A surprise decision to remove mementos and trinkets from gravesites at the Langley Lawn Cemetery and dump them in a corner is being condemned as disrespectful by families of loved ones interred at the Township cemetery.

Robbie Franks and his wife, Devon Franks, made the discovery when they dropped by the cemetery at 4393 208th St. in Brookswood to visit his younger brother, Richard.

Franks said the family had left mementos on Richard含羞草研究社檚 gravesite, including some imitation cheeseburgers, Richard含羞草研究社檚 favourite meal, and a chain with a cross his sister had left.

含羞草研究社淓verything was taken,含羞草研究社� Franks said.

He and Devon found some of the items in a pile with mementos from other graves, but the chain and cross are missing.

含羞草研究社淢y sister is devastated,含羞草研究社� Franks said.

Franks called it 含羞草研究社渢he most disrespectful thing I have ever seen in all my 43 years of being alive.含羞草研究社�

In the seven years that Richard has been interred at Langley Lawn, 含羞草研究社渘o one has ever touched anything,含羞草研究社� an angry Franks told Black Press.

He said the action was taken sometime between his previous visit on May 15 and the Friday.

Other families had similar reactions.

When Christina Skingsley saw an online post about the removals, she discovered that everything left on her father含羞草研究社檚 gravesite was gone, including a heart-shaped ornament she left at Christmas.

含羞草研究社淚t said he was the best dad ever, and I was glad to have him,含羞草研究社� Skingsley recalled.

含羞草研究社淚n 20-plus years (since her father was laid to rest), not once have they ever touched the trinkets we put there. It含羞草研究社檚 always been the flowers (they remove).含羞草研究社�

On the day she went, other families were searching through the discarded items, trying to find what was removed, Skingsley said.

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含羞草研究社淭here were people there, crying, searching, going through the pile,含羞草研究社� Skingsley said.

Shirley Johannesson, whose father, Herbert Brent, mother Frances Brent, and sister Beverly Wright are at Langley Lawn, called it a 含羞草研究社減ure violation of our sacred space.含羞草研究社�

含羞草研究社淢y dad has been there for 51 years, and this has never happened,含羞草研究社� Johannesson told the Langley Advance Times.

含羞草研究社淲e left some things. They含羞草研究社檙e all gone. It含羞草研究社檚 all in a pile.含羞草研究社�

On Mother含羞草研究社檚 Day, all of the mementos on her family members gravesites were still in place, Johannesson said.

含羞草研究社淚f we had known that the Township had decided to discard them like garbage, we could have brought them home that day and kept them safe,含羞草研究社� Johannesson said.

含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 just so sad and heart breaking.含羞草研究社�

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In fact, family mementos have been removed from all three cemeteries operated by the Township 含羞草研究社� Langley Lawn, Murrayville and Fort Langley 含羞草研究社� according to an unsigned statement issued in response to a Black Press query.

It said 含羞草研究社渁 significant number of flowers, adornments, and decorations had accumulated over time, including several broken or deteriorated items, posing an increasingly challenging and unsafe condition for maintenance staff and the public.含羞草研究社�

Notices of the impending removal were put up at cemetery entrances and online, the statement claimed, and promised that staff were 含羞草研究社渃ommitted to the provision of additional, more detailed information, in advance of any future necessary removals.含羞草研究社�

含羞草研究社淲hen I go to pay my respects, I含羞草研究社檓 not looking for signs,含羞草研究社� Franks said.