Parks in Peel Region, one in Mississauga and the other in Brampton, are set to be renamed in honour of two police officers with links to the area who were recently killed in the line of duty.
During a special city council meeting on Wednesday morning, Mississauga councillors voted unanimously in favour of a motion to rename Indian Gate Park, near Southdown Road and the Queen Elizabeth Way, after Const. Marc Pinizzotto.
The 150-acre green space is located in the Lorne Park neighbourhood and features walking trails, public art, and a pier.
Indian Gate Park is said to have been a favourite space for 43-year-old Pinizzotto and his two brothers while they were growing up in Mississauga.
Pinizzotto was an 18-year member of Toronto Police Serv who served for mroe than five years on the Emergency task Force. He died on June 11 after being shot during the execution of a search warrant in a high-risk operation in North York. Pinizzotto was married father of two.
‘A fitting tribute’
“It’s really, honestly, been devastating to the community. I know a lot of people who knew (Pinizzotto) really well, who played hockey with him. He was the coach of their kids,” Mississauga Coun. Alvin Tedjo told CTV News Toronto on Wednesday.
“I know some good high school friends who served with him on the Toronto Police Service. He was our age and (this tragedy has) really affected how people feel. Like, he was murdered, he was serving his community. What can we do to try and commemorate his service and his memory.”
Fellow Mississauga Coun. Stephen Dasko called the situation “awful,” saying that renaming a park in honour of Pinizzotto is a “small thing that we might be able to do as a municipality.”
“That is, I think, a fitting tribute,” he said.
‘A son of Brampton … a hero in life’
Brampton is also looking to do something similar and will be working to rename a park for fallen Ontario Provincial Police Const. Tarun Bali. The 29-year-old officer was fatally struck while attempting to stop a vehicle in Hearst, Ont. on June 9.
Bali, who grew up in Brampton, was assigned to central Ontario’s Dufferin detachment in Orangeville but was on deployment with the James Bay detachment at the time of his death.
Earlier this week, Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown announced his intention to introduce a motion at the June 17 council meeting to permanently “honour (Bali’s) life and service” in his city.
This motion, which councillors passed unanimously Wednesday, “seeks to ensure that Constable Bali’s legacy of service and sacrifice is permanently recognized in our city. It proposes working closely with his family to identify a suitable park and taking the necessary steps to rename it in his memory, along with appropriate public recognition and commemoration.”
“Constable Bali was a young officer who dedicated his life to protecting others. He served with courage, professionalism, and integrity as a member of the OPP, and in the line of duty he made the ultimate sacrifice while working to keep the public safe. His loss has been deeply felt across the policing community and beyond,” Brown wrote in a June 15 news release.
Brampton’s mayor went on to say that Bali’s connection to the city was “deeply meaningful,” as he’d immigrated here from India with his family and was raised in the city, and “maintained strong family ties here throughout his life.”
“He was, in many ways, a son of Brampton. Following his tragic passing, residents and community members came together in grief and respect, including public expressions of remembrance and flags lowered at Brampton City Hall in his honour,” Brown said, adding he is “deeply saddened by this tragedy.”
“Constable Bali’s passing is a profound loss for his family, his colleagues in the OPP, and for the Brampton community that helped shape him. He embodied what it means to serve others, and he will be remembered not only for his sacrifice, but for his commitment to protecting the lives of others. … He was, and will always be remembered as, a hero in life and we celebrate our heroes.”
The funeral services for both Bali and Pinizzotto are set for Thursday.
- Toronto police release funeral details for fallen officer Marc Pinizzotto
- ‘Forever be a hero in life’: Police funeral for OPP officer killed in the line of duty in northern Ontario set for Thursday in Mississauga
With files from CTV News Toronto’s Janice Golding and Phil Tsekouras
