Cemetery To Finally Reopen More Than 10 Days After Propane Blast
Posted August 20, 2008 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
It is a comfort in a place where there’s often so little to be had. CityNews has learned that Mt. Sinai Cemetery, the burial ground located right next door to the site of the Sunrise Propane explosion, will finally and completely reopen to the public on Thursday.
The sacred ground was badly damaged by flying debris and remnants of the tank that came flying through the air on August 10th, sending more than 10,000 residents into the early morning darkness. When the sun came back that day, the devastation at the site was beyond the fears of those who worked there.
“I don’t think the families realize that it tears me apart as much as it tears them apart,” explained the cemetery’s Phil Grenfell. “I’ve been doing cemetery work 32 years. First day when I was able to get back on-site, it was like my heart was in my throat.”
Gravestones were toppled and damaged, the ground was littered with junk and funerals had to be postponed over health fears and the mess. Because immediate burials are one of the necessities of the Jewish religion, usually conducted within 24 hours after the death of a loved one, waiting was not an option.
Mt. Sinai was eventually reopened to allow the final services to be held but visitors with relatives buried in the cemetery weren’t permitted to visit their loved one’s graves, creating new hardships for those who had already lost so much.
A massive clean-up has now been completed and there are no more worries about the conditions, allowing anyone who wants to visit the grave of a departed relative to come to the grounds starting Thursday morning.
