Bones of early Gabriola Island pioneers are being unearthed due to continuing erosion at the community cemetery. (submitted photo/Damon James)

By Alex Rawnsley

bones

Early settlers slowly being unearthed at eroding Gabriola Island cemetery

Feb 6, 2023 | 5:22 AM

GABRIOLA ISLAND — The buried bones of early settlers to the region are gradually coming back to the surface.

Remains from upwards of a dozen residents of Gabriola Island in the 1800’s are slowly being revealed from their resting places thanks to ongoing erosion on the cliff-side site causing between eight to 10 inches of land to disappear each year.

Jared Hooper, chairperson of the Gabriola Island Community Cemetery board, told NanaimoNewsNOW the issue has been monitored for over a decade with the first remains coming to the surface last year.

“We knew sooner or later that bones were going to start coming out. There’s a row of about a dozen pioneers that were buried right along the bank edge, well it wasn’t a bank edge back then where they were buried, there was a lot more land there but it’s gone now.”

The cemetery sits on the southeastern side of Gabriola Island, facing towards Mudge and Vancouver Islands.

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A large chunk of land fell off the cliff in the mid 1960’s, further reducing the barrier between gravesites and the elements. Hooper said a roughly 40 foot stretch along the drop-off is unstable and looks as if it’s tilting toward the ocean.

People were first buried at the site in 1882, and with others following over the decades. Most grave sites have the name and dates of the individual inside, but roughly four are unknown.

Work is ongoing to try and preserve what can be preserved, although the land the row of settlers currently rest on might be a lost cause. Several archaeologists, erosion experts and geologists have come out to inspect the area.

“Most people think it’s the ocean on the bottom eroding it but that is not really what’s happening…it is the top, looser part (that) is sliding over the harder, lower levels,” Hooper said. “We’ve been told we’ll never, ever stop that from happening and let nature take its course.”

It means an ongoing mission of moving gravestones, monitoring for remains and reburying them in a different section of the cemetery, continues.

Three gravestones are already relocated, with the goal of creating a new, signed area for the transplanted individuals.

Members of the cemetery board also do regular work along the site and at the water’s edge to monitor for any fallen remains.

“We fashioned up a wire mesh basket that hangs from above to just below where the bones are and we’re hoping that is going to catch those bones rather than have them fall down to the beach.”

People who find any bones are asked not to touch them and contact Gabriola Island RCMP.

The cemetery is still an active area on Gabriola Island, with roughly 12 remaining spaces for full body burials, but much more room for memorial sites of cremated remains.

The Gabriola Island Community Cemetary overlooks Mudge Island and sits on the south eastern portion of the Island. (Google Maps)

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