The Chinese Cemetery in Calgary is undergoing a restoration.
The $50,000 project was approved by the city after the community gave its consent to refurbish crumbling and toppled headstones. It was something they had asked the city to hold off on years ago.
“They weren’t sure if they should reset the stones for feng shui purposes, so they neglected it on purpose,” said Jody Yee, whose grandparents are buried in the cemetery.
In 2023, a feng shui master was brought in and encouraged the community to clean up the graveyard.
“(He said) you definitely have to get it tidied up because that has an effect on the descendants of the ancestors,” said Jack Yee, president of United Calgary Chinese Association.
One hundred seventy seven headstones have been repaired and many now lay flat for further preservation. The city said 162 more will be fixed next summer.