As Mitchell and Nicole Atkinson walk the campus of St. Clair College, the memory of their father won't be far away.
A tunnel between Windsor and LaSalle near the college has now been dedicated to Senior Constable John Atkinson.
11 years ago on May 5th, Senior Constable Atkinson was shot and killed in the line of duty while investigating a drug transaction.
A ceremony Friday morning at the college unveiled the "Sr. Constable John Atkinson Memorial Tunnel" sign which marks the first time a provincial tunnel has been dedicated to a municipal police officer.
"That tunnel represents John guiding our children on this pathway of life," said widow Shelley Atkinson. "As our son Mitchell walks through the tunnel, it is his father who is carrying him through the pathway to the future. When Nicole finds herself walking that same path, it will be her dad holding her hand and carrying on this pathway towards her life."
Chief Al Frederick says Windsor will never forget.
"We can each recall with vivid details what were we doing when we heard the news, where we were and most importantly, what we did next," he says.
A ceremony to mark the Tunnel Dedication for Sr Constable John Atkinson. May 5, 2017 (Photo by Teresinha Medeiros)
Atkinson began her remarks by thanking the community for embracing the family year after year.
"Our family has tried to make this day one that is more about celebrating John's life rather than remembering his death. It was important to John to live each day to the fullest and cherish the people we love most," she said.
A new scholarship has also been established in memory of John Atkinson for two students in the Protection, Security and Investigation or Police Foundations Program.