Port Hardy council has approved a memorial bench for James Reginald Hayward.
He was shot and killed after approaching police with a knife about 300 metres from Port Hardy Secondary School in the summer of 2015.
Mayor Hank Bood says it was a touchy subject and they wanted to make sure staff treated it as such.
“Obviously this was a tragic loss for the family and a difficult time for the RCMP as well. We wanted to make sure that we did something to both commemorate James as well as make sure that we were fully in contact with the RCMP regarding the whole situation.”
In July of this year, the Independent Investigations Office cleared the Port Hardy RCMP officer who was involved of any wrongdoing in the Hayward shooting incident.
Bood says the bench will be located close to the four-way stop right at the entrance of town. He notes crews will be refurbishing a bench that is already on the site.
