Two communities in the Toronto area are preparing to rename parks in honour of police officers who were killed in the line of duty, with both tributes set to go before city councils on Wednesday. The moves come as the region mourns the loss of two officers within days of each other.
In Mississauga, Mayor Carolyn Parish wants to honour the memory of Constable Mark Pinizzotto, the officer who was shot and killed in the line of duty last week. Parish said that after speaking with Pinizzotto's mother, choosing the location was easy, because the family's boys had played there all the time, just a couple of spots from their house.
The choice reflected how closely the park was tied to the officer's family life. Parish said she did not want to waste any time in honouring his memory, and a funeral for Pinizzotto is set to be held in Etobicoke next week.
At the same time, the city of Brampton is mourning the loss of OPP officer Tarun Bali, who was also killed in the line of duty, in Hearst, Ontario, just days before Pinizzotto. To his father, the officer was described as his dream and his pride.
Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown is also working to rename a park after Bali, whose funeral service is scheduled for Thursday. Brown said he had promised the officer's father that the city would never forget him, and that a renamed park felt like a fitting way to make sure his legacy of courage lives on.
A park location for Bali has not yet been selected. Brown said the city had compiled a list of possible sites for the family to choose from, adding that members of the community had even sent in their own suggestions after seeing the family at certain parks.
Both motions to rename the parks are due to go before city councils in Brampton and Mississauga on Wednesday. Officials said it felt fitting that the two communities would, on the same day, pay tribute to the two families who lost officers serving their cities.