'I've never seen anything like that': Headstones toppled in cemetery in Lebret, Sask.

The contingency fund for the cemetery at Sacred Heart Parish in Lebret, Saskatchewan, is meant to cover the cost of new lawn mower blades.

But it's about to be tapped for up to $2,000 to replace the crosses on several headstones that were vandalized sometime over the Easter weekend.

Ralph Blondeau, the mayor of Lebret who doubles as the groundskeeper and maintenance man for the cemetery, saidhe discovered about 15 toppled gravestones during his early morning walk around the village earlier this week.

"I'm going to be 72 next month and I've lived here all my life. I've never seen anything like that happen," said Blondeau.

"These people that are resting there are the ones that made this country what it was. They're supposed to be resting in peace."

Stones to cost $100 each to repair

Blondeau, whose own parents are laid to rest in the cemetery, saidsome of the gravestones date back to the early 1900s and even earlier.

He saidsome taller headstones have a tendency to lean or settle toward one sideas the ground shifts.

"But with these ones, even the base on some of them were pried out or pushed out of the ground," said Blondeau.

RCMP inneighbouring Fort Qu'Apelle saidthey're investigating the incident and looking for any tips from the public.

A photo of the vandalism posted online wasmet with a mix of outrage and disbelief.

Blondeau says the damaged headstones will undergo repairsbeginning on May 1, at an estimated cost of $100 a stone.

His next priority: figuring out how to prevent something like this from happening again.

"I'll meet with the parish council to find out what we can do. I don't know what would be safest way to go about it," he said, though he suggested a fence might be one option.

"It's something you never wish on any place."