‘Wall of silence’: Markham resident alleges repeated disturbances at parents’ grave site went unaddressed for year

Scarlett Liu, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Markham Economist & Sun

A Markham resident says she has spent nearly a year trying to get answers about the condition of her parents’ burial plot at Christ the King Catholic Cemetery.

Yvonne Regner alleges repeated disturbances to the grave site, prolonged restoration delays and a lack of transparency from cemetery management and provincial regulators after problems first emerged in May 2025.

For Regner, the issue goes beyond maintenance concerns.

“This is not a renovation,” she told yorkregion.com. “It is a 12-month pattern of grave desecration and administrative neglect regarding my parents’ burial plot.”

Regner says the issues began after heavy equipment was used at or near the plot where her parents, Johann and Edeltrude, are buried.

She says heavy machinery caused the ground above the grave to sink, that excavation work took place without the family being notified, and that the area was left in poor condition for extended periods during spring rainfall.

Regner shared photos showing periods where the grave site appeared covered in standing water and mud, at times surrounded by temporary barricades and “danger” signage.

Regner said she repeatedly contacted cemetery management over concerns about drainage, restoration work and access to the plot, particularly around important family anniversaries in April.

“At no point in this 12-month period did cemetery management inform the next of kin of any damage, mechanical accidents or the multiple excavations of the burial site,” she added.

In response to questions from yorkregion.com, Amy Profenna, director, marketing and public relations of Catholic Cemeteries & Funeral Services, defended its handling of the matter and said maintaining “the dignity, respect and integrity of every burial site is central to our mission.”

The organization said the grave was initially sodded following an interment and later re-sodded in July 2025, after the removal of a nearby dead tree.

“It is not uncommon for there to be impact to the grass on or near neighbouring graves when interments are performed, especially over the winter, as was unfortunately the case in this instance,” Profenna said in a written statement, also indicating that restoration work was delayed due to weather conditions and sod availability.

“As the winter snow receded and weather conditions improved, the area was restored and prepared for re-sodding,” the statement said. “Final restoration will be completed as soon as sod becomes available and conditions allow for successful placement.”

Profenna did not directly answer questions about if heavy equipment had been used at the plot in May 2025, whether ground protection mats were in place, or if excavation work occurred in March 2026 without family notification.

“Their ‘general response’ is exactly the wall of silence I have been dealing with for 12 months,” Regner said.

The dispute has also been brought to the Bereavement Authority of Ontario (BAO), the provincial regulator responsible for overseeing licensed cemetery operators in Ontario.

After reviewing the complaint, the BAO said the concerns had been addressed.

“The BAO has replied to the person who had sent us correspondence and provided documentation showing that the concerns have been addressed,” said BAO communications manager David Brazeau.

But Regner rejected that characterization, saying she never told the regulator the matter had been resolved.

When contacted again to ask if it could clarify what documentation it was referring to and whether any signed resolution existed, the regulator declined to provide additional details, citing privacy and disclosure restrictions under Ontario’s Funeral, Burial and Cremation Services Act.

The BAO said information related to complaints and enforcement matters can only be disclosed in limited circumstances unless consent is provided by the licensee involved.

Regner said she has since escalated the matter to the Ontario Ombudsman, alleging a broader failure of oversight in how the complaint was handled.

Nearly a year after the issues first began, Regner says the dispute is no longer just about the condition of one grave site, but broader concerns about transparency, communication and how complaints involving burial plots are handled.

She vows to continue pursuing the matter through provincial oversight channels.

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