Naming of the Constable Rick O’Brien Youth Lounge
Naming of the Constable Rick O’Brien Youth Lounge
The City of Pitt Meadows announced the naming of the Constable Rick O’Brien Youth Lounge at last night’s City Council meeting.
“The event will be open to the public and honour the legacy of Constable Rick O’Brien,” says Pitt Meadows Mayor Nicole MacDonald. “It will provide us with an opportunity to come together and meaningfully reflect on who he was and his deep devotion to engaging and working with youth. The naming of the youth lounge is one way to remember and pay tribute to him in a space where he loved to spend time.”
The Ridge Meadows RCMP constable was tragically shot and killed in the line of duty on September 22, 2023. O'Brien, 51, was a decorated constable, who had celebrated seven years of service, having become a Mountie in 2016. He left behind a wife and six children.
"I am incredibly grateful to the City of Pitt Meadows for honouring my husband in such a meaningful way,” says Const. O’Brien’s wife Nicole O’Brien. “Renaming the space to the Constable Rick O’Brien Youth Lounge is a wonderful tribute to his legacy. Rick loved being around kids and—during his time in Pitt Meadows—he enjoyed visiting the youth lounge to hang out or shoot some hoops with the kids that were there. He envisioned bringing youth and law enforcement together, and I am excited about the inclusive events, activities and programs we can host here to make his vision a reality."
The youth lounge now has new external signage that includes a silhouette of the constable, designed by Nicole O’Brien. Inside the lounge, there is a dedicated memorial space to honour him. Additionally, the Vancouver Bandits—a professional basketball team based in Langley, B.C.—are sponsoring and collaborating with the City to refresh the outdoor sports court of the youth lounge.
The re-opening of the youth lounge has been eagerly anticipated by the Pitt Meadows community. On February 15, 2024, a small fire occurred in the lounge. Since then, the Pitt Meadows Family Recreation Centre main lobby provided a supervised safe space for youth during regular youth lounge hours.
