Port Hills memorial to Ian Howell unveiled

5 May 2006

Christchurch’s Spreydon/Heathcote Community Board and Mayor Garry Moore will tomorrow (Saturday, 6 May) unveil a park seat which will serve as a memorial to Ian Howell, the former city councillor and community board member.

The ceremony will take place at 1.30pm at Cracroft Reserve, next to the Sign of the Takahe.

The unveiling will be done by Mr Moore, Mr Howell’s wife Theresa and community board chairmen Phil Clearwater and Bob Todd, who worked closely with Ian and succeeded him as Chairman of the Community Trust. Other members of the Howell family, past and present community board members and Council staff from the Beckenham Service Centre will also attend.

“The Spreydon/Heathcote Board has purchased the seat in memory of Ian, who was a valued board member and city councillor,” Mr Clearwater says. “The site is special  for Ian's family as Teresa Howell's father was a stonemason who helped build the Sign of the Takahe. The seat is placed near the plane table and people who sit there can look out over the city in which Ian Howell played such a vital role.

“Ian was highly respected as a city councillor and community board member. He didn’t go for headlines but usually worked quietly in the background with various factions to assist in the development of business and social projects.

“The South Christchurch wards also benefited from his significant contribution and it is fitting to have a special place on the Port Hills dedicated to Ian,” Mr Clearwater says.

Ian Howell, OBE, died in April, 2004, aged 70. He was a city councillor from 1995 to 2001, and his influence extended well beyond politics. For 23 years he was chief executive of the Canterbury Manufacturers’ Association and he was Honorary British Consul for the South Island. He served on the board of Lyttelton Harbour (later port company) and sat on many other boards and trusts.

"It's a great honour to unveil a memorial to a person who was not only a colleague but a very great personal friend whom I miss hugely," Mr Moore says.

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