A Nova Scotia man who tends to a remote cemetery along Cole Harbour Road is trying to figure out why someone went to the graveyard with a shovel, and started digging.

Catherine Giles died on Oct. 13, 1905 and was buried in the Lawlors Point Cemetery.

Exactly 108 years later her grave, shared with her late husband Alex, was discovered exposed.

"We just buried her ashes back here because it was peaceful,” said Bob Carter.

The Lawlor family owns the land, but Carter looks after it alone. He cuts the grass and paints the fences. Even parents-in-law are buried on the property.

Carter said he doesn’t know what the digger was looking for.

“I have no idea really, there'd be nothing there and unless they were back here hoping they could find some jewelry or something, I don't know. That stuff would be all gone now you know,” he said.

There are about 50 graves in the cemetery. Carter said it appears someone was determined to dig up the Giles' plot.

"It was well dug. Sides were cleaned up pretty good, so it looked like somebody was just going to bury something there or take something out."

The only clue left behind was a new shovel left by the shore.

RCMP said they have opened a file.