Damphousse inspects the damage after Halloween vandals knocked over about 50 headstones at the cemetery at St. Boniface Cathedral. Significant damage was caused to between 15 and 20. (Chris Kitching/Sun Media)

WINNIPEG -- Consider this a grave offence.

Whoever knocked over headstones -- including some more than 100 years old -- at a Winnipeg cemetery Halloween night may not only find themselves in trouble with the law, but with the spirit world as well.

Police and officials at St. Boniface Cathedral, where the cemetery is located, were left shaking their heads after vandals toppled about 50 grave markers, causing significant damage to between 15 and 20 of them.

"It's devastating to see how low people can go, vandalizing other people's property -- especially in a cemetery," said Rev. Marcel Damphousse. "No respect for the deceased."

Damphousse said the damage was discovered by a passerby Saturday at 9 p.m.

Some markers were knocked off their base while others had crosses or other objects broken off when they hit the ground.

The headstones were being righted yesterday -- most by hand, but the heavier ones required a harness and backhoe to lift them.

Some gravesites date back to the early 1800s. One belongs to Manitoba founder Louis Riel, whose monument wasn't damaged.

No one has been charged.

"Desecrating people's graves is completely unacceptable. I find it rather despicable," said police spokeswoman Const. Jacqueline Chaput.

Damphousse said the cathedral hired a security firm to patrol the grounds during its rounds Oct. 30 -- which is considered Gate Night or Devil's Night -- and on Halloween night, so guards weren't there all night.

Next year, he said, the cathedral will consider placing security guards on site all night.

Damphousse said he doesn't know the vandals' motive. "I'm sure they don't have anything against the people. It's just a random act of vandalism," he said.

Damage is estimated at $5,000, Chaput said.

Insurance may not cover the damage. It's not known who will incur the loss, be it the church or families of the deceased, Damphousse said.

Identifying surviving family members may present a significant challenge because some of the deceased have been dead for more than a century, he said.

Damphousse notified parishioners during Sunday services. "They're just devastated to see that kind of vandalism," he said.

chris.kitching@sunmedia.ca