A Richmond family has provided a place for a break while walking in the foothills and a memorial to a much-loved father and community member.
Earlier this year, the McKitrick family approached us asking if they could work with us to install a seat in the Richmond foothills in memory of a man who became a well-known figure in our community.
Ian McKitrick was a police officer for 37 years and served more than three decades in the Nelson District and in that time was awarded with several medals.
He was involved in many community initiatives to help keep the community safe with a strong focus on keeping children safe and teaching a safety programme in dozens of schools.
Ian died late last year, and his family decided they’d like to remember him with a special seat installed up the hill from the family home, in a place he loved to walk.
They bought a seat and had a plaque created, then worked with our reserves team to have it installed up Kingsland Forest Park overlooking Richmond and Tasman Bay.
It was a win-win – the family helped to provide another urban feature for the community, and created a beautiful place to remember Ian.
