Laurie Hawkins Public School in Ingersoll, Ont. was dedicated on Friday, in honour of an OPP constable who died in 2008.
Hawkins, her husband Richard and their two children, 14-year-old Cassandra and 12-year-old Jordan, died of carbon monoxide poisoning in December 2008.
A clogged chimney vent apparently caused the odourless, colourless and tasteless gas to seep back into their Woodstock, Ont. home.
Hawkins worked with the Oxford County OPP in the years before her death and the loss shocked the community.
Const. Michelle Murphy, a family friend, says "She loved the community she policed and she loved the people within it and, oh how she loved the kids, and it was obvious from the kids the feeling was mutual."
Nicole Uyl, a student at Laurie Hawkins Public School, says "She was really caring and she was interactive with the kids a lot."
Hawkins' parents Ben and Donna Gignac both say it's a very fitting tribute to their daughter.
Ben says "It's been a long drawn-out process and this brings up a lot of feelings, but these are good feelings."
"We're very proud and the school is beautiful and when we walked in we said, ‘This is Laurie, her domain,' and she would be so pleased. What a legacy."
And the legacy is also a challenge to students, says OPP Chief Superintendant John Cain.
"Take some inspiration from Laurie and that you work hard to make your new community of Laurie Hawkins Public School a great place to come and a great place to learn."
Since their deaths, Hawkins' family has been working to make carbon monoxide detectors mandatory in homes in Ontario.
Local MPP Ernie Hardeman, who presented a private member's bill, has pledged to continue his quest for the legislation.
