens from Perth County, and one from Huron County, ranging in age from 13 to 17, have been charged with Mischief over $5000, for allegedly pushing over more than 60 headstones at the St. Vincent de Paul Cemetery in Mitchell on the evening of Jan. 3.

The identity of all accused is protected under the provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

O’Reilly says he’s pleased that someone may be held accountable for the damage and heartache caused by the senseless vandalism, as are police, who released the following statement, Monday afternoon.

“Members of the Perth County OPP detachment worked tirelessly to follow up with information received from the public, to ensure that those responsible for this senseless act of mischief were identified, arrested and charged. I hope that with these arrests, those directly affected by the damaged memorials, and the entire community, can begin to recover from the distress that this has caused,” says Perth County O.P.P., acting Inspector David Sinko.Crews from Stone Centre prepare to lift a toppled tombstone in Mitchell, Ont. on Monday, Jan. 9, 2023. (Scott Miller/CTV News London)

O’Reilly and the cemetery board are pleased with the arrests, but are focusing on getting the toppled tombstones upright and attached again, something they feared may have to wait until spring, due to the soggy conditions in the cemetery last week.

“We have connected with some of the locals and families that have a direct connection. They’re thrilled that we can do this right now,” he says.

While a handful of the headstones, especially the oldest ones, cannot be lifted back into place because they’re so fragile, most of the 62 toppled tombstones will be returned to their rightful place by day’s end, says O’Reilly.Dirt stuck onto a toppled tombstone at St. Vincent de Paul Cemetery in Mitchell, Ont. on Monday, Jan. 9, 2023. (Scott Miller/CTV News London)

Crews from Superior Memorials lifting a toppled tombstone back into place at St. Vincent de Paul Cemetery in Mitchell, Ont. on Monday, Jan. 9, 2023. (Scott Miller/CTV News London)

He says he’s heard from relatives as far away as the Southern U.S, inquiring about whether their loved one’s tombstone, was damaged by last week’s vandalism.

“We are picking up some soil with them. Some dirt is frozen to some of them. We’re going to wait while they thaw out. We’ll get some warmer weather yet, so we can clean these up a bit better. We tried some of the early ones, and we just don’t want to damage them,” says O’Reilly.

As CTV News previously reported, the initial estimate to pick, re-install, and possibly restore the more than 60 toppled headstones is $50,000.

A toppled tombstone suspended in air as it prepares to return to its base at St. Vincent de Paul cemetery in Mitchell, Ont. on Monday, Jan. 9, 2023. (Scott Miller/CTV News London)

The matter of paying for the vandalism, is still to be decided. O’Reilly says insurance will not cover the pickup and cleanup costs, and while some in the public may want the young suspects to pay for the damage they caused, O’Reilly is looking towards the public for some help.

“We still have to deal with the financial side of it. We don’t know the numbers accurately, just yet, but we’ll get to that. We’re hoping to cover that with some donations,” he says.

O’Reilly says some donations have already come in, along with volunteers who showed up Monday morning, to help with the cleanup. You can learn more about the St. Vincent de Paul’s cemetery restoration plan by visiting www.phccatholic.com or by e-mailing [e-mail].